Ep. 89 The Blessings of Horse Rescue with Michelle Terrell

[00:00:06] I'm Michele Simms and this is The Beauty in the Mess, a community where people who crave a shift in mindset, personal growth, and connection to like-minded people come together to start rewriting their stories. Through engaging, honest, and insightful conversations, the show will help you embrace the mess to recognize the meanings and the lessons it holds and discover its hidden treasures to help you start making a mindset shift. Let's listen, learn, and reclaim who we were meant to be.

[00:00:33] Hi friend, welcome to The Beauty in the Mess. For today's episode, I get to sit down with Michelle Terrell. Michelle and her husband Mike have been rescuing horses for 12 years now and have gone on to found M&M Horse Rescue Incorporated. Saving horses is their passion and they are on a mission to save as many as they can. All I can say is you know when you're talking to someone who's truly special and Michelle is special and I'm sure Mike is too.

[00:01:01] She and her husband with their huge hearts have taken on a mission to save displaced and abused horses. There are moments of tremendous sadness, I'm sure, and moments of great reward, but they are fueled by their love for these animals. So join us as we dive deep into the journey of horse rescue. Hi, I'm Michelle Simms, your host. I'm just a regular person who along with my family have had our share of messes that we too have had to overcome.

[00:01:28] Along the way, I got curious as to how others get through their messes and even triumph over them. Maybe there's a better way, a faster way. Maybe we can accelerate our journeys by learning from someone else. That started my pursuit. I think we can all learn from each other through the sharing of our experiences, lessons, and knowledge. So join me for episode 89 of The Beauty in the Mess called The Blessings of Horse Rescue with Michelle Terrell.

[00:01:54] So without further ado, let's dive right into today's conversation. Hi, Michelle. Welcome to The Beauty in the Mess. I'm so glad to have you with me today. Thank you for having me. Absolutely. Now, I know you're involved in horse rescue and you do many things beyond that even. But before we kind of dig into that a little deeper, I was wondering if you'd tell us a little bit about your background story. Like what in life set you on this path that you would eventually become a horse rescue person?

[00:02:24] I've always loved horses since I was a little girl. I was a little kid. I always loved them. And I just always loved riding and just cared for them. But when I got married, a little bit before I started rescuing, but me and my husband got married and we went to the cell barn and we seen them in desperate need. Lots of horses down there at the cell barns just being dumped off by anybody. And so we started.

[00:02:52] I said, he goes, I don't think we need to go this week. And I said, I know, but there's probably something there that needs to be rescued. And every time we'd go, I'd say, we need to take the trailer, don't we? It's a pack sale and it's a horse sale. So you sell saddles and all that kind of stuff and supplies. But, you know, I didn't really care about the supplies. I just want to see if there was a horse in need.

[00:03:18] So the first thing when I got there, I'd go back and check and see who was worse and I'd get their numbers. And see if anybody would, you know, if I could get any of them. So that's how it all started with us anyway. But I've had horses since I was a little kid. So I've been around them. Oh, wow. So how long have you been doing the rescue part of it? 12 years. Wow. Yeah. How do you not get overwhelmed? I mean, because the need, I'm assuming, is so great.

[00:03:48] A lot more than people would realize, right? Yeah. Right now we have 12. But a few of those are my personal horses. And then Monday we get three more. And then we might get another one after that. And it is overwhelming. My limit's 20. I've decided that Monday it's going to be 15. So you have to put a limit somewhere. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:04:13] I mean, I have to, because they'll just, it'll just destroy everything we have for one. And for two, I work a full-time job. It's not, I mean, I run a rescue. Plus I work a full-time job. My husband works a full-time job and we get some donations, but I mean, you got to keep working. Right. To support it. You know what I mean? Yeah. So do you have any local volunteers that come help at the barn or anything? My aunt and uncle. That's it.

[00:04:43] Nobody from the community though. Yeah. Not yet, but we have put in, I put in for the sheriff's department in through the court system to see if any community service people wanted to, you know, serve out their time out helping clean and stall, building fence, whatever. And, you know, there's teenage, I have one girl that's going to do a thing on the expo for her school.

[00:05:09] She's going to do that and come out and do some stuff, but we're trying to get the word out there, trying to get everything established. And then yes, we're going to have volunteers. So we have, don't have any yet. It's killing me. But we're sending out the invitation, right? Yeah. I wish you lived close to me. Yeah. That would be cool. Cause I know I would come and I have one kid that would probably live at your house. She just loves them. So. Yeah, I do too.

