The Gentle Barn hosted a great group of kids from the Children's Burn Foundation.
The physical scars from these traumas are often visible on their faces, arms and legs,
but the emotional scars from the horror of how they were hurt are buried deep inside.
We started the tour with the story of our horse, Prince Charming, who was unwanted because of his swollen knees, swayed back, rotten teeth and overall appearance. He had scars all over his body because of the abuse and fights he had been in. We told them how we were delighted with him because we saw that he was perfect just the way he was. His body and what he had been through is not who he is. He is the beauty within him that shines through him, and it is perfect and beautiful. We told the kids how much we love this sweet horse and how we will treasure him till the end of time.
We explained that it was hard for Charming to trust our love at first because he did not believe it and he did not want to accept it. It took us a year of hard, patient work, but he finally accepted our love and affection and trusted it. The kids' faces and attentiveness made it clear that they were moved by Prince Charming's story.
After talking a bit, we spent the day hugging the cows, feeding carrots to Prince Charming, giving pigs tummy rubs, cuddling turkeys, and playing with the goats and sheep. We ended the day by giving Prince Charming a bubble bath. Over the course of the day, as the kids relaxed, their stories started to surface. Some of their stories would make the most hardened person weep.
We fell in love with these kids and hope they come back to see us.
They are heroes to us and we can't wait to see them again.
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When you sponsor an animal at The Gentle Barn, you get a picture of that animal, their written story, and email updates.
You also get the satisfaction of knowing that you are contributing to their care.
We can't do it without you!
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