Howdy Folks,
Since I'm here this weekend doing my, "Therapy For Therapy Horses" clinics I thought it appropriate for Theresa and Live & Let Live Farm Rescue be our Feature Friday today. How better to tell the tale of how this wonderful woman came to create the largest shelter, rescue, and sanctuary in NH and all the good that is done there, than to share here the story I wrote for Trail Blazer. "Carrots For The Horses" was published in the July 2012 issue of Trail Blazer.
"Carrots For The Horses."
Just outside
Chichester NH there are 70 acres of peace, love, healing and restarting for
animals great and small who have, through no fault of their own, lost their
homes, families and loved ones. This place is called, "Live and Let Live
Farm Rescue (LLLF)." Teresa Paradis founded LLLF in 1997 with the love and
support of her husband, Jerry, daughter Heather, and 5 horses, 2 dogs, 2 cats
and a parrot she had already rescued. The only way to tell the story of LLLF
and the healing that happens there is to let you know, who is Teresa Paradis,
and perhaps just a bit about the journey that brought her here.
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| Teresa getting love ... |
Teresa, coming
from a troubled childhood herself, always looked to animals for her own
healing, love and support. Her first recollection of how deeply animals can
care for us was her little beagle, Tippy. Twice as a young girl Tippy
intervened when Teresa's safety was threatened. Once when a pack of free
running dogs came charging at her, Tippy, a tiny dog with a huge heart,
disregarded his own safety and plowed right into the pack. Teeth gnashing and
barking fiercely he drove the dogs away. Another time, as Teresa was walking
alone a man stopped his car and tried to harm her. Tippy attacked with the
viciousness of a dog three times his size and the man sped away. Teresa knew it
was that love and connection between her heart and Tippy's spirit that forged
the foundation within her to somehow, someday, find a way to help as many
animals in need as possible.
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| Mooney trimming the grass at the entrance |
As a young girl
she lived within walking distance of a horse farm that raised and trained
Thoroughbred race horses. She had always been drawn to horses, even though she
never knew any. From a distance she loved and watched the beautiful horses
graze, prance and play. She hatched a plan to do babysitting and use that money
to buy a bag of carrots for the horses.
Only one problem stood in her way. She
had no way of getting the carrots to the horses. She decided she would sneak to
the farm's mailbox and put the carrots inside with a note, "Carrots for
the Horses." Her system worked flawlessly. For weeks she would sneak to
the mailbox and tuck a bag of carrots inside, and then sit at her favorite
vantage spot and watch the horses.
One day as she
approached the mailbox she was startled by a man's voice. "Are you the
young lady who's been leaving carrots for the horses?" Sheepishly Teresa
whispered she was. The man replied, "I'm Morris Vallee, would you like to
give your carrots to the horses in person?"
For the next few
years Teresa lived a young girl's dream. She had a series of fun jobs that
allowed her to live within the horses' spirit. Morris was a kind and gentle man
who had a special way with horses. Because of his gentle ways, his horses often
did well in the races, and lived a happy life on the farm. Through him Teresa
learned a happy and good side of the racing industry. His teachings helped
Teresa learn to love horses even more. Too soon, while traveling, Morris died
in a truck accident. The farm soon closed.
Teresa found work
at Suffolk Downs Race Track in East
Boston MA as a groom, walker and handy person. What a very different
world this proved to be than the peaceful, wonderful world with her old friend
Morris. It was while working there that Teresa was introduced to the other side
of the racing industry. It was while working there that she realized that one
day she would work at a rescue. She just knew she had to be a part of helping
horses in a big way.
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| Rehabilitation can sometimes require a little song |
Time and life
marched on; Teresa married, raised a family, and divorced. "Life has its
ups and downs and nobody knows what crooked roads bring us to the fields we
settle on." Teresa said.
Teresa and Jerry knew each other for years, but
each had their own lives. Then one day Teresa got word Jerry was very ill.
Teresa had already been rescuing horses and other animals and it was that inner
spirit that reached out and told her to go to Jerry. Through the illness and
healing they formed a bond that would mold them together each filling a void in
the other.
Jerry had the
land, Teresa had 5 rescued horses and a passion. Together they set out to save,
heal and restart precious lives.
Jerry does most
of the construction and road building, yes the road building. One of the
beauties of LLLF is the way Teresa and Jerry uses the land and nature to help
heal the broken lives of horses, ponies, dogs, cats, goats, pigs, chickens,
parrots and any animal who needs help. The farm is laid out along a wonderful
meandering trail through the sheltering trees.