[00:05:39] The whole point of the rescue, if I'm correct, is you take most of these horses you're taking to rehabilitate and then you adopt them out. Is that correct? Correct. Yeah. Most of them you will, but some, I have one that's got like a really messed up leg and it's all sideways. We don't know for sure if it's arthritis. We're trying some medicine on her right now to see if it's arthritis and she's a, she's going to stay there because I know what'll happen to her if she gets sent out.

[00:06:07] She'll just go straight to the kill pins. And I don't want that. She's nice horse. She's broke to ride. My granddaughter can ride her. Wow. She's not lame. Like she can walk and stuff, but you just lightweight. But most of them, your intention is to take them, give them better homes. We've had one woman that had, you know, a bad accident and we got her horse and then we're getting three more Monday because she's elderly and can't take care of him. And it's, but it's good.

[00:06:37] I want people to realize that we're here to help them. Right. If they can't, I want them to call me and say, listen, I can't do this anymore. Can you take them? And I will. I'll take them. I mean, and that's what I'm doing Monday. I'm going to pick up those up in Logan's Fort. So without you and people like you, what happens to these horses? Do people just put them down or? A lot of people just take them to the cell barns and they'll get tossed from home to home

[00:07:06] to home if they're healthy and they're big and fat. I hate to say it. They're going to go to Canada and they're going to kill them. They go to kill pins. Wow. And I know for a fact, because I was at the cell barn and I was down there to see if there's any horses in need. And we got the one and the guys out on the phone in the parking lot saying, I got a load for you. I'll be at the Canadian border tonight with them. That's a fact. Wow.

[00:07:34] People heard him on the phone talking to somebody. Now, for those of us who don't know, what is a kill pin? You ship them there and you're done with them and people pick them up. And if they're good and healthy and fat, they're going to go to Canada and people will ship them overseas to eat. And then the other ones probably put down. Yeah. They wanted the person that we got the 35 year old to put her down. And I said, why? She's healthy.

[00:08:02] I mean, there's no reason for it. I mean, it doesn't matter that she can't be rode. You know what I mean? Right. She's standing in my field happy. She's eating. I mean, it's funny. Yeah. I don't know why people are so awful. To me, a life is a life. And when you take on that horse as your pet or whatever, you are signing on to take care of another life. Yeah.

[00:08:28] Just like when you take a dog or a cat and people throw all these animals away like they're trash. I just don't understand it. I've had my mare for 26 years. And I got her when she was three. And if she wouldn't have got struck by lightning last year, she would still be here. And she was perfectly healthy. Nothing wrong with her at 29 years old. And her son is 25 going on 26. And I've had him his whole life, obviously, because I pulled him out of his mama when he was a baby. Oh, wow. Yeah.

[00:08:58] I mean, the pain in these horses eyes and all the people that don't have a heart for horses that just use them as a tool, they just use them as, ah, they're just a dumb animal. No, they're not. They have feelings just like us. And whether people want to say that horses don't have any feelings, no. I see it every time I bring a horse in and they're confused and they don't know what's

[00:09:25] going on and they just stand there for a couple of days and don't know what's going on and they're confused and sad and they're missing their owner and they're missing their place that they was at for all those years. Right. People need to realize you can't just throw them away like they mean nothing because I don't even think my gelding Marco would or my gelding chief would be able to live if they didn't see me every day.

[00:09:56] Because they're always waiting, waiting at the fence. They're waiting for me. People say, oh, it's just because you got the food. No, I mean, they know they're going to get loving and they're going to get my food. Oh yeah. I'm sure the love is a huge part of it. Yeah. They can feel that. Yeah. No doubt about it. They can for sure. So what's the most common reasons that you get these horses?

[00:10:22] I've had one say that, well, they're getting older and they don't go fast enough for me anymore, which broke my heart. The other was a bad accident and obviously they can't help that. Right. And another one was just what I said, a 70 year old that they can't take care of them. And I understand that she just not a good health. Didn't have the money to take care of him anymore. And once she told me she wanted them to have a good home and she cried all day over it,

[00:10:50] but it's the right decision that she told me that. Right. And, you know, a lot of people just don't feed them. They don't care. Yeah. That's unbelievable. I don't know how you can, I don't understand how you can just leave an animal standing in a field and look at it all bones, knowing that it has no water or food and be okay with it. Yeah. I don't get that either.

[00:11:16] I mean, thank God for the people who recognize they can't or won't take care of it and get it to somebody like you. Yes. Versus the ones that just let them starve to death or whatever they're doing. I don't know. Yeah. I mean, on our website, we put on there to just give them to us and we're not going to judge you, you know. Right. If they're hungry and they need something to eat, that's what we're there for. We're there to help. I had two rescues reach out to me over this new one because they're full. Their rescues are completely full.

