A heart for horses

Mississippi Horse Rescue offers a safe place for at-risk equines.

- SANDRA MASSEY BUCKLEY

Stephanie Billingsley of Madison has a heart for horses. “They are amazing animals,” she says. “You can’t hide from them how you’re feeling. Horses are herd animals and survive by reading other horses’ body language, and they are also reading everything about you, from your emotions to how you move. This is also why horses make such great therapy animals.”

This deep adoration and understanding of horses led Billingsley and her husband, Bill, to start Mississippi Horse Rescue in 2008. “Our mission is to save horses from abuse, neglect, and the slaughter pipeline and provide them with the training they need to find a loving home,” she explains. “We take this a step further by also teaching those who adopt from us the same training methods we use to provide the horse with consistency to ensure a lasting and rewarding partnership.”