When Suzi Cloutier moved sight unseen from Rhode Island to a rental farm in Dairy Creek, she was at a low point in her life. She was not expecting to meet a soul in even worse condition, a blind and starving mule named Zebediah abandoned on the property.

“I wasn’t too interested in being on this planet and he wasn’t too interested in
leaving and we kind of saved each other,” Cloutier said about her fortunate
introduction to Zeb the mule in 1997.

Zeb had fallen into neglect and was on the verge of starvation when Cloutier
arrived in Dairy Creek. Through a slow process of rehabilitation, Cloutier
nursed the blind mule back to health while discovering that compassion and
selfless acts of service helped her deal with her own personal demons and
heal herself.

Now more than 20 years and 54 rescued horses and mules later, Zeb’s Wish
exists as testimony to the lesson of compassion Cloutier learned caring for the
abandoned mule.

Zeb’s Wish became a 501c3 nonprofit equine sanctuary in 2013 and exists
solely on private donations at its location in Sandy. The organization’s mission
is “to rescue and rehabilitate special needs equines, conduct equine assisted
learning and therapeutic activities and heal humans and equines alike.”

On Cloutier’s farm, a passionate and dedicated staff nurses her rescued herd
back to health with integrated healthcare, a mixture of traditional and
homeopathic veterinary care involving natural hoof care, Reiki energy work,
chiropractic and massage therapy.

“I realized they’re my people,” Cloutier said about her herd throughout the
years.

Traditional equine sanctuaries focus on young rideable animals that can be
rehabilitated for adoption and human use. Zeb’s Wish focuses on animals that
cannot be used in a traditional sense, many of which will require care until the
end of their lives.

“It doesn’t make them any less valuable,” Cloutier said.

“It takes a lot of hands to make it happen,” she added about the sanctuary’s
work, noting the organization has seven active volunteers providing care to
the animals, six foster homes that rehabilitate neglected animals and five
board members overseeing the organization.

“We have an amazing community of people volunteering,” Cloutier said. “We
all come into this sanctuary as an act of service.”

Cindy Stevens fosters equines for Zeb’s Wish on her farm in Beaver Creek.
She has fostered two mares for the organization and is currently fostering two
ponies.

“No doubt they both would have died this winter if Zeb’s hadn’t stepped in,”
Stevens said about the ponies. She described them as “walking skeletons” at
the time of their rescue, but have since managed to put on weight and are
expected to resolve health issues such as rain rot by the spring.

The practices Stevens uses to nurse horses back to help were established by
the University of California Davis refeeding program. She described the
program as the contemporary standard for feeding malnourished equines.
“A lot of people don’t realize the resources available,” Stevens said.

Zeb’s Wish is one of several organizations with resources available to help
people provide for the health and nourishment of their animals.

“When you’re courageous enough to ask for help you can keep your animals
from starving,” Stevens said. “We’re here to help people to succeed in keeping
their animals because that’s the ultimate goal.”

Zeb’s Wish also exists to help humans find healing through their interaction
with the herd on the farm. Victoria Kress is a board member and Reiki
practitioner that teaches animal Reiki at the sanctuary.

Kress describes animal Reiki as a practice of meditation and energy work that
encourages a connection with the animals and fosters a sense of comfort in
both humans and animals.

Kress had been teaching this technique at the sanctuary for the past five
years with classes offered three or four times a year. A level one class, offered
for those with no prior experience with Reiki, will be held March 30 and 31.
Level two and three courses will be held later in the year with the level three
course serving as a Reiki teacher training class in the fall.

“It’s been quite a journey ... one I’ve been fortunate to be part of,” Kress said.
Zeb’s Wish offers equine assisted learning programs, school field trips, service
learning classes, retreats and monthly volunteer opportunities for community
members interested in healing or being healed.

The sanctuary also hosts clinics including the upcoming “Natural Horse and
Mulemanship” with trainer Marta Johann March 17.

Volunteer opportunities or other visits can be arranged by contacting the
organization by email at zebswish@gmail.com.

More information about the sanctuary is available online at zebswish.org and
events are posted on the Zeb’s Wish Facebook page.

Zeb the mule died after years of loving care from Cloutier at the age of 50.
His inspiration lives on, and Albert the mule was recently rehabilitated and
adopted thanks to the efforts of Zeb’s Wish.