[00:11:46] Oh, wow. So they called me and asked me. They looked me up and I said, I would take them because I'm not full yet. These are the ones you're getting on Monday? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Wow. I wondered if you guys coordinated other rescues and yourself. Yeah. And I told her, I said, you know, us rescues, we have to work together. I mean, if one can't do it and we can help each other, we're in it for the same thing. You know? Exactly. I'm not in this for money.

[00:12:16] I don't make no money. I mean, I might adopt the horse out, but people got to think of how much money that I put into them the time that I've had them. Well, and you're still trying to pay for the horses you still have. Yeah. I mean, I'm lucky because I have had three people donate hay. And this woman Monday is going to give me more hay. And any bit of hay. Hay and feed is the big thing.

[00:12:45] You know, that's the big, this mare that I've got down here, it's her second time to the vet. Well, it's anywhere from $300 to $200 every time you take them to the vet to do anything. Sure. And more. Yeah. Yeah. But you got to get your teeth done. They have to be able to eat and everything. So it's a lot. People don't realize. So when you find a horse, like at the kill barn or I forget what you said that place was that you go to. The cell barn. Cell barn. Sorry. That's okay.

[00:13:14] When you go there and you find a horse that's in bad shape that you want to get to rescue, how do you know if you're going to be able to rehabilitate that horse or do you just. I don't. Okay. I don't. I take it home and hope for the best. I drove to Illinois, which we know where I'm at. It's not that far. It's 45 minutes. But we drove about an hour and a half to pick up two horses. And in three weeks or a month, we had to put her down. One of them. Oh.

[00:13:44] Because her leg and her shoulder was so messed up. But the other one was healthy. And he's right down the road and has a wonderful home with my neighbors. They love him. Oh. And you just. That's the only. That's the only horse I've had that I've. That's died in 12 years. Wow. And the other ones could have been in that same category as bad as they were, what shape they were in. Right. So, I mean, you hope that when you get them home that they're okay and they'll be okay.

[00:14:13] And I've had some remarkable stories and horses come out of the sale barn that's made it. And it's been great riding horses and great, just great horses in general. So, what is one of the best experiences you've had so far? Well, I like Arabians a lot. And there's a lot of people that do not like Arabians because they're too high strung. Well, I like a little high strung. I like that little. I like their spirit.

[00:14:42] So, we went down to the sale barn and there was this horse come out. Oh, it was horrible. I mean, literally the whole crowd just was like. That's how bad he was. Wow. Just boned from one and the other, starved to death. And I said, we got to take him. Well, it was December 28th. I know that because my birthday is December 29th. But another reason was we got him and he was so bad.

[00:15:11] We had to pick him up and put his front legs in the trailer and help him up into the trailer. He was so bad. Wow. Yeah. And we were on our way home and my husband's dad called him and said that his grandma had died. So, I remember that exact time frame. It was in 2020. But I fed him. I took care of him. I trimmed him and broke to ride and wonderful. Turned out just absolutely beautiful.

[00:15:39] In the end, he wasn't anything what anybody thought. He turned out to be a great horse. And I changed some people's minds that said Arabians were crazy because that's where he went. He goes, wow, that really changed my mind about that breed. I said, they're not all bad. But yeah, he was gorgeous when he left. Full weight. He just wanted food. That's it. This might be a silly question, but how much do you think? Because I know you give him a lot of love, too.

[00:16:08] How much do you think the love plays into their rehabilitation? I would think it's huge. Yeah. It is because it's like I was telling Angela on Fox 59. They just sit there and put their head in your chest and like, thank you. And just stand there. It's sad. It really is. And they just want to be loved. They don't want to be abused and starved. They're like, oh, you fed me.

[00:16:39] You fed me today. Thank you. You know, and love is a big, big thing. And a lot of people don't have that. They just want them to ride them to death. They don't care. So how do you handle the emotional aspect of this? I would think it has to be heavy at times. It is. It is. And especially when I drive up the driveway and I found my mare last year, it about killed me. I'm the one that found her. Oh, wow.

[00:17:08] And we get these horses and, you know, they just look at you with their big, beautiful eyes. Did you know that the horse has the largest eye of any mammal? No, I didn't. Yep. Yep. Of any mammal on the planet. Yep. Wow. They have the desire to please you in so many ways. When I got my mare, she was three.

