Blessed be the horse

Her business: equine therapy. Her business style: All things are possible

- JILL MANSOR, PILESGROVE, NEW JERSEY

Horses have always been my passion, but I never thought I’d own a horse farm, one where I taught children and adults, many with special needs, to ride. God had made that possible. When I first started out, I felt like he and I were partners. He was on the farm with me as I fed and watered the animals, cleaned their stalls, talked with the riders. But over time the daily struggles of running a business made me feel as if I were on my own.

I felt the weight of my doubts on my shoulders the afternoon a 10-yearold student came to say goodbye at the end of her lesson. Before getting into her parents’ car, she paused and looked around at the stables and pastures. “You know, Miss Jill, you have a fence that goes all the way around your property.”

“Well, without a fence the horses would wander off and might get hurt.”

She shook her head. “Not that fence,” she said. “It’s a fence of peace.”

“A fence of peace?” I said. “What does it look like?”

She frowned, as if choosing her words carefully. “You know how when it’s hot and you can see a shimmer in the air over the pavement? It’s like that. I can see it as soon as our car pulls up.”

I watched her walk away, trying to see the shimmer she described. Could it be true that God was so present here still?