In early February, while shopping for hay with a neighbor, I (very unexpectedly!) found myself face to face with a handsome young stallion who was to be taken to the Shipshewana kill auction the very next morning. The blue-eyed pinto horse had an old leg fracture that had healed improperly, causing the leg to jut out strangely at the knee. Despite the odd leg, he was not lame or in pain. And despite the fact that he was a stallion, he was a gentle, friendly horse. He had been transferred from owner to owner for a few years, and used as a breeding stud, but now he was headed to the auction, at the age of 5 years. Circumstances allowed me to visit with "Captain" for only a few minutes, but in those few minutes I began to suspect that once again, God had put me right where He wanted me, and that it was no coincidence at all that I had made this hay-shopping trip with my neighbor.

Back at the sanctuary, I sent out an e-mail to our supporters. We needed to raise $250 to buy Captain before he went to the sale. And, since he was a stud and we have a farm full of geldings and mares, we needed to find him a foster or adoptive home right away. As luck would have it, long-time sanctuary supporters Sue and Charlie Hill had just recently purchased a little farm not far from Grateful Acres, with the goal of doing some small-scale farm rescue themselves. And although Sue had just broken her arm, and despite the fact that the new farm had no fencing, the Hills agreed to let Captain come and stay in their big barn. They even went out and spent several hundred dollars to put up a portable corral for the horse. Did I mention that the Hills had never had a pet bigger than a dog, and that I had planned on starting them out with maybe a nice little goat this spring? No matter. Sue was in agreement with me that some higher power meant for this rescue to happen, and that the stallion was meant to be in their care.

By the time I checked my email again later that evening, the $250 had been raised by Grateful Acres supporters. I made arrangements for Captain, who was by this time already in the trailer that would take him to the sale in the morning, to be delivered to the Hill's farm instead.

It had all gone so smoothly, I felt sure that God had put the whole thing together, using His helpers (that's you and I!) to save the life of this one gimpy little horse. Why this horse, we didn't know. And I'll admit, when Captain came rearing and charging out of the trailer at his new home, I had a flicker of uncertainty: this was a stallion, and Sue and Charlie were brand new horse people, and I myself was pretty new too. What exactly had we gotten into here? But it was a little late for doubts. After Cappy came prancing off that trailer, he was ours, and we were committed to him for the rest of his life.

Fast forward to a month after the rescue. The Cap-Man has been gelded (neutered) and has settled down perfectly. He has a nice little paddock that will soon be expanded, and "Blake", the big white sanctuary goat, has gone to the Hill's temporarily to be Cap's companion. Captain has had visits from the vet and the farrier and an assortment of other folks, and has been a real gentleman in every circumstance. Charlie takes him for walks in the big field that will soon be fenced for Captain to enjoy whenever he wants. And I have discovered why I was at that particular farm on that particular day in February: Charlie and Captain were meant to be together. The horse looooooves his man, and Charlie looooooves his horse. Funny, I thought it would be Sue who went crazy over Cappy, but clearly, Captain and Charlie were meant for each other!

Show us those blue eyes, baby!