Sasha was terribly afraid of humans. She had been started under saddle in a very cruel way and had lost all confidence in people, afraid that any mistake or hesitation would bring harsh retaliation. And I had an irrational fear of horses then. Sasha and I worked every day to heal each other. I would spend hours petting her and exploring her body with my fingers, uncovering all her sweet itchy spots. I would bury my face in her mane and her warmth and the floral scent would fill me with pure joy. I would brush her tail for hours, feeling like a kid with a new doll...

Lucy was rescued with two other cows from a very wealthy man who had many exotic animals as pets. When he sadly lost everything in the stock market crash in 2007, all his animals were sold. But the cows were going to go to slaughter. His staff thought that unfair and called us to give them a forever home. The first time I met Lucy I could not believe how small and adorable she was, instantly falling in love with her pink nose, fuzzy ears, and long eyelashes. To me, she looked like a magical creature, smelled like a teddy bear, and felt like an angel in my arms. As she followed behind me onto the trailer with so much innocence, I vowed right there and then to take the absolute best care...