A wounded, bay quarter horse was surrendered to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Department due to unimaginable injury.  Before his surrender, the colt lived in a tiny, barbwire enclosure and attempted to escape, but became entrapped in the sharp wire.  The young horse shredded his neck in the struggle and impacted the top of his hindquarters so severely an enormous hematoma developed.  The hematoma swelled into a huge hump which gave him the appearance of a camel.  For this reason, the Department lovingly nicknamed him, “Hamel.” 

After three months of treatment, the lump receded into rippled scar tissue.  Once the horse was completely healed, the Sheriff’s Department reached out to Crystal Peaks and suggested the horse’s kind heart might be a good fit in our session program. The Ranch is excited to see how God uses the horse’s visible scars to speak hope to children who carry both visible and invisible wounds.  To commemorate the daily sacrifice of our Sheriff’s Department and to testify to God’s way of turning our shame into glory, we renamed Hamel to “Honor.”

“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 2:8a (NIV)

*Full bio coming soon.