[00:17:35] And that guy said, she's, you can just take her. She's stupid. And she'll never be anything. Oh. Well, in three weeks I was riding her. Wow. And 26 years later, I still had her. And she was a great trail horse. And people, she just, she comes so far. She was so scared. And he beat her. She had scars across her face where he beat her. Wow. And she was scared of everything. She wouldn't load in a trailer.

[00:18:04] She wouldn't cross a bridge. She wouldn't do nothing. And then, once I started taking her out on the trails and I started teaching her to climb my obstacles and everything, she just, she turned into a different horse. She liked it. She liked going out. She didn't like going at first, but when she got there, she loved the trail rides and loved being there. That's great.

[00:18:27] Because she got lots of love and affection and carrots and feed and apples and, yeah, my animals are a little spoiled. Just a little. I've never grew up around horses. I love them. I think they're majestic creatures. But I would think if somebody, I mean, not knowing horses like you do, I would think if somebody tried to beat them, they would stomp them to death. But that's apparently not the case. Not all of them.

[00:18:53] Now, like, overseas, I'll just say that. Not that they don't do it here, but the videos that I see of them just aggravating them and hitting them and doing crazy stuff to make them. That's so awful. Yeah. There's lots of things that people don't know that happened here in the United States, too, that you can't, you just, that's a whole other subject, though. Yeah. So horrible.

[00:19:21] And I wish people would open their eyes about the horses and what the people are doing. And it's still being done. That's not supposed to be done. These animals are supposed to be protected. And the Mustang is supposed to be protected. And it's not protected. Wow. Yeah. So as far as your rescues, what does an average day look like? I mean, what do you have to do each day for them? Well, I get up and, well, this morning I got up and I fed the ones down here.

[00:19:50] I got three down here by the house. And I got two at the top of the hill. And then, well, those two at the top of the hill are mine. And then I go up to the rescue. And then I feed them. And then I go out and take care of the ones outside, make sure they're all good. And then I go back in, let them out. Then I come in and I cleaned all the barn today. Got all their stalls clean. And they fell again today in the ice. Oh, no.

[00:20:20] Sorry. And I make sure they got sawdust and they're all nice and clean for the night and all fresh water. And then they make sure they get there all their supplements. And then I go in and brush them. And not all the time because you don't brush a horse every day. And people should never brush a horse every day of their life. It's not good for them. Oh, wow. It takes all the oils out of their coat. Okay. And I learned that a long time ago.

[00:20:49] You just, it's not good on them to brush them every day. They have that water resistant. They have that oils and everything. Like in the summertime, a horse will roll in the mud to keep the flies off. In the wintertime, they roll in the mud to keep the warm in. They want that coat of mud. Oh, wow. They do it for a reason. And that's why I leave mine dirty. They might look awful, but I do it on purpose.

[00:21:20] That's what they do naturally. Yeah. There's mother nature. Yep. That's right. So if somebody is listening and they might want to adopt one down the road, what kind of requirements do you have for people to adopt? They have to have a regular vet. They have to have a, if they have one, if they adopt one horse, they at least got to have a couple acres or, you know, a good place to have them safe. No barbed wire.

[00:21:50] Nothing like that. I don't, and I don't like, I don't have any barbed wire in mine. Mine's electric fence or it's panels, cattle panels, which is safe. And I got to make sure that they are in a good place and they've got good shelter and food, phone numbers, all that stuff. I would prefer to most of the time. I like to take them so I can see where they're going to go. Right. And if I feel like if you don't give me your information, then.

[00:22:19] You're hiding something. Yeah. Yeah. One of what someone was just asking the other day, for example. Well, what kind of, what's your information on her? And she said, why do you need to know that? And I said, because that's what I need to know before you have a horse. Nope. She wouldn't do it. Wow. I said, well, you'll have to go somewhere else and get one. I don't blame you. Cause I want to know, I want to know where they're going. I want to know that they're safe, that they're not going to.

[00:22:49] My worst fear. Why my horses never left my property, but I love them. But why they would never go is because I don't want anybody to abuse them or starve them. That's, I couldn't live with myself. Right. Putting them right back in the same situation you just got them out of. So. Yeah. People who are listening, what, how can they help funding wise? Monetarily wise? Well, I mean, hey, okay.

[00:23:19] So I can get a bale of hay, a round bale for $25. I mean, a round bale for one horse lasts a long time. If you know anything about horses, it lasts quite a while. And that's a lot for me. 25 bucks or it's three bags of feed. Anyway, you look at it, it's anything. Or $27 is a jar or a jug, gallon jug of red cell. And I swear by red cell, it's minerals in a jug. Wormer.

