Bella Rose Finds Her Forever Home
Bella Rose is a horse who didn't have a family of her own. She was abandoned, saved, and then saved again.
Learn how Bella Rose overcomes her fears and her injuries to find her forever home with the help and love of people and other animals.
By Bella Rose
Today is beautiful. The birds sing as the sun shines across the meadow where I live with my friends Hanky, Polly Anna, and Jaxy.
The squirrels scamper about and pick up the oats we drop as we have breakfast. A soft breeze blows through the trees.
After breakfast, my friends and I will go exploring. We’ll follow the trails that wander through our land and eat the wild grasses that grow here.
Here we are happy and content. Here we have everything we need – a safe place to live, good food, friends, and lots of love and care. But it wasn’t always that way.
Three years ago I didn’t know what was going to happen to me. I was scared. I didn’t have any of the wonderful things I have today. And I never would have believed in my wildest dreams that my life could be so beautiful and complete.
Let me tell you my story.
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There came a time when my owner couldn’t keep me any more. He took me to a sale yard. It was a scary place.
There were many horses there and we were all afraid. We were far from home and we didn’t know what was going to happen to us.
The other horses and I were put in an auction. It was loud and noisy and there were a lot of people yelling as they bid on us.
Some of the people didn’t have love in their eyes. I worried about the horses that had to go with those people.
Lucky for me, two ladies bought me along with seven other horses at the auction. They took us to a big ranch in the mountains.
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There was a lake and many streams, lots of trees, and wild grasses. The ladies thought that if they turned us loose on the ranch, we’d have enough to eat and drink.
They were so happy they could help us – and knowing we’d be free to go where we wanted on the big ranch, the ladies were sure we’d live happily ever after.
But the mountains were steep and rocky. And it was autumn - there wasn’t much grass left for us to eat.
The other horses said there was good lush grass on top – we’d need to climb the hill to get to the valley above.
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But I was tired from the auction and the trailer ride. I hadn’t had much to eat for days and my feet hurt.
I couldn’t keep up with the other horses. I had to stop midway up the hill. The other horses were hungry and tired too. I told them to go on without me.
Night came and I took shelter under a tree.
I knew I wasn’t as safe all alone as I would be with the other horses, but I needed to get a good night’s sleep so I could make it up the hill in the morning.
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While I slept, the bushes behind me began to rattle and I woke with a start.
Crunch, snap, crunch.
Something was coming towards me. I jumped up and ran down the hill. I was running so fast that I didn’t see the old wire fence that had fallen down.
My foot got caught in the wire and I fell. I tried to pull my foot out to get untangled, but the wire only pulled tighter.
I could feel it cutting into my foot as I pulled to get my leg free. Finally, I got my foot loose.
I was alone, hungry, and my foot hurt so badly, but I had to rest. I lay down and went to sleep.
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The next day, Cris and her family were out driving around the ranch. They had come up to visit and to see the horses that had been saved at auction.
When they came down the hill toward the lake they found me lying in the road.
Cris had some hay left over in the back of the truck. She piled it on the ground a few feet away from me.
I was weak and a little afraid, but I inched forward and had a few bites. I was so hungry and it tasted so good.
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Knowing I needed help, Cris and her family drove on down the hill to get Dave the ranch caretaker.
Dave and Cris came back and they helped me down the hill to the cabin where Dave and his wife Cindy lived.
Their kids had grown and were away at college. But they had Jack the dog and six cats who came out to greet me when I walked through the gate. It felt nice - like the family I’d never had.
Cris knew I was too weak to come home with her. She and her family headed home, but she had Dave feed me hay and mash and minerals and arrange for the vet to come check my cut foot.
Winter was coming so I would need extra food to stay warm and gain weight.
Cris asked Dave to keep her posted on my progress.
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Cris had always loved horses and all animals. She had a horse at home named Tonto Hank’s Dancer. I knew he was important – he had three names!
She named me Bella Rose. I loved my name – it was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever given me. And I felt really special to have two names!
While Dave made sure I had enough to eat, Cris and her friends Sharon and Elizabeth sent me lots of healing thoughts. They visualized me surrounded in light and love and asked that I be safe and protected.
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As a little girl, Cris’ Mom had always told her that her thoughts were powerful. Her Mom said that thoughts were energy that could travel anywhere to help people and animals feel better.
She told Cris that if she pictured in her mind what she wanted to happen – and felt in her heart that it was already happening - she would start creating it - like placing an order with the universe.
So Cris, Sharon, and Elizabeth all sent me healing thoughts. Even Cris’ sister Dawn, who lived across the world in France, sent me loving healing thoughts.
And Cris’ five-year-old niece and nephew, Gabriella and Yianni, who lived near San Francisco said prayers for me before bed.
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I could see the love coming to me from the healing thoughts and prayers. It reached out to me like fine sparkling silver threads – like the way a spider web glistens in the sun.
You know, you don’t need much space for love to come through.
The loving healing energies felt like warm, pink energy inside me – like a blanket that warmed me from the inside out all winter long.
Even though Cris couldn’t be with me – she lived 400 miles away – she knew she was helping me get better and stronger if she and her friends and family sent me light and love.
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As I healed and got stronger, I spent a lot of time alone with nature. The birds, butterflies, and rabbits were my friends.
I passed the time thinking a lot. I made up counting games. I saw five birds fly overhead. Three deer crossed the road. 100 leaves fell from the trees. 500 stars shined on me from the sky.
I grew stronger and stronger. I felt good too. Dave and the vet told me what a pretty girl I was. I felt good and I felt loved.
By the Springtime I was almost back to my normal weight. My feet were better and I was getting healthy and feeling good.
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I had hoped all winter that I would see Cris again. It felt like in her thoughts that she was coming to see me soon.
One day, Cris’ thoughts came to me with great news. She would be coming for me soon! She’d bring a trailer that I would get in and ride back to her home where I’d live with her and Hanky. I was so excited!
Cris was like my best friend. She’d sent me loving, healing thoughts almost every day. I was a little sad to leave Dave and Cindy and Jack the dog and all the kitties. They’d been like the family I never had – feeding me and keeping me company while I got better.
I thanked them all for their kindness and wished them many blessings as I rode home with Cris. I knew I’d found my forever home – where I’d always be loved and cared for.
