You can often judge a person on how they treat animals, and when I first met Kim and Corinne from Blackbird Ranch Equine Rescue and Rehab, I could tell by the way they cared for the horses that they are among the very best.
 

What was originally intended as a small rescue organization, with a maximum of three horses, has grown into a rescue with anywhere between twenty to thirty horses, not including permanent residents.
 

Blackbird hosts fundraisers and offers sponsorship opportunities for the horses but when the income falls short of their expenses, they don’t hesitate to take it out of their own pockets. The owner, Kim, explains that they’re not looking for hand-outs, and any donations they receive go directly back towards caring for the horses.
 

Every size, shape and age of horse is welcome, from a towering Clydesdale named Clyde, a stubborn mini mare named Pixie, to a tow-headed mule called Goon.
 

Clyde received his second chance at life after being bought from a meat buyer by a local rescue organization. The organization sent him to live out his days at Blackbird with the promise that he would serve as their ambassador and help to raise awareness for horses in need. When you see the proud, handsome Clydesdale pulling a sleigh full of kids or dressed up in a costume for a local parade, it’s hard to believe it’s the same horse that arrived at the ranch with severely overgrown hooves and visible rib bones. Clyde is just one of their many success stories.
 

Most of the horses that come to Blackbird become adopted but there are those that will never leave the pastures, and will live out the rest of their days in peace, knowing that they are loved and cared for.
 

To walk around the enclosures you’d never know the cruelty, neglect and heartache almost all of these horses were subjected to. When you look in their eyes and rub their velvety noses you can see that despite their painful pasts they’re still willing to trust and love, and maybe that’s a lesson we can all learn from them.