When I started being a volunteer for the Rescue a few years ago, Billie was the horse that Betsy entrusted my safety with and knew he would love the doting that I was just bursting to give. She was right. His patience as I learned how to groom (Kathy, it doesn’t hurt to comb his mane like this, does it?) and clean his hooves was remarkable and I found his favorite spots to scratch and rub.  Billie became the “horse of heart.” The first ever to bob his head in greeting when I approached his stall, wait for me to get to him in the field, search my pockets for treats, “lip the top of my head and face” and lean into me as I hugged his neck, his rump, his belly. His thick chestnut coat smelled so good and soaked up tears one time.  He didn’t mind. He was solid, confident and kind.

All of us loved Billie - Helen knew him from his first day at the farm and took the best care of him. Always looking out for Billie, she knew every day how he felt and made sure every day that he had the best day he could. Brit, Julie, Abby, (and so many others) He was everyone’s “Billie Boy”

Some of my fondest memories are those when he was with his best friend Beau. They were always together and when Billie was crabby and kicked out at Beau. Beau would run away and run back swooping by Billie’s rump, happy, playing, acting as if to say “you almost got me there Billie” and Billie would stand stoically, while Beau reenacted the chase, pretending to fear for his life. Beau had a wonderful sense of humor and just loved Billie.  He had to know where Billie was all the time and guarded him protectively. Cooper, the baby of the trio, his 18 hands looming over both, accepted comfortably the company of these two older gentlemen.  On Billie’s bad days, when he had a hard time coming back down to the barn, Chief, the herdsman, would stay with Billie in the field until  someone came up to walk him down the hill. It was amazing for me to discover how much these horses cared for each other, how loyal they were.  Break your heart kind of love.

Over the summer, Betsy found me my “own” horse, and when I got her, I heard my husband say to Billie. “Well, Billie, you can see she has a new girl, but that will never replace you, you’ll always be her boy, she just has a big red girl to love now, too.”  And that is what is was, you never forget your first love and Billie was mine. The horse of my heart because of his…

Because of the Rescue, we had him to love and all of our lives are richer for it. Billie Boy, sweet boy, rest in peace. We miss you and always will.