Greener Pastures: How Saving Horses Centers Michelle Pector

Growing up as the daughter of a military officer, the first place Michelle Pector visited at every new Air Force base was the stables. Horses became her safe space in times of change. So, when she received a call from a friend to help rescue a horse that was being abused, Michelle and her husband didn’t hesitate to hook up their trailer and transport the Appaloosa to a second chance at life in their Texas backyard. That one rescue turned into three, and Michelle’s Texas backyard became a safe refuge for horses in need.

How did you get into horse rescuing?

A stable where I would previously ride helps rescue animals who were abused, in danger, or slated for a meat market auction. The owner of the horse farm heard of a malnourished and pregnant Appaloosa who had been badly abused and was going to be killed, but she had nowhere to take this horse. She asked us to foster her temporarily, which we knew we needed to do.

When we met Ginger, she was scared, emaciated, and weak. It was clear she had suffered terrible abuse and had been hit in the face repeatedly so would turn her back to you if you approached her to use her hind legs for protection.

Over time, we taught Ginger how to trust again, gave her a safe home, and helped her raise her baby, Bella. While she still doesn’t like being petted on the nose to this day, no matter where she is on our six acres, she will come running toward us with happiness any time we call. She’s come so far from the world she must have known.

After we rescued Ginger and Bella, two historical floods overtook the Houston area, putting the lives of numerous animals at risk, including horses. During the floods, my husband and I teamed up with others to rescue horses and get them to higher ground so the floods would not sweep them away. Through long days and swift efforts, we were able to save several horses, help surrounding residents, and reunite them after the storms.

Did you grow up riding?

When I was younger, my father was in the Air Force, so we moved around a lot. The thing that was constant on all Air Force bases was a horse stable. The day after we moved onto every single base—regardless of where it was in the world—my dad would find that horse stable and take us. It became the one consistent place we could go when everything else changed.

By the time I became an adult, I was an experienced rider who would typically be found at a stable when I wasn’t working, and then an Arabian horse named Amulet came into my life. Amulet, who was an endurance racehorse, became my first horse, and almost 10 years later, he has retired from racing and is living a happy life in big green pastures with Ginger and our Missouri Fox Trotter, Easy Sunrise. Bella has since moved on to the rainbow bridge, but her spirit is still with us and the tree we planted in her honor bursts with hot pink blooms every year, which the horses congregate around. Horses are pack animals so having Ginger, Amulet, and Easy together has made everyone happier, especially me. Today, we mostly ride for pleasure and enjoy strolling into our backyard every day to care for them.

Will you rescue any more horses?

Our backyard feels pretty full and alive with the horses we have, but we always are open to helping rescue animals in need. We keep in close contact with others that rescue horses, and my husband and I are always ready to hook up our trailer at a moment’s notice to help a horse who is stranded or in need.

Any advice for others who want to rescue animals?

There are multiple ways to help animals that don’t require the acreage and trailers needed to foster horses or other large animals. There are barns and animal shelters in need of volunteers in any community, with countless opportunities for those who don’t have the ability to help every day. Of course, the Humane Society, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), and other animal rescue organizations can always use donations to provide shelter to animals in need.

What has caring for these horses taught you as a person?

It has given me peace, strength, purpose, and perspective. When I’m with the horses, it centers me—no matter what stress I have going on in any given day. Even a five-minute break to walk into the backyard and see them grazing has such a calming effect. It may be a combination of memories from my childhood of horses making everything okay and then seeing how much our horses have overcome to flourish. It reminds me that even if something is difficult in the moment, that it will pass. And there are greener pastures ahead at the end of every day.