FAIRFIELD COUNTY – When Laura Collins’ 26 year old stallion died last October, her grief was abated only by the knowledge that he would live on in his last offspring that was foaled in April. The colt now romps with his mom in the field that was the stallion’s favorite pasture and where he is buried.
Collins says her love for her animals – all animals, really – is what defines her.
“They’re part of our family,” she says.
She likes to say she’s been riding horses since before she was born.
“My mother rode while she was pregnant with me,” she says. Growing up on a farm, Collins says she was obsessed with animals as a child.
“I used to hook my little wagon up to a pony,” she recalled. “I was always riding and later competed in horse shows. Horses have always been part of my life.”
Collins, who owns Windy Hill Farm with her husband Deanie in Winnsboro, has 18 horses, including the stallion’s newly-born colt named Stetson and one more foal on the way – plus seven rescue dogs and cats.
All those animals figure prominently in Collins’ life. She says the animals always come first In her daily routine.
“Every day, the first thing we do before we eat morning, night, or whatever – is to take care of the animals’ needs, and then we’re second to them,” she says of life on the farm. “And then, of course, it’s work and family and all that other stuff that you have to do in between, but the animals are at the forefront of what we do.”
She says immersing herself in the world of cleaning the barn and grooming the horses actually relaxes her – and telling them [her animals] about her problems provides an emotional release. And of course, she says, just going for a trail ride is therapeutic.
Collins acquired her myriad horses over the years through purchase, rescue and sometimes she’s bred them.
“If you raise one, it takes 11 months for the gestation period and then six months to wean them before you can sell them” she says, “and during that time, I just get too attached to part with them. So, we have a lot of horses,” she says with a laugh.
“I’m always hesitant to sell a horse, whether I raised it or instance that I have sold one, I prioritized making sure it was a good fit for the animal,” she says. “I always have a fear that a horse, if I sell it, could in the future end up in a horrible place.”
Two of her horses, she says, were rescued from a kill pen. She says she knows that even once-loved horses can sometimes fall on hard times and end up at auction.
“Unfortunately, there are still places in the United States and Canada where horses are sent for sale, [and] if they’re not bought by a legitimate horse person, those horses could get shipped to Mexico under horrific conditions to be processed for meat,” she says. “Even well-known race horses sometimes meet this end when they are no longer useful to the owners. There are many reasons why horses end up at auction.”
Collins says she goes to the same lengths for her animals’ welfare as she would for her family. After she bought a colt a few years ago that injured its shoulder, all of the veterinarians advised putting him down, but she decided against it. Against all odds and with her nurturing, patience and prayers, she says the colt made a remarkable recovery.
Collins and some riding companions made the headlines in December of 2016 when they were trail riding at Carolina Adventure World and came upon a young dog that was severely injured – his feet were severely damaged and he could barely raise his head. The women took a saddle blanket from one of the horses, wrapped it around the bloody pup, carried the bundle on horseback to Collins’ truck and then drove the traumatized dog to the vet. The vet said that rescue saved the pup’s life. He not only survived, but a reward offered by Hoof and Paw and published in The Voice snagged the dog’s tormentor. A sheriff’s investigation revealed that the dog had been dragged behind a vehicle on the pavement. The perpetrator was convicted and the pup now has a wonderful life with a loving family on a big farm in Fairfield.
Collins says she’s seen the dog several times since then and thinks about him often. But she doesn’t see herself as a hero.
“Whether it’s for an animal or a human who is vulnerable or needs something,” she says, “I want to help.”
“I never thought I had a talent – like people who can sing or dance or they’re artists or something like that – but my talent, I guess, is caregiving,” she says. And for Collins, that talent to give care doesn’t stop with animals.
It also expresses itself in her work at the Fairfield County Disabilities and Special Needs Board where she’s worked for 34 years and currently serves as its executive director.
In the last couple of years, she’s found a way to bring her two passions for caregiving – animals and vulnerable humans – together. A few at a time, she has brought the disabled adults that her agency serves to the farm for a picnic and to interact with the horses. She says they always have a wonderful time.
“It did my heart so much good,” she says of the first such event. “It just made me feel good that it helped them.
“Horses are majestic animals,” she says, “and are very in tune with people’s feelings. Some horses can really help people, whether they’re troubled veterans or people with disabilities.
“While my horses and other animals are my passion,” Collins says, “if there’s anything or anyone that needs help, I’m going to try my best to give a helping hand. And when I bring my clients from Disabilities and Special Needs to the farm, I find it’s the horses who help me give that help.”
