Remembering Belle
by Meagan Good, MA, LPC; Founder of Take Heart
June 21, 2024
My story with Belle is full of unexpected moments. She continually did the unexpected. And not in the dangerous way that you might think of with horses – bucking, rearing, spooking out of the blue – but in a way that I’m only realizing more as I reflect on my time with her. Thinking through my experiences with Belle, she challenges me to appreciate the unexpected.
I was not looking for another horse when Belle came into my life unexpectedly. My husband and I had just taken this huge leap of faith and purchased Take Heart’s current property in Wernersville, PA. We brought our three horses and had another few donated already – rounding out the herd nicely. We were leasing the farm to a boarding business (who was here for almost 20 years already when we moved in), sharing space with their almost 50 horses. One day as I was hanging out in the mare herd, I noticed a horse hiding in the back of a run-in shed in the shade. I hadn’t even noticed her before! She was terribly thin, with a thick, matted, dull coat and hollow eyes. Her long, cracked hooves confirmed her neglect. Asking around, the boarders told me she was ancient and had been abandoned by her owner. I asked if I could help take care of her – and took over her feed and care. Eventually, I tracked down her old owner and got her to officially transfer ownership through donating Belle to Take Heart. Our vet confirmed that she was an old patient (years prior) and that she was only 25 years old (not young, but by no means ancient in a way that would “justify” her poor condition). Her teeth were in desperate need of dental care, and she could hardly eat the food given to her.
My small team, volunteers, clients and I went to work bathing, clipping, feeding, and loving on this gentle mare. Our farrier took care of her feet, our dentist took care of her teeth, and our vet took care of her medical needs (we found out she had Cushing’s disease – unexpected for a horse in her condition).
It took months before Belle visibly looked better. Years of medical neglect and malnutrition meant her body had a lot of adjusting to do to grow healthy again. What I did not expect, but is still one of my favorite parts of her healing process, is the beautiful metaphor we were given when her new coat started to grow in. Even bathed and clipped, even as she began to gain weight, Belle’s old coat was dull and coarse. But as her body began to heal, she began to grow patches of soft, shiny chestnut fur. I learned that her body was literally healing from the inside out! So many clients were encouraged and inspired by Belle’s slow but steady transformation from broken to beautiful – mirroring their own healing journeys that may not always look changed on the outside, because healing starts on the inside, and takes time.
As Belle got healthier and we began telling her story in the community and on social media, we began to piece together her story. She was purchased in her youth as a fancy show horse, then became a lesson horse. She taught countless children how to ride – all at this very farm. She lived most of her life at this farm. In a tangled mess of human drama and poor ethics, she was abandoned by her owner, and while the boarding barn still fed her, without proper medical and dental care she was wasting away in the field…. All while surrounded by people at the barn whose kids grew up riding her. I was so angry to learn details of the betrayal and abandonment Belle had gone through. Many horses who experience this kind of hurt from humans become dangerous, and require a lot of help to learn to trust people again.
Belle did the deeply unexpected in becoming such a gentle, safe, loving therapy horse. From day one, finding her in the field, she chose to trust. She would lean over her stall door and nuzzle little kids’ hair. She would ask for scratchies on her belly or hind legs in those hard-to-reach places. She let people ride her again (and for kiddos too little to really steer, she would just follow the instructor or another horse). She let people paint their stories on her back so she could carry them for a while. She knew when to push people outside of their comfort zone, and when to just lean in and hold space for them.
Belle had a spunky side too – unexpected for a mare her age. She would run off and be hard to catch in the field, especially on the first warm days of spring or the first cool days of fall. She flirted with some of the geldings often, even finding true love with her “boyfriend” Remy. (For her safety, we actually had to keep Belle & Remy separated! But we would let them visit over a stall or fence regularly.) She would completely call you out with her serious side-eye. She was a very picky eater and required careful catering… you had to give her grain in the way she wanted it, different sometimes day to day (wet? Dry? Small amount first? With meds or without? With hay or without?).
Another unexpected gift from Belle is how she gave people confidence based on what they needed in the moment. Sometimes, Belle would just use her safe, gentle presence to help someone overcome their fear of horses. She would just breathe and stand still while they learned how to feel safe. Sometimes, Belle would take a rider for an unexpected canter – but she somehow knew when it was safe to do so! She never dropped a rider, she just knew when to challenge them to call out their confidence. Sometimes, she just listened and let her story impact the client’s story with truth and courage. Her word from God is “Kind”.
In the last year of her life, Belle struggled more with her health. Hoof issues, metabolic issues, dental issues, and weight loss were all carefully managed but required a lot of stall rest. We had some unexpected recoveries in there – once, her feet hurt so badly we thought it was time to do the right thing…. until she blew an abscess that was one of the most unusual and largest our farrier had ever seen, and did a complete turnaround! Typically with physical pain or decline, you will see an emotional decline in a horse as well… but again, Belle did the unexpected and kept up high spirits… even on her last day. It was really hard to make the decision, but her body was just giving up before her heart and mind and it was time to let her go home. I was grateful to spend her last day with her, where she got lots of visits from her horse friends, volunteers, staff, and students, and could finally have all the treats she wanted.
Belle will be remembered by many people – staff, volunteers, clients – in many different ways. Some have shared with me that they will remember her gentleness. Some told me they remember her silly faces when scratching her in just the right spot. Some said they will remember her resilience, and how she could have hated people, but instead chose to trust and be loving. She didn’t let neglect cause her to shut down or become defensive, but she overcame it and chose connection. I too will remember all these things about her – but also how in doing the unexpected, she made a real impact on so many hearts.
Belle passed away April 10, 2024 at the age of 29. If you would like to further the impact Belle had on our community, one of the best ways to do so is to donate to our Partnership Program, to help people in need of counseling receive financial aid. We don’t want cost to be a barrier for anyone in need of healing experiences with horses like Belle. Every donation helps!
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