“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.” (1 Samuel 2:8, NIV)

In the cold winter air, I greeted Maryia, the field technician at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Department. She walked us over to a small corral, which surrounded an unseemly gelding. Upon first sight, it was hard to comprehend what I was seeing.

The bay horse was completely deformed . . . by enormous scars. 

Grotesque ripples of skin ran along both sides of his neck—evidence of devastating injury. His back was also heavily marred and the thin skin along his croup was misshapen and thickened by dense scar tissue. The bridge of the horse’s nose was swollen with a large deformation from a broken skull. Sadly, the bony socket of his brow line that framed his right eye was also crushed by unfathomable impact.

His appearance was appalling.

Mariya shared with me the scattered bits of information she knew of the small horse. He had been transferred to her from another Sheriff’s Office in a different county. Upon his arrival, she was told he was a four-year-old stallion, surrendered by his owners because they were unable to care for his injuries. The neighboring officials relayed to Mariya how the wounded horse attempted to escape from a small barbwire enclosure. In the struggle, his neck was shredded with gaping gashes. The entangled horse also wounded the top of his hindquarters so severely that an enormous hematoma developed.

When I saw pictures from his arrival at the Rescue Ranch . . . I was shocked. 

The bulging hematoma along the battered horse’s back was so huge—he resembled a camel more than a horse.

Mariya went on to say that because of his camel-like appearance, they lovingly nicknamed their new equine addition, “Hamel.”

Once at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Rescue Ranch, “Hamel” began immediate care. Their veterinarian team treated his wounds and gelded the battered stallion. Mariya said that the hematoma took three months to fully drain and heal. Now, almost a year later, he was ready for adoption.

After I received the download from Mariya, I entered the gelding’s pen carefully. When I was still outside his enclosure, the gelding behaved as if he were curious and walked up to the fence. However, upon my entrance into his personal space, the lumpy horse became unsure and ran away. It appeared as if he were hiding in the fragile confines of his uncertainty.

For the next hour, I carefully approached him and allowed the timid gelding to move away when he felt unsure. Slowly, trust was built between us. Finally, in a deliberate motion of faith, the fearful horse reached out his nose to touch my hand. Moments later, he let me stroke the scars along his neck.

I smiled. That’s what I was looking for. By this action, the broken horse demonstrated that he wanted to be with me more than he wanted to hide in his self-imposed prison of the past.

Allowing the simple touch to be our monumental breakthrough for the day, our Ranch equine team loaded back into the truck. When we pulled out, I promised Mariya we would be back for another trial session with the gelding.

Over the next few weeks, I returned with different team members. Each time, the gelding gained confidence and trust. Soon, we arranged for him to start a trial period at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch. 

At the Ranch, the once “unseemly” horse continued to transform. Within his wrinkled hide, a joyous, curious and tender heart began to shine. It wasn’t long before we decided to officially adopt the gentle horse into our program.

His adoption day was monumental. The Sheriff’s Department arranged for several camera crews from local news stations to join us and capture the moment. Already, God was using the testimony of this little horse to declare hope across the airways of our community.

Along with the official adoption and entrance into a new home, the once-broken gelding needed a new name. In symbolism of how God lifts up the needy from heaps of ashes and to salute those in law enforcement who rescued him, we named the little horse “Honor.”

Following Honor’s adoption, during his routine veterinarian exam, the medical team discovered something disheartening. 

Contrary to what had been relayed to the Sheriff’s Department by his previous owners, Honor was not a young horse. The veterinary team estimated him to be about eighteen years old. 

Not only was his age in question, but the unusual scarring and scabby texture of his skin made our vet investigate with extensive blood tests. She discovered the older gelding was suffering from a very rare disease known as HERDA (Hereditary Equine Regional Dermal Asthenia). The condition causes severe lesions and affects the ability of the skin to adhere and heal. 

Our vet looked at us with level eyes. She told us Honor was a double miracle. Not only had he survived extreme injury—he had also far outlived the life expectancy of any horse with his diagnosis.

One of our Equine Assistants carefully trained our “double miracle” to prepare him for extremely gentle sessions. His age and condition didn’t change his calling. Stride for stride, each step of this little horse’s journey at the Ranch revealed more brilliance of his kind, trusting heart. 

Indeed, it is God who bestows honor. 

God doesn’t give out honor because of mere appearance, because of youth and strength or even because of potential. God gives honor because He sees beyond all those things . . . into the heart.

Even though Honor is not ridable because of his skin condition, his ministry and home at the Ranch is secure.  Often those who see Honor question how a horse could have so many scars . . . and still be alive?

Our disfigured rescue horse is a living testimony of God’s ability to raise any heart—who is humble and willing—from ashes to honor.

To this day, Honor serves and greets with joy those who come to the ranch. He is often the first choice when we share horse stories with our guests. He adores the gentle touch of children and all the attention of those who want to stroke his healed wounds. Honor appears to know his mission and calling—a living reminder of God’s ability to heal and lift up the lowly.

Perhaps, like Honor, you might have areas of your life where you believe your wounds, your age or your inabilities have cast you into a heap of ashes? May Honor’s story encourage you to fix your eyes upon Jesus Christ—He is willing to touch and transform your scars into a radiant testimony—and to raise you up in honor.