I have debated long and hard whether or not to write this letter, as many people have approached me and complained. After much consideration, I decided it’s best to hear it from the horse’s mouth, no pun intended.

It has been brought to my attention several times that I was not mentioned in the articles about the horse rescue. Unfortunately, not all things can be covered in a couple of articles, besides that; behind the scenes work is awfully boring! I seem to be the only one not bothered by this, so I will follow with an explanation as to why.

When Chris and I decided to dive into this project head first, we did so, not for the glory but for the cause. We never expected pats on the back or praise in any way whatsoever. We knew full well that it was a thankless job that would require many hours of hard work and determination, but we were prepared for that.

Yes, I did put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the rescue and I continue to do so on a daily basis. Are there days where I want to throw in the towel and give up? You bet there are! Do I ever just want to go home after a long day at work to watch two mindless hours of television and forget that I have any responsibility? Who hasn’t wanted that?!

What needs to be understood and taken to heart is Chris and I didn’t do it alone. There were days that we did, but we could have NEVER accomplished it without help. So I want to thank Rob and Sarah Valentine for the hours of pulling, cutting and mowing weeds. Thank you to Nikki Katich for being the voice of reason when I had the stupidest horse questions known to man. Thank you Bonnie Christensen for riding Baby the first time because I was too scared! Thank you to my dad, Gary Bjorson and my nephew, Matteao Merriman for helping me in 100-degree weather to finish the corral, and thank you Matteao for cleaning the corral while Chris and I were at work! One day without horse manure is a luxury we don’t get too often! Thank you Bugs Shear for trimming the girls and doing a wonderful job! Thank you Melissa for helping me pull apart boards to reclaim for the fence, even if I did smash my leg with a sledgehammer! Thank you Taylor for letting me drag you out of the house and making you do “work” during your summer vacation; you’ll never understand how much easier it is to screw a board to a post while someone else is holding the board.

With all of that being said, I want everyone in the community to know — its hard work, but it’s worth it! At the end of a stressful day at work, we get to go and hang out with some pretty awesome horses. They don’t care that we’re covered in everything from poop to sweat; they don’t care if we have make-up on or forget to put on deodorant that day. They’re thankful that we remembered them and showed up to love and care for them. They are more than willing to allow us to vent any stresses we may have in life, and best of all, they don’t judge us for whining about something most people would consider petty! There is no feeling in the world than that of a snotty horse kiss at the end of a trying week. My only wish is that the community gets to enjoy that feeling as much as we do.

Jamie Holeman

Electric City