A horse is bringing a lot of cheer in an East Windsor neighborhood. While people are staying home, a rescue is coming to them and giving a lot of neighbors a much-needed distraction.
For 3-year-old Madison Donahue there’s no question that Star the horse is her favorite. From her soft coat to her loud neigh, there’s nothing she doesn’t love.
Wherever the 16-year-old horse goes in an East Windsor neighborhood, she lightens the mood.
“A little distraction, something different, something new has been really nice for us,” said neighbor and mom of Madison, Danielle Donahue.
But it’s taken time to get the horse to trust. Pictures from before show a Star that had lost her shine.
“She was afraid of everything,” said Krista Kennedy, Star’s current owner. “She just didn’t trust humans anymore. She had been abused.”
After seeing the horse and hearing she was going to be put down, Krista Kennedy stepped in, worked with her, adopted her, and, over the next year, gained that trust.
“I’m a licensed therapist, so I’ve always wanted to do equine psychotherapy. So I was like, ‘what better than a rescue horse helping people?’”
Star now stays at Peter Larese’s Second Chance Farm which takes in rescue horses. And Kennedy and Star travel the area, oftentimes alerting neighbors when they’ll be walking by. It’s cheered up those who’ve been stuck at home, with some handing out apples and other treats.
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“She just really makes everybody happy when I’m walking down the street. It’s not something you see every day, a horse walking down through your neighborhood,” said Kennedy.
For 3-year-olds like Madison, there’s no better way to spend the day than with a horse making the most of a second chance.
“I love her,” said Madison.
Kennedy has also adopted a mini pony named Clover that will stay at Second Chance Farm. In the next few months, Kennedy says Clover and Star will become therapy animals.