[00:23:48] I mean, anything. Donation of tack that you don't need or blankets. A woman donated blankets for all the horses. Went and bought brand new blankets. Wow. For every horse that I have. 12 blankets. Wow. That's pretty awesome. They're not cheap. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Super nice people from Carmel. I mean, they donated that for me and anything.

[00:24:16] I mean, $25 is a, anything will help. We have t-shirts. We have cups. $20 for a t-shirt, $20 for a cup. My cousin makes the cups and she donates part of it to the rescue. Anything. Do you have your website set up for sponsorships? Yes. Uh-huh. She just got the website done and we're getting our business cards done right now. Will should be to me next week. Oh, wow. So.

[00:24:45] So how does the sponsorship work? If you could tell the people who are listening? Well, you would get like, I don't have it in front of me. Just say you donated $25 a week or $25 a month. Then, you know, you get a picture with the horse. You could come visit it and see it, see how it's doing monthly. Yeah. That's about how it works. That's about how it works. Or you're paying. Or you can do a $50 or $100 or $200. It's right on the website.

[00:25:14] My girl wrote it out for me and put it all on there. It's all for different categories. However much you want to donate. That can pay for a farrier. That's a cost, too. We got to get the horses trimmed. They're coming next Monday because these new horses are going to need trimmed, too. So, yeah. It's a lot. It's a lot to process. But the website's up and anybody that wants to go look at it would be great. So, tell us the address for your website.

[00:25:44] It's www.mmhorserescue.org. Okay. I had to think of that. Sorry. I just got that. And then we got a Facebook, too. It's M&M Horse Rescue. That's awesome. So, I'd like to ask you, is there anything that we can do collectively to try to prevent horses from needing rescued? I mean, there's always going to be a horse that needs rescued. I get that. But I'm just saying, what can we do?

[00:26:14] Is awareness part of it? I think the big thing is the worst thing that we see is a starvation. If your horse is hungry and you can't feed them or somebody sees them not being fed, just call one of us rescues. And we can go get them if they can give them up. If they need a bale of hay, somebody that has extra hay, give them a bale of hay. Right. You know what I mean? I've done it.

[00:26:41] My neighbors, their horses, they needed hay one day and I just went down there and threw them a bale of hay over the fence because they needed it. I mean, please just don't let them sit out there and have no water. The water's a big thing, too. That can kill them, too. They drink a lot of water, 25 gallons of water a day. How much? I'm sorry. It's a lot of water. 25 gallons. Wow. That's a lot. They can drink that much and they drink more in the wintertime. Wow.

[00:27:10] To me, they do. But it's a lot. And people just pay attention. And if you can't take care of them, just please give them up or let them go somewhere where somebody can take care of them. It's not a pride thing. I'd rather, I mean, wouldn't you rather just have them be happy and healthy rather than they're starving? Right. Just let them go. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:27:39] So now you work with law enforcement, don't you? As far as some rescues? Yeah. We had a police seizure this summer. In July, we got four horses. And quickly, I got rid of the stud colt because I had three stud colts on the property. So not a good idea. But anyway, that's another story. So we adopted him out and the other three are still at the house. They're down at the rescue and they're all fat and happy and sassy.

[00:28:09] So how did they know to get a hold of you? My husband worked at the jail. Okay. So they were aware of your rescue. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We got in touch with them and we went out there with them that day and made it happen too. So speaking of the law, is there any laws that you would like to see created or changed to help prevent what you deal with, what you see every day?

[00:28:40] Yes. I wish that they would get in more trouble for not having food out and water out for these animals and no shelter. And I think the biggest thing is the food and water more than anything. I mean, an animal, horses, the wind is what bothers them the most. But in animals being outside, I think the worst thing for horses is just no food and water because that's what keeps them warm.

[00:29:07] And I think when police are called, they should go out there and I don't care if the hay's in the barn, that's not doing any good. Right. If the hay's not with the horse or the cow, they should be feeding the animal. And a lot of times I hear, oh, well, they got hay. Okay. Where's it at? It's not out there with them. That's not doing any good. Wow. How could they think it would?

[00:29:38] Paperwork. Let's just say that. That's all I'm going to say. You know what I mean? Yeah. I think so. And then I think they should serve time. If you are going to let that happen and pay big fines, it's the only way that things are going to change in the society that we live in because people aren't getting in trouble for things they should get in trouble for.

[00:30:04] Like, okay, my dog's standing out there dead on a chain that's been sitting out there in 100 degree weather. It's dead now. Oh, let's just slap him on the wrist and don't do anything. No, I don't agree with that. If you're going to do that. So they don't do anything right now? Right now. I'm just showing, saying that as an example. You have to have some kind of punishment, a big punishment form to make people stop. Right. Because right now, no one's getting anything.

