Testimonials I was a volunteer with Circle F Horse Rescue from 2006 until 2010 when I had to leave to attend university on the Island. I learned about Circle F through my community newspaper and as I have been a horse lover from a young age, my parents thought that this would be a good way to incorporate horses into my life without the expenditures of owning one. Circle F was both a release from the day to day stresses of life and an amazing learning experience. From the time I started with Circle F to the time that I left, Friday nights were my shift. I always looked forward to Fridays, not only because it meant that the end of the week was here but it also meant that my weekly equine indulgence was here. Working with the horses provided me with an opportunity to spend time caring for other living beings and making an impact in their lives with even the simplest of chores like feeding and mucking out stalls. Engaging in physical labour like this was a change of pace for me as most of my other time was chewed up by attending high school, studying, and music. One important thing to know with horses is that you can’t rush them. They are highly receptive animals so if you are on edge, they will be too. Working around these animals teaches you to keep a level head at all times and to expect the unexpected. Circle F also provided me with time to bond with my ever-busy father over our mutual love of horses. It gave us about 2 hours a week to devote to doing something the both of us loved. When I started off in Circle F, I was 13, the youngest person on my shift and the youngest person in the organization. No one ever treated me like I was a child though. Everyone treated everyone else at equals at all times. Everyone that I came in contact with was always willing to learn and to teach. Whether it was how to read the feeding chart or how to do equine first aid, everyone was always patient, yet efficient. By the time I left Circle F, I was the senior volunteer on my shift. Circle F provided me with an opportunity to take the reins and be the team leader. In my time at Circle F, I worked with a wide variety of people. There were people like Walter who had worked with horses their entire lives and then there were others who had never ridden a horse or ever had much to do with them except read about them. We all had one thing in common: We loved horses and working with them was the highlight of our week. You never felt excluded at Circle F, you always felt like an important member of the team. I encourage anyone who has ever thought about owning a horse or has ever loved horses to check out Circle F. Circle F provides horse owners with a community of people concerned with the well-being of horses and owners. Circle F provides the opportunity both to be around these amazing creatures and to learn about how to properly take care of them. I think that Circle F is an invaluable resource for first time owners and future owners. Circle F is dedicated to improving the quality of relationships between horses and their human counterparts and in enriching the lives of every horse that walks through their gate. Circle F is one of only a few equine shelters in BC and Canada. Circle F takes in horses that have been abused, abandoned or whose owners can no longer provide for them anymore. Circle F enriches the lives of these horses, sometimes nursing them back to health, sometimes just teaching them to trust again. Circle F provides owners who cannot provide for their horses a place that they can feel confident that their pet and friend will be cared for to the fullest extent that Circle F can provide. Owners know that when Circle F finds a new home for their horse, that home will be investigated and the match will only be made if the prospective owner meets all the criteria. Shelters like Circle F are an invaluable resource in the equine community and the animal welfare community. Circle F provides an opportunity for people who love horses but can’t dedicate the funds or the time to be an owner, to be a part of this special world. My time at Circle F and the special people and animals I met while I was there, are among my fondest memories. I left Circle F with a heavy but warm heart and I look forward to a time when I will once again be able to be a part of this amazing organization. Sincerely, Jessica Curry October 2011