Emily Roland / The Meridian Star
The Meridian Star
MERIDIAN —
Usually when we hear the word "rehab" we wonder which celebrity has been on drugs or is addicted to alcohol; however, today, we are talking about horses.
Last October, Kim Blanton and her team rescued seven horses from a harmful, toxic environment. They have successfully nursed them back to health, and the horses are now enjoying a few weeks with the Girl Scouts.
"I wanted to get [the horses] up here with the Girl Scouts so they could just have fun," Blanton said Wednesday.
Blanton is a fitness expert by day, and a horse savior by night. Along with her job at Anytime Fitness, she owns and operates Coyote Hills Stables and Coyote Hills Equine Rescue and Therapeutic Riding in Chunky.
The Girl Scouts are currently in their second week of summer programs at Camp Meridale. With the help of volunteers, scout leaders and an arts grant from the Community Foundation, it has been a tremendous success.
"For a lot of these girls, this is their only opportunity to learn about horses and how to take care of and ride them," Linda Lauderdale, Girl Scouts Membership and Marketing Director and the Day Camp Director said. "It will also instill a lifelong obsession with horses."
Three of the seven revived horses have been enjoying their time with the girls: Eli, Little Man and Prince. Blanton said it is their first "big outing" since they were rescued.
"I saw the horses after they rescued them, and it is just amazing to see them now," Lauderdale said. "It is remarkable how gentle and ridable these horses have become, and now they are out here performing a service."
To say that these animals have come a long way would be an understatement after living with malnourishment and neglect.
Blanton recalled the heartbreaking scene she walked in to last year:
Eli was "bone thin" when they found him, and Little Man had his head stuck between two lines of bobbed wire. One of the horses was written in the reports as being a colt because of how small it was, and they later discovered that it was two-years-old.
Blanton said that the image of Little Man with his head hung low and his eyes drained of any spirit or life stays with her. However, this sad story has a happy ending as all but one of the seven are in great health and are being adopted by new families.
"From what these horses started out as to getting them here shows their resilience," Lauderdale said. "It shows how they can come back."
Looking at these horses today, you would never guess their history and what it took to rejuvenate their spirits. These gentle ponies were saved from neglect, and now you can find them in a pasture running and playing, beaming and carefree.