[00:30:35] So they're going to go, yeah, we're not going to get in trouble. Who cares? It's this guy, third offense. Oh, wow. And he's getting more animals again. That's insane. There ought to at least be a law that if three strikes, you're out or something. Yeah. I mean, where you can't acquire them anymore. Yeah. I agree. And why would, if he can't take care of them or he won't take care of them, why does he want more? That's the part I don't get.

[00:31:03] I guess it's that hoarding thing. You think it's a hoarding of animals? Maybe. I don't know. I mean, you can't make any money off of something that's half dead. These horses up here, a lot of them were, he had two of them, I know, because they were the color of them that he was using them for breeding, which I don't know how you bred something that looked like them because they were just bones. Wow. I think I sent you the pictures, didn't I? Of that? Yeah. Of them. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:31:33] Yeah. Horrible. It was horrible. It is horrible. I don't understand where people's minds are at. And then say they've done nothing wrong. They say they've done nothing wrong? Yep. That's what they said. Those people that we took all their animals. They said they were innocent. They didn't. These charges were BS. That's what they said. Word for word. So why did they think the police were there then? I mean, there's not even common sense.

[00:32:04] Well, they don't have much, so. Get me started on that. Amen to that. People don't see them as living, being, loving things. They just see them as something they can get and sell and make money on, and that's all they care about. Oh, wow. So how long do you see yourself doing this in the future? So you can't sell more? Until I can't move. Yeah, I guess.

[00:32:33] Until I get enough volunteers that can help me that I can still just look at them. There you go. Hey, that's a good plan. Yeah. Do you plan on growing the rescue? I mean, you currently have, what, was it 40 acres? 40, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we just bought another property just so we could get more horses. Oh, wow. So you said it takes a couple acre or two for a horse, right? For one horse? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:33:02] That's the scary part. Now I have 40, which you can't go by that because I don't have the pasture. Okay. But I did have a nice lady over there not too far from us. She donated 16 acres of pasture for the summer for me and the rescue horses. Wow. That's a lot. That is. I mean. It's pretty awesome. That's a good 10 horses over there or at least nine that I could put over there. So I said, good, that means more horses.

[00:33:33] That's pretty awesome. Well, I mean, by the time summer got to the end of summer, I could, you know, I could get them fattened up and they can go to new homes and I've just rescued more horses. Exactly. Make room for more and bring them in. Yep. It has to be emotional watching them leave though, I would think. Yeah, I was, I cried on the last ones because she didn't want to get in the trailer. And when we loaded her at the sale barn, she walked right in.

[00:34:00] But when we was loading her up to get adopted out, I knew the girl and she would not load. And then she just kept looking back at me. Oh, I just started crying. I would have too. And the one Bean, he was a three-year-old that we rescued and he was just a special horse. He just loving and funny and personality all his own. And it was hard for me to let him go. We had him almost a year.

[00:34:30] Wow. And that's a long time for a rescue to have him. And do you keep tabs on him? Yeah. Yeah. I've talked to him. I just talked to him the other day. And then I talked to the other girl yesterday also about the other one. Okay. Because they were adopted out the weekend of the grand opening in November. So, yeah. That's pretty awesome. I've had three go out since November 30th. Oh, wow.

[00:35:00] That's pretty rapid, isn't it? Yeah. Well, the word's getting around everybody. So hopefully it goes even further. So do you have like a community day where you invite people to come in and meet the horses that are up for adoption? Or how does that work? Me and a couple friends were talking about having some vendors out. Like my, okay, so one of my friends does soap, goat soap and stuff like that. She makes it and she's not too far from me.

[00:35:29] And then two more of my friends do leather works and then they do wreaths. And my cousin makes cups. So we was going to have vendors come in this summer and then have it a big day like you're talking about. So the vendors and then we had a food truck there. Oh, wow. And everybody can see the horses. Yeah. That I'm planning on that. It's just a whole lot of coordinating everything to get it together. Yeah. That's a lot of people to get coordinated together. The food trucks and all the people that want to come be vendors over there, you know? Yeah.

[00:35:59] But it would be awesome opportunity for people to come and meet the horses. And yeah, we had a great turnout for the grand opening. We were shocked. Yeah. A lot of people. That's pretty neat. Yes. Because even if they couldn't adopt a horse, I mean, just seeing how it works and meeting the horses might prompt them to donate. You know what I mean? Yeah. I mean, anything. Ten dollars. I mean. Anything. Yeah.

