Shiloh’s Story!

Name: Shiloh
Breed: Welsh Pony
Color: Flea Bitten Grey
Height: 12.2 hands
Sex: Mare
Arrived: April 2010
DOB: December 13, 2003

Sometimes horses come to Hope Reins with devastating stories of abuse or tragic neglect. At the ranch they find a new home, new purpose and redemption. Other horses come with different backgrounds, perhaps less traumatic but no less powerful. Shiloh’s story is one of these.

In the early days of Hope Reins, we usually searched out horses by scrolling through websites in hopes of finding the perfect addition to our herd of “equine counselors.” This time, however, a new pony found us! We received a phone call from a mother who had heard of our program through her daughter’s riding lesson barn. The little girl had outgrown her beloved grey hunter* pony, much to the heartbreak of the whole family. Not just any new home would do for their precious friend, Shiloh. For as much as she had meant to them, they wanted her to make a difference for others also. Placing their pony at Hope Reins was a perfect choice.

Naturally obedient and submissive, Shiloh will do almost anything you ask even if she is afraid or in physical or emotional discomfort. While her outward response might be the “right thing to do,” that is not the same thing as genuine partnership offered freely from the heart. Many session children struggle trying to find self-worth by pleasing those around them through academic performance, outward appearance or competitive activities. They seem to have an unspoken understanding with Shiloh, as though both know well the inner turmoil of needing to be valued for more than just their outward behavior.

*A hunter is a horse who is shown over a simple jump course, where they look for grace and style rather than complexity and speed.