Horses That Saved Lives

There is no denying that the emotional bond between horses and the humans who love them can reach mystical proportions, and nowhere is that relationship more evident than in these twenty-four true-life accounts of horses rescuing people. Many of the stories recount incidents where death or physical injury was imminent and only because a horse intervened are the narrators alive to tell the tale. Other chapters describe that other plane of salvation where contact with a horse through ownership, employment, or a variety of therapeutic programs has restored mental health, peace of mind, and self-esteem. Narrators include a seventeen-year-old Apache youth whom a horse-rescue project retrieved from drug abuse; a mother whose young son was about to be dragged to his death before the horse recognized the child's plight; a Vietnam veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder whose work with horses keeps him on an even keel; and the owner of a Miniature Horse that serves as a "seeing eye” guide animal. As varied as the stories are, all share the same conclusion: "My horse saved my life.”

Cheryl Dudley is a freelance writer and former editor of the Appaloosa Horse Club's magazine. Her Legendary Appaloosa won the American Horse Publication's 2007 book award. She resides in Moscow, Idaho.