[00:36:25] People don't think it goes that far, but 20 bucks buys two bags of feed and two bags of feed will last me two weeks for one horse. You know what I mean? It's the, what am I trying to say? Not the logic, but you know, it's the breaking stuff down for people, I think helps. Right. It does. To make people understand like that jug of red cell that I get. Well, that lasts me a month. Right. Because you only put a cat full in.

[00:36:53] So, but it's wonderful stuff and I give it to my horses. Right. And that's what I give all my rescues that are thin. They all get that. Yeah. Because I think there's a lot of people like me that love them from afar. Right. But we don't know what it takes day by day to take care of these horses and, you know, how much food lasts. We, we have no way of knowing any of that if you don't tell us. So, yeah. And just like, you know, a horse gets a shot every year, which is like $40.

[00:37:21] So 40 times 12 horses, you know. That's a lot. Then every three months they get wormed. Oh, wow. So they got to be, they got to be dewormed. Right. And then that's $10 a pop right there. And then you got, you know, you got their hoof care. You got the hay. You got the feed. You got the minerals. You got the, all the stuff. If you got to give them extra stuff to gain weight. I mean, there's, it's endless. Just like, I can relate to, I have a dog and a cat.

[00:37:50] And when you take him to the vet, when something goes wrong, those costs add up. So I can't imagine for a horse, but. Yeah. Cause even a dog and a cat gets very expensive when something bad happens. So. Yes. Yep. For sure. Yeah. So I want to ask you, is there anything we haven't talked about today that you want to make sure that the listeners hear? I want everyone to know that when we, most of these rescues, I can't say all, because I

[00:38:19] know some of the rescues might not be what they say. That's true. A lot of things are like that, but. I think the rescues out there are. We do a lot for horses that aren't even ours. We, we do it because we love them. We do it because we want to save their lives. Not because we're getting anything out of it. We're not making any money. It's just that you look at these horses when you take them in and you think, man, I don't poor thing.

[00:38:48] You just feel so sorry for it. Yeah. They melt your heart, don't they? Yeah. Yeah. They look out the door and I was telling you the other day, they just look out the door and go, man, why am I here? You know, they don't understand why they've been left and, or why they've been dumped, you know? Right. Or why they've been starved or abused. They don't understand all that.

[00:39:15] And I just want people to understand that do have a heart that should care that when you bought that horse, they didn't want to be standing in a field starving to death and thinking, why? Why don't I have anything to eat? I just wish people would understand or just don't get them. Right. I mean, just leave them. People probably don't realize how much work is involved. It's a lot. For some of them. Yeah. It sounds like it. We just built that barn. And what are we doing?

[00:39:44] We're going down the road to pick up a porch roof that's all aluminum. And because a neighbor gave it to us because he's, he said we could have it, right? Right. We're going to get off there and we're going to go take it down to the barn and build another lean-to. And we just now got that barn up because the other ones need shelter. Wow. It's nonstop. Well, it's growing. That's for sure. The rescue is growing. It is. And I'm not complaining.

[00:40:14] I'm not. I love it. I love the horses. I wish I could stay home every day. If I was, if I win the lottery Saturday, I will. So I have to ask, since you talked about, you know, the horses kind of mourning their past life, you know, where they came from, how long does it take them to turn around with the love and the food and the nurturing that you guys give them? How long are they in that?

[00:40:40] I know every horse is different too, but how long do they stay in that sad phase? The one I told you her owner died. She's coming out of it and I've had her two weeks, I think. Right. And she's, she's not like she was. She's finally starting to come around. She let me pet her yesterday and she was standing over on the side of the field. Not, not even. Engaging. Engaging with anybody. Wow.

[00:41:05] And now she's coming up to the fence and hey, I got some feed or an apple, I bet. Or some love, something. I was petting her yesterday, which about one second time she's let me pet her. So she's coming around and then the big guy, he's starting to come around. It depends on how badly they've been treated. True. Little paint filly that I had. She was just, I mean, she was coming around, but it's going to take a lot because they beat her so bad.

[00:41:34] And the people can't say that it was other horses just beating her up because when she's terrified of people, when she won't come nowhere near people. Wow. So sad. It is. And she's only like two or three. Just a baby. But it, some of them are like, hallelujah, I'm out of this, you know? Right. I wish people, if they're frustrated to the point that they even think they're going to raise a hand to a horse, give it up for, to the rescue. You know what I mean?

