While browsing Facebook one morning a few weeks ago, I came across an ad looking for a home for a Belgian draft horse that had been rescued from a slaughter lot. His name was “John Coffey”. The Green Mile is one of my favorite movies. I chuckled at the pictures of this giant 19 hand horse being ridden through a fast food drive-thru and sent the ad to my husband, who had been half-heartedly searching for a horse of his own to learn with. His immediate response, “Let’s get him!!”

We made the drive 4 hours west to meet John Coffey and instantly fell in love! His owner is probably one of the nicest, sweetest girls I’ve ever met.  She was really heartbroken to let him go, but wanted him to have a job and a purpose.  We decided we wanted to bring him home and after a 12 hour road trip in the rain, we unloaded the big guy off the trailer and into our back yard.

The other horses were NOT impressed. The girls have been chasing him away any time he gets close, but he has been persistent and subtle, and each day he is slowly allowed closer and closer to the herd.  Today was the first day with sunshine since he arrived, so I was finally able to get some decent photos of him.  He was very interested in the baby and his stroller.  The baby, however, was not very amused.

I am so impressed with this guy. He is quiet and steady. He thinks before he reacts and he is so curious and so trusting. He has these big, brown eyes and this drooling, droopy lip. His feet are gigantic, but he is careful and gentle around you. I can’t imagine a world where this beautiful soul would end up as the last horse standing in a slaughter lot. I can’t imagine how much abuse he has taken over the years at the hands of humans he somehow trusts today. His tail was cut off and he has scars from pulling in a harness, but he was saved by an amazing girl who gave him a chance…. gave us a chance… and now he will have an awesome life here.