Our horses come to us in various shades of unwanted; they are beaten, starved, thrown away, ignored….callously sent to slaughter. Both abandoned by their owners and a society that is indifferent or unknowing. Th…eir pain is voiceless, and their stoicism misunderstood. We the rescuers embrace them, accept, nurture and befriend them. We give them a voice, dignity, and hope, and in return we get the privilege of both loving, and being loved. Last night we said good-bye to Malone, and it is without apology that we grieve her fully and experience her loss as deeply personal and cavernous in its depth. She had been bred to race…and she did, and when injured she was discarded. Abandoned, and then starved, she was only hours from the threat of slaughter when we rescued her. She had the gift of Red Bucket and the magic of a relationship with her Guardian Angel Mary Jane, who helped erase the scars of abuse and exploitation. Together they formed a team aligned in educating our community about the plight of unwanted horses, and touched hundreds of children whose perceptions and hearts will be impacted for life. Malone who started her life as “Start the Concert” left us surrounded by her family, and with MJ, her best friend by her side. We will toast the beautiful mare in her stall flanked by her boyfriends Parker and Brinker Saturday, September 28th at 5:30 pm, all those wishing to say good-bye are welcome. While we may have lost her, we gained so much more.