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There are approximately seven million horses in the United Sates. Hundreds of thousands are abused, neglected or abandoned by callous and irresponsible owners. With a heart as big as a pasture, author Melanie Bowles takes some of those horses into her sanctuary called Proud Spirit. Here, horses that arrive listless and broken find a home where they finally know safety. The bond between horse and caretaker does not happen overnight. It hangs by a fine thread of trust, which the author earns with endless patience and a full commitment to the well-being of the horses in her care.

Dusty, a young Thoroughbred who recovered from severe injuries to reveal a rambunctious personality and a knack for stealing hats;

Maddy, an elderly mare, and Dancer, a gallant Appaloosa, both of whom had been isolated for years but whose ecstatic first acquaintance at Proud Spirit was, mysteriously, like the reunion of two soul mates;

Annie, a little sorrel mare who will break your heart with her weary kindness and who found peace, at last, under an old oak tree in a pasture at Proud Spirit;

Wrangler, a Miniature whose premature separation from his dam turned him into a tiny tormentor. His rowdy innocence helped Marshal, a huge palomino Draft horse with neurological trauma, become playful and engaged as he educated Wrangler in horsy manners.

While continuing to work at the fire department, Melanie and Jim set out to create a sanctuary for abused, elderly and unwanted horses.

The horses, some of which have suffered severe abuse, astound her time and again with their ability to trust, return the love they are given and enjoy the companionship of other horses.

The Horses of Proud Spirit is an homage to the spirit of these alluring creatures and a moving memoir of lessons learned in compassion, strength and loss.

The Proud Spirit books

are available through

your local book store

or through:

Amazon. com

Purchases help support

the rescue work at

Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary.