I met Keili almost a year ago. She was very emotionally distant, unhealthy and had serious trust issues. We don’t know a lot about Keili’s back story, but we suspect she was abused because of her body language and fear of being touched around her face and ears.

It took a long time for her to be able to relax around me, and we worked for months doing basic ground work and trust exercises. She is a totally different horse now, and the best thing that has ever happened to me. I am so grateful for her presence in my life.

My relationship with Keili is, in a way, more rewarding than that with my other horse. Not because I love her more than Tawny, but because we had to overcome so much and grow together to become a team.

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This is what “right horse” means to me.

To me, “the right horse” doesn’t necessarily mean finding the exactly right horse to fit into my life. It is more of an opportunity to become the right situation for the amazing animals I am surrounded by, and learning what I need to do in order to provide a good home for them.