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| Paddocks along the winding way ... This is the corner of Sanctuary & Rescue |
Along the trail Jerry built a
series of spacious corrals each with run-ins that are home to 2 or 3 horses.
Plenty of room to run, plenty to eat, a place of shelter, and an abundance of
loving care and attention provided by the farm's several hundred volunteers.
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| Puppies getting baths after arriving at LLLF |
The entire farm
embraces visitors with the feeling of love, care and security. It's part of the
healing magic of LLLF. Just walking the tour along the dirt road through the
trees by the horse paddocks makes a person feel welcome and happy. That's
exactly the feeling Teresa set out to create with the park like layout of the
dirt road system on the farm.
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| Socializing PMU babies - The offspring of mares from Pregant Mare Urine Farms - 2 years ago LLLF rescued 104 "Premerians" ... 40 were pregnant mares ... |
You see at LLLF
they not only heal animal's hearts and lives, but people too. With no formal
program, in fact nothing at LLLF is formal, everything is relaxed and free.
There are many human hearts healed here too. Not only the hearts of the
adopters, but many of the volunteers who care for the horses and other animals
come for healing, too.
Early on Teresa
recognized that many of the volunteers came from broken homes or were far too
often victims of domestic violence, or other forms of life changing stress and
challenges.
She also noticed how these volunteers began to heal as they did
some of the hundreds of things that needed to be done each day to care for the
horses. She began to set up loose guidelines, and she structures the teams and
chores to allow each volunteer to receive the most healing that they might need
as well. Each volunteer is allowed to proceed with their duties at their own
pace, providing the time and atmosphere for them to absorb the healing that
even an abandon and neglected horse can give the human heart.
While all the
necessary veterinarian care is provided without hesitation, the farm practices
natural and holistic approach to healing and care. All horses are barefoot and
hooves well trimmed. On a regular basis clinicians are brought in to teach
volunteers and adopters basic natural horsemanship skills. Patty Sanborn, a
Quantumbio feedback specialist comes by weekly, and as often as needed, to
administer care for horses and other animals as they recover from their ordeal.
Because of their excellent care LLLF has an excellent recovery rate for the
horses and other animals they rescue, but the few who can never be adopted can
live out their lives in happiness and peace in the LLLF sanctuary.
Since 2002, when
they became a 501(c) 3 Non-Profit, they have rescued and found forever loving
homes for 50-60 horses a year with a 95% success rate. How do they do that?
Teresa has a
program that is very unique and highly successful. She says she is not trying to just adopt out
horses, but matching horses to the right people for forever homes. She lets the
horses choose. The first step to adoption at LLLF is, "Sponsorship."
An adopter signs up for 30 days as a horse's sponsor, which places the horse on
hold, while the adopter visits and gets to know the horse, and the horse can
bond with the adopter. During this time Teresa participates in the visits and
activities and monitors the progress. If all goes well at the end of the
sponsorship the adopter may take the horse home, or sign up for another 30
days. If she feels it is not quite the best fit, Teresa will suggest another
horse or, as often happens, another horse may choose this human, and the
"Sponsorship," will start again with a new horse.
LLLF has several
more programs to help horses and other animals. One of those is their,
"Outreach Feedbank Program." This program is designed to keep horses
and other pets in their loving homes if their owners come upon temporary hard
times. LLLF can provide hay, feed, limited veterinarian care and other support
to those people who might come upon such hardships as layoffs, illness or other
conditions that may otherwise force them to give up loved pets or horses. It is
in the, "Help Thy Neighbor," spirit that Teresa and the volunteers
work in an outreach manner to keep as many horses and pets and their loving
families together, and prevent once cherished horses from a one way ticket to
the auction barn.
Each Sunday
afternoon the enchanted roads and trails are opened to the public for guided
tours for folks to feel the love and meet volunteers and visit the horses. As
the visitors stroll along the guides introduce each horse to the visitors. They
stop at each of the 28 paddocks and enjoy the moment. It is often during these
visits that new friendships that last a lifetime begin.
And many folks feel the
tug on their hearts to become part of the loving family of volunteers who help
re-start lives.
LLLF is run
entirely by volunteers and survives on your generous donations.
To learn more
about LLLF and their programs Visit their website, (HERE)
Please join them on Facebook (HERE)
And if you visit, please take carrots for the horses.
Gitty Up,
Dutch Henry
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| Powder says, "Thank You." |
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