First Memories

What are the first childhood memories you can remember?  Mine are playing in a sandbox when I was about 6 or so. Living on a 60 acre farm with my family. Dad, mom, me and little sister. We were dirt poor but happy. Dad worked hard to earn a living for us on that small farm. We had cows, pigs and chickens. Hated the chickens. Wasn't too crazy about the pigs. But loved the cows. But I wasn't playing with little plastic cows in that sandbox. Nope. I was playing with little plastic horses. The kind one could get at the dime-store for a few cents. My earliest memories are of wanting a horse so bad I could almost taste it. But knowing we couldn't afford one. Fast forward several years to when I was living in SW Missouri. Raising a family. Hubby and I went to a few local horse sales. I was in my twenties but had absolutely no idea that a lot of those beautiful horses at the sale would die in a slaughter house. We lived on a small place in the country, it wasn't ours but I had a couple of horses to ride. Then came divorce, having to sell my precious horses. Fast forward several more years. Another marriage and our own land in the country. Able to retire from my job and be at home. Loved watching the Kentucky Derby. Who was this horse, Barbaro?  Wow could he run!  Saw the Preakness!  While searching the Internet for news of him and praying somehow he could be saved, found an Internet forum. Followed along with Barbaro's story. This inspired me to buy a couple of horses and the rest is history. Now here we are in Oklahoma on 42 acres. We don't have to depend on the land to earn a living for us and we can give a life-time home to rescued horses and donkeys. I was happy when the slaughter houses in the US were closed. But too many of our horses are still going across the borders and dying horrible deaths. I keep trying along with many others to pass the laws to stop this. The good people in Canada are trying too. Someday, we will win. All I know is the horses in the above picture are safe with us. Never will they ride in the horrible truck to their deaths.