When non-horse people ask what I do, typically I say, “I work at Horses for Clean Water!”

I admit I get some blank looks. “Hmm,” they comment, or occasionally, “Oh, what does that mean?” A few glance at me like I’ve been plucked from another planet—they just can’t wrap their heads around the juxtaposition of the phrase.

Alayne, who started Horses for Clean Water back in 1997, has been explaining how Horses for Clean Water can help horses and horse owners from all walks of life become healthier and happier, while protecting the environment, for all these years. Her messages have been paraphrased around the globe—her work has made a difference.

I think back to my first horse boarding experiences, where manure piles obscured the sun, and mud really did, literally, suck off my boots when fetching my horse. We’ve learned a lot since then. The Horses for Clean Water message, or mission, is simple: horse people, through their unique position of owning land, can make a contribution to, and difference in, both local and global systems.

Which brings me to what I will miss the most, working with horse people. I see a common thread among horse people—no matter their background, culture, or language. I think it is this—horse people want what is best for their horses, for their friend’s horses, for stranger’s horses, for wild horses; for any horse. Horse people work hard and tirelessly to make their dream of working with horses a reality.

It’s been an honor promoting the Horses for Clean Water mission and helping out, whether in person, online, or in print. I wish the best of luck to HCW’s new editor, Jessica Friedman. And to borrow a favorite phrase from you, Alayne, “You rock!”

Happy Trails,

April