After living outside of Oregon for 14 years, including six years in China, Renee's family was thrilled to move back. They celebrated with a skiing trip, stopping at a restaurant, where a magnificent Gypsy colt graced the cover of a magazine.
"In that minute, I fell in love with the Gypsy breed," explains Renee. "The colt's beauty took my breath away. The hair on its mane and tail resembled long-fine beautiful feathers. After seeing the magazine, I was so enthralled that I could not eat. Life seemed to come to a stop until I could touch, feel, and love a Gypsy horse.”
A month later, she was the happy owner of two Gypsy horses. She discovered this magnificent mystical looking breed were cuddly looking, exceptionally giving, forgiving, and loving.
Years later, Renee owned several more Gypsies including the mare Glory Upon Glory from Ireland. In New York, the agricultural department unloads arriving livestock, washes and disinfects their feet to prevent the spread of hoof-and-mouth disease. Then Glory was flown to Kentucky and trucked to Oregon, still nursing a filly.
Later, Glory was bred through a Tennessee stallion’s semen that which arrived in a box via Fed Ex. Their veterinarian was the middleman in the conception.
Glory’s colt was born 36 days premature, which was a serious threat to his survival. Renee, knowing that his early birth was a threat to his survival felt he needed some divine help, so she named him, Segway, which means a small pathway to the Lord.
"The first two hours, I watched Glory and Segway in the pasture,” said Renee. “I had never seen a mare lie down before, but Glory did. Little Segway crawled into her lap and snuggled his muzzle into her cheek and kissed her. Glory leaned her head on her son’s head. Then, he put his head on her chest. She lay her head over his neck and head, and he put his neck all the way down onto her lap, and she lay her head on his body. It was precious! They lay quietly for 15
minutes, and he fell asleep.”
Renee walked out to the colt and coaxed him from his mother's arms to his stall to encourage him to nurse. Renee said, "He did not nurse and started to fail. I cried out, 'Lord you have to heal this baby.' Then, I phoned my church and asked them to please pray for the colt. Then I phoned my uncle, a minister of another church, and his congregation also began praying for Segway. It was a very scary time!
We milked Glory and hand-fed Segway three times a day for three days. On the third day, I found him joyfully running around his stall like a happy newborn colt! He was finally nursing on his own.”
In gratitude for all the prayer’s success, Renee sent an e-mail to her daughter, Lauren, and the stallion's owner which included the cradling photos of Segway.
From these two people, things went crazy! Segway’s photos circumnavigated the globe several times over!
"There was an avalanche of responses from people wanting to use Glory and Segway's photos as their screensaver to give them inspiration,” said Renee. “Someone in Copenhagen wanted to make calendars. An OB nurse in Ohio, who teaches 'Kangaroo Care', the process of connecting premature babies 'skin to skin' with mothers to promote the infants’ well-being and improve their brain development, asked if she could put the photograph on a bulletin board along with other pictures of newborn
critters of all kinds in kangaroo positions.
Renee was right, Gypsy horses are special and they can inspire people around the world.
