Benaiah

Drum Horse

Black & White Piebald, Gelding | DOB: 2007 | ARRIVAL: 28/05/2021 | 17 Hands HANDS

As if locked in a prison cell, the giant colt waited for rescue in a stall with barely enough room to turn around.  Filth coated his body and the young horse’s feathered legs stood knee-deep in his own waste.  At only three years-old, his musculature was still in vital stages of growth and development.  Instead of increasing in strength, atrophy ate away at his youthful build—resulting in the angular shape of a manure-encrusted hide draped over a horrifically skeletal structure. 

For six months, the young horse lived in hell on earth.  The day of his salvation came when a local Sheriff’s department was notified of an unscrupulous breeding operation.  Immediately inspections were made by law enforcement—and over one hundred emaciated horses were removed from the facility.  When the starving colt was found, he boldly followed his rescuer toward freedom.

During the investigation, it was the discovered the black and white three year-old was removed from his stall only to breed.  Clearly, with no thought to his premature age, he was exploited because of his glamorous bloodlines.

The young stud was a rare breed known as the “Drum Horse.” Originally bred for the Queen of England as part of the British Royal Calvary these astounding mounts came from draft horses—often the Shire or Clydesdale—crossed with the striking spotted Gypsy Vanner.  The results were an enormous breed with stunning paint markings, feathered feet, and an elegant long and flowing mane and tail.

Sadly at the time of his rescue, the most striking color feature of the colt was his neon-yellow feathered legs, stained from months of standing in his own urine.  Once secured in caring hands, he was gelded and placed into a loving home. 

Time passed.  The gelding regained his health and grew strong.  He learned to patiently allow brushes to detangle his matted mane and tail . . . and how to carefully balance the weight of a rider. 

Seemingly in a different world of love and acceptance, the horse could not have known God would place great purpose on his season of suffering.

Eleven years later, Kim and Troy met the gelding’s owner, Eileen, in a flooring store.  She was in need of rehoming her beloved equines . . . the rescued gelding and his adopted sister, also a Drum horse.  Eileen was battling health struggles that prevented her from being able to give her horses the attention they needed.  She shared how the gelding was so gentle she trusted him implicitly with children riders. 

After an evaluation period, the Crystal Peaks team knew God was calling them to accept her two draft cross horses into the Ranch program. 

In May 2021, an enormous spotted gelding stepped out of a horse trailer and into his new home at Crystal Peaks.  One would barely recognized the once diminished colt.  A radiant sheen across his coat rippled over massive muscling.  When raised, his head towered over his handlers and—from hoof to ear—made him easily seven feet tall.

Despite his gargantuan size, the gelding’s eyes portrayed deep gentleness.  His expression seemed to release reassurance from his quiet gaze, a warm welcome to enter his powerful presence.  He understood suffering.  And he knew the pathway to freedom.  By looking into his eyes, it was clear he knew he was chosen by God to carry children from the pain of their circumstances into the hope and freedom offered by His Creator.

With a new life and a new calling, the equine warrior needed a new name.  To honor his bloodlines and his valiant story of persevering through hardship, we named him, “Benaiah.”

“Benaiah” is Hebrew for, “Son of the Lord” and “Yahweh Builds Up.”  In the Bible, Benaiah was a courageous and loyal warrior in command over King David’s personal body guard. (2 Samuel 23, 1 Chronicles 11).  He was so faithful in trials that he became the commander of King Solomon’s army after David passed away.  It also appears he was son of a priest and a musician who was a worship leader for God’s people. (1 Chronicles 15).

Like Benaiah in the Bible, our mighty drum horse is a warrior whose kind heart remained loyal to God’s call on his life through trials.  He could have chosen bitterness and anger toward men—instead he chose forgiveness and redemption.  And similar to a musician who leads others into worship, Benaiah’s life is a testimony to his heritage . . . a war-cry of God’s redemption and hope for all who choose to listen.

Perhaps like Benaiah, you feel locked in a dark prison cell of discouragement—encrusted in the filthy mire of your own mistakes—wasting away with no freedom in sight.  Jesus Christ stands at the door and knocks.  He is waiting to give you hope, healing, freedom, a new name and a new calling.  All He desires is for you to choose to leave the entrapment of your suffering and follow Him into the glorious freedom that awaits.

“Look!  I stand at the door and knock.  If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.  Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, as I overcame and sat with my Father on his throne.  Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit . . .” (Revelation 3:20-22a, NLT)

“And he [Jesus] said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.” (Luke 5:27b-28, ESV)

Benaiah shows us the pathway toward freedom . . . to follow our Rescuer into a new life . . . a place where not one moment of suffering is ever wasted. 

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