How My Horse Changed My Life Contest

Hi all!

I haven't uploaded a post in awhile as we have been super busy!  We've taken in several horses, Rudy, Roxy, Captain, and Star.  Captain and Star both suffered from severe hoof neglect, but they are doing much better.  Captain is on the REHRC website, but I have a few pages I need to upload for the other horses.

But this post is a request for your votes!  Recently, I entered the story about how my horse, Missy, changed my life in a contest that Horse and Rider magazine is hosting on their website.  I really want to become one of the finalists.  Not so much to win prizes, but to get the word out about our hoof recovery center.  If we should win prizes, we could raffle them to purchase hay and feed. 

So I'm really hoping you could go to the H&R website (that link will take you right to Missy's story) rate the story and vote for us!

Please vote once per day until the deadline.  This would be a great way to help out our horses without leaving your chair or spending a dollar!

The true story that I submitted for the contest is below if you'd like to read it here and then decide if you'd like to vote.  Thank you so much for taking the time to help us out!

In 1996, a scruffy little 8 year old quarter horse came into my life. Within months, I dropped a twenty year smoking habit and fifty extra pounds, while Missy developed into a beautiful bay mare. We earned awards and were pictured in an AQHA publication for riding hundreds of miles together. But while I worked in a basement office, I yearned for an occupation involving horses.
Then at 15, Missy came up lame and I was hurdled toward the emerging changes to traditional hoof care often referred to as bare hoof trimming. Missy’s unnaturally shod hooves led me to my new profession as an Equine Hoof Rehabilitation Specialist and the owner of my own business, Heel First Landings, Inc.
Before this sweet mare came into my life, I had rarely traveled, but my quest to learn more about equine lameness and corrective hoof trimming took me all over the US to mentor with other trimming instructors.
Overwhelmed with customers, I began offering workshops teaching the craft to others, and published a professionally filmed DVD, Discovering Your Horse’s Natural Hooves – How to Trim the Barefoot Horse.
Missy, at 23 has seen many horses move into her pasture, most with hoof ailments that destined them to be euthanized - each rehabilitated back to soundness without shoes.
Helping horses has become a passion that evolved into an official non-profit equine rescue called Rainier Equine Hoof Recovery Center. My horse saved my life so I could save the lives of many equines!