"saving lives otherwise lost"
I am mother, grandmother, wife  and avid horse lover.  I am a simple woman
with deep roots in the farming industry.  My mother has often stated to me
that my first word was pony.  My first sentence was, I want a pony. My deep
love affair with horses began the summer I turned 6. My family went to visit a
cousin who raised quarter horses. As we pulled in the driveway, I laid eyes
on the most beautiful palomino stallion I had ever seen.  Handcock's My
Bobby was everything a horse crazy little girl had ever dreamed of.
I grew up in a farm family of 6 children. There was not allot left over for
things like, horses, riding lessons and the dream horse I wanted so badly.  
When I was 7, my dad gave me my very first dairy calf to raise. I was so
disappointed, I wanted a pony.  So I raised my calf and she was broke to ride
and would come when I called her. She had a halter of rope and I rode her
all over the place. When I was 10 we got a set of ponies, They were bad
tempered little guys and I spent more time dusting off the seat of my pants
than I did riding.  I would beg borrow and ride any time the chance was given
to me.  When I was 15, I bought my first horse. He was a 3 month old foal
named Cochise. I raised him for 2 years  and learned alot from him. When I
was 16 I bought a 17 hand warm blood named Chief Joseph. He looked like
Black Beauty and was a dream to ride in an arena.
Outside the arena, I learned every reason he was sold to me so cheaply.
Hard mouth, running away, under tree branches was a favorite trick of his.
to remove his rider. He could jump anything and I learned how to stay on a
jumping horse.  I loved him and he was a great lesson in many ways. When
I was 18 I spent the summer working on the very quarter horse ranch,
where My Bobby was owned. However he had died the previous year in a  
fight with another stallion. Over the summer I trained horses, cared for a
stallion named Four Socks (Bobby's son and twin) I fell in love with the
Handcock bloodline and vowed one day top own my own Handcock.
I was lucky to know these horses and to have the opportunity to learn from
one of the best breeders and trainers in the area at this time.(the late 70's)
I would watch buyers come and purchase his weanlings for $2000 to
$7000 unhandled. I knew then these were indeed special horses.
I rode horses frequently and at every opportunity,  until my marriage in
1980. After this time I did not have horses until 2003 when my husband
bought me a little PMU stud colt that we named Gus. He was a joy and a
handful. It was at this time I learned about the plight of the American horse
and it sickened me.  In the spring of 2004 I started Epona Horse Rescue. It
was then and still is a total labor of love.

The only real requirement I  see for running a successful rescue is, a true
desire to help the horses, a willingness to learn all that is needed to care
for them properly and a desire to always keep the horses first. The biggest
mistake made in rescue is thinking with your heart and not your head. I
have had to learn to say no and it can be hard.  There are so many horses
that need all of us.

. I made many mistakes in the first couple of years. I tried to save the world
and became way over in my numbers. I struggled, and it was a very hard
time.  I learned alot about horses and alot about people.  When I do not
know something, I ask for help. When a situation arises I have not
experienced before I learn from it. I have had to cope with the  "you are not
qualified" attitude.  I will not apologize  for what I   did not know when I
started rescue.  I will promise the horses they will always have the best I
have to offer.
I have held a dying foal in my arms, and said good bye. It hurt. I have
made the decision to have a weary senior with health problems
euthanized. It hurt. I have been honored to know some of the best the
horse world had to offer.  The horses need each of us, with our unique
gifts, talents and desires to help each horse.  Ego has no place in rescue
or in our hearts.

Unified we can make a difference for every horse we come in contact with. I
believe it is only through unity  we can be the most productive in the
struggle to save the horses.

My name is Lin. I love horses. I will work to save them until the work is no
longer needed.