Run Free, Sweet Pepper Some horses write their stories in bold, demanding attention. Others leave their mark with quiet resilience, asking for nothing but appreciating everything. Pepper was the latter—steady, kind, and independent to the end.
Pepper’s story with us began long before she arrived in our care. When her owner moved into a nursing home, she and her three herd mates were left behind in a pasture with no one to care for them. Our friends at Borderlands Horse Sanctuary stepped in to help, but when the day came to load them onto the trailer, Pepper refused. Twice, she stood her ground, unwilling to leave the only home she had known. A kind neighbor took her in instead, walking her two miles back to his farm, where she remained until she was finally run onto a trailer and rehomed.
That home didn’t last. Struggling to keep weight on both Pepper and another horse with an injury, the family reached out for help. And so, once again, Pepper found herself facing a trailer. Once again, she resisted. And once again, she was run on—only this time, she found herself here, with us.
The horse we met that day was thin, defeated, but so incredibly kind. She accepted a warm blanket without hesitation, settled into her new home, and quickly began to regain her weight. She never demanded attention but soaked it in when offered. She was content, easygoing, and fiercely independent. And slowly, over time, she let her guard down. The mare who once refused to load onto a trailer for anyone became an easy, willing traveler—proof that she had finally found a place where she felt safe.
This winter, at 26 years old, her hind end began to fail her. What started as stiffness became weakness, then instability. We watched, hoping for more time, but knowing it was slipping away. When we made the appointment for Hugo, we knew it was time for Pepper, too. And in her final days, she received what she had always given: quiet kindness, love without expectation, and the dignity she deserved.
Today, she stepped onto the trailer one last time—not with fear, not with resistance, but with trust. And as she crossed over to greener pastures, we know her three herd mates from Borderlands were waiting to greet her. Tonight, their little herd is whole again, pain-free, and at peace.
Run free, Pepper. You were never one to ask for much, but you were deeply loved. 
If you’d like to honor Pepper’s memory, please consider donating to our auction fund. Her family could have chosen the easy way out and sent her to auction, but they didn’t—they made sure she was safe. Not every horse is that lucky. On March 1, we will return to the auction, hoping to bring home a horse who wasn’t given the same kindness. With your help, we can give them a future.
