By Susan Kayne
For Capital Region Independent Media
In the early hours of April 9, a date graced by the whimsy of the National Day of the Unicorn, a profound story of hope and redemption unfolded at Unbridled Sanctuary. As dawn broke, Tessie, a mare once destined for slaughter, delivered a miracle — a filly we named Grace.
Grace is a majestic word that holds a special place in my heart. Grace, to me, is a profound force that nurtures the tender landscape of the soul. It guides us towards renewal and growth, even after the deepest wounds.
Grace holds the power to heal by revealing spontaneous beauty and kindling our most instinctual drives to love and nurture. It creates space for new beginnings to blossom forth from pain and adversity. Grace is the sacred kindness that ushers in vibrant “springtimes” after life’s harsh seasons have passed.
The maternal bond between Tessie and her newborn embodied this transcendent grace — a love that tilled the fertile soil for new life to emerge triumphant.
For 12 long years, Tessie toiled under the weight of human expectations in an Amish community. To them, she was merely a tool, her worth measured solely by her utility. Her days were filled with the strain of labor, the constant chafe of the harness against her skin, and the clatter of hooves on hard roads.
Rarely did she experience kindness or praise for her unwavering devotion. Tessie’s world was one of unending work, punctuated only by brief respites tethered in a standing stall so confined she couldn’t turn around or lie down to rest. Tied by her head, she was forced to remain standing, even as her body yearned for the deep, restorative sleep that comes only from lying down.
As Tessie’s strength waned with age, she was met not with compassion, but with the cold indifference of betrayal. The community that had relied so heavily upon her junked her like an old car. Discarded and traded in at the auction house, her years of service reduced to the pound.
Amidst the chaotic clamor of the selling floor, Tessie’s stillness was a stark contrast — a moment frozen in time. One could only imagine the heaviness that weighed upon her heart. Burdened by a sense of disposability, sorrow etched into the worry lines furrowing above her big, soulful brown eyes. In that moment suspended in despair, did a flicker of hope dare to burn within her? A longing that someone might look past her age and exhaustion to glimpse the indomitable spirit still glowing beneath the surface?
Tessie’s plight begs the question — in a world that so often discards the weary, how do we train our eyes to see the precious inner beauty and strength that still shines brilliantly in those fighting to endure?
On Oct. 22, 2023, the moment the auctioneer’s gavel sealed Unbridled’s winning bid, Tessie’s future was about to be rewritten. She couldn’t have known the direction her life was about to take as she cautiously walked beside me. Trusting in a new beginning, surefooted and steady, she stepped onto the trailer.
At the Sanctuary, Tessie’s defensive behavior set her apart. Her ears pinned back, eyes wary, and body tense, her every move conveyed the depth of her mistrust. Self-preservation had been her only means of survival. This behavior testifies to the impact of the traumas she endured. The cruelty Tessie faced had left her emotionally scarred, resorting to defensive mechanisms to protect herself.
At Unbridled, helping horses like Tessie heal is a delicate, time-intensive process. It requires patience, understanding, and unwavering consistency in care and kindness. Earning her trust would be a hard-won gift. As we hold space for Tessie, supporting her journey at her own pace, we witness her gradually letting go of the past that hurt her.
Little did we know that Tessie carried a precious secret within her — the miracle of new life. On March 9, her unusual behavioral patterns prompted a closer examination, and once her thick winter blanket was removed, the unmistakable expanse of pregnancy was revealed. From that moment, Tessie was relocated to a deeply bedded stall and her own paddock. Under constant monitoring, without any documentation about her breeding, her cues were our only guide.
In the stillness of 3 a.m., on April 9, 2024, Tessie began pawing, rhythmically circling in her stall, and positioning herself to give birth. As the clock struck 4 a.m., amidst her transitions between standing and laying down, her labor progressed to a critical phase — her water broke, signaling the imminent arrival of her foal.
Although initially reticent, Tessie’s instincts sang loudly enough that she placed her trust in me, permitting my role as her midwife to safeguard the blessed welcome of her precious new foal.
Soon after, the first signs appeared: two hooves, one white and one dark, followed by a tiny nose all within a silken sac. Tessie adjusted her stance once more, gathering all her strength for the final pushes that would welcome her foal into the world.
As her foal emerged, a sacred moment unfolded — the first time Tessie’s gentle nickers became audible to Baby Grace, the soothing sounds she had heard for months while nestled in the nurturing depths of her mother’s womb. Grace’s young eyes opened to gaze upon Tessie, the first mirror she would know for many moons to come. For nearly a year, Tessie had nurtured and fostered this little life, lovingly forming her from the very depths of her own being.
Tessie knew Grace from the inside out, an unbreakable connection no cruelty could ever erase. In fact, any adversity faced had fortified their bond, making it shine even brighter in this magical moment of new beginnings. Tessie’s nurturing gestures of licking and nudging guided her little one towards her nourishing milk, her every move spoke to a pure, instinctual love. It was a truly beautiful sight to witness — Tessie embraced motherhood with an incredible depth of love and tenderness.
Tessie is a fiercely protective mother. Despite the cruelty she suffered, her capacity for love remains undiminished. She is a fortress of affection, shielding her foal from uncertainties with a steadfastness born of deep love, and unmarred by shadows of the past.
The sacred bond between Tessie and Grace stands as an eternal testament to the indomitable power of a mother’s love transcending adversity. Their profound story, one that nearly remained unwritten, epitomizes the lifesaving work of Unbridled.
Susan Kayne is the founder and president of Unbridled Sanctuary, an equine rescue on the border of Albany County and Greenville.