[00:42:03] Why pet the horse through that? Or just walk away. Or just walk away from it. Yeah. Yeah. Walk away, but I mean, get the horse a new home. Yeah. Because if you're to that point, then it's too much for you to handle. Yeah. And I got that paint filly. I got her to where she was healthy. She was looking really good and she was back to weight and all that. And that's what I'm getting them for. I'm not getting them to train.

[00:42:28] I mean, she's going to take a lot of time and I got 10 others and I got more coming in. Right. You know what I mean? I got more coming in that needs more help. And, but a guy came and was willing to work with her and had the time. And I said, that's great. I mean, if you've got the time to do the extra work with her, that's fantastic. Wow. So. That's awesome. Yeah. And he's not too far from here either.

[00:42:56] So that sounds like you're building a nice network. Hopefully that network keeps growing too. A lot of people know me here. I mean, I've lived in Owen County most of my life and all my mom's relatives are to the West and my, all my dad's relatives are to the East. And yeah. Yeah. Plus I graduated down here and I know a lot of people. So, and I put the word out there. So I'm trying to just spread the word that we're going to do benefit ride this spring.

[00:43:24] And hopefully I get a date up for that. Just check out the website and the Facebook page and it'll be on there soon. I'm just trying to lock that in. Yeah. Let me know. And I'll try to help as much as I can. I'll help advertise it. So. Okay. That'd be great. So, well, I want to tell you, I love your mission. I love what you do. I think you're an awesome, amazing person. You and your husband both. Thank you. And I think the world needs more people like you too. So. Thank you. We appreciate it.

[00:43:54] Thank you for all you guys are doing. And I hope your rescue keeps growing in a way. I mean, you wish there wasn't a need for it, but we know there is. Yeah. I mean, I want to save as many as I can. I do. I mean, I'd have a hundred of them if I could. I'm sure you would. But I don't have enough land for that or barns. Or volunteers yet. Yeah. Or feed.

[00:44:22] We have to keep saying yet because it's probably coming. So. I think I'll get some volunteers. I've had a couple of people asking about coming out. And the other thing, everybody's got to sign waivers, you know, all that. Oh, yeah. I got all the waiver papers ready and I don't want anybody. Getting hurt. Yeah. Get hurt or nothing like that. But yeah, it's going really good. We're very blessed. People have really helped us. And I've had people from Minnesota and Washington.

[00:44:49] And I get, I got my t-shirt spread all over the place. And they're donating my, my, my cousins and my friends. And everybody all over the place. They've went to Georgia and Florida and Minnesota. Wow. Washington. Where else? Florida. All kinds of different places. We need to get them in every state. It'd be pretty awesome. I know. Be nice. I need to get you a t-shirt so you can wear it. I will get one. I'll pay for it and we'll feed some more horses.

[00:45:19] Good. That'll get them almost a bale of hay. There you go. Well, thank you so much for being with me today. It's been awesome. And thank you. Please keep me updated on how things are going. And I thank you for having us. I thanks. Thank you for letting me put the word out there. And I just hope everybody will please understand that no matter what, there's always somebody

[00:45:44] out there to help besides letting them poor animals just stand there and do without. Please. I agree. Couldn't say it better. So thank you so much. Thank you. Bye-bye. Bye. As we wrap up today's episode, I hope Michelle sharing her knowledge, experience, and wisdom has helped you in some way. I think one of the most important things Michelle has showed us is just how much pure love can actually fuel a goal or a passion.

[00:46:13] It's absolutely amazing. I think what Michelle and Mike do every day has to take an emotional, financial, and even a physical toll on them. But they keep on going. They keep saving the lives of horses every day. I know the love of the animals and the rewards of seeing them, or most of them, get to thrive again or perhaps even go to a new loving home has to be part of what keeps them going.

[00:46:38] But I would like to ask, if you have an extra 20 bucks, please help Michelle get her t-shirts in every state. It will help feed a horse for two weeks. And she now has a few in Indiana, at least. Or if you just want to send a donation, 10 bucks even, anything, her and Mike's way, that would be awesome. And if you don't have money, maybe you would consider reaching out to them and just letting them know how amazing what they are doing is and hopefully how grateful you are that there are

[00:47:07] people like them in the world. I know I'm very grateful. I hope you enjoyed today's show. I would love to hear from you. As always, I hope this episode helps at least one person. And with that, I hope you have a blessed week, my friend. Thank you for listening to The Beauty and the Mess. If you enjoyed what you heard, please share it with a friend. And if you haven't already, please subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on your favorite pod player.

[00:47:37] If you have any questions or comments, any topic ideas you would like to hear about, or you think you would be a great guest on the show, you can reach me directly at thebeautyandthemess.com. Thanks for listening.