Lauri Michael
Growing up in Indiana, horses were Lauri's passion. She jokes that her first love was tall and muscular, with long flowing hair…a handsome gelding, of course!
"I spent most of my time showing horses in 4-H and local shows. But as an adult, my life shifted in other directions," she says. "I always wanted to be around horses again, and volunteering at the ranch was the perfect way to be near them."
She learned about WNCR in 2017 through a social media post. "I was thrilled for the chance to interact with my first love again, especially since I figured I’d never be able to own a horse again." Wrong! After a year of volunteering, she and her husband became the proud owners of not one but TWO horses, one of which was adopted from WNCR. The WNCR alum, Charlotte, is a gorgeous blue roan Appaloosa and a best friend to her Morgan gelding, Romeo.
“At my first ranch volunteer orientation, I learned about all the various ways volunteers could help the ranch. To my surprise, public relations and marketing was something the ranch really needed at the time.” The timing couldn’t have been better; that was right up her alley! Lauri says she loves being able to help the ranch using skills honed from her professional career. “It’s so fun for me to help promote the ranch by coordinating TV news stories, promotional materials, and the website.”
But most of all, Lauri loves the time she can spend with the horses at the ranch. “While it’s impossible for me to understand animal neglect, watching our horses heal and learn to trust humans again has been so rewarding. The transformations we witness are incredibly inspirational. But a transformation has happened in me, too. Being with horses again has taught me to be more patient, forgiving and compassionate in all areas of my life. A horse’s resiliency reminds me to be calm, slow down and live in the moment. Basically, horses are training me how to be a better human!”
While Lauri has only been involved with WNCR for five of its 20 years, she couldn’t be more proud of the accomplishments this organization has made. “We’ve remained steadfast in our mission to provide rescued horses with new beginnings and productive lives. In fact, more than 500 horses and counting have been given a fresh start thanks to WNCR. And, for the past two years, we’ve adopted out more horses than any other horse rescue in the state. Our reach continues to expand, too, and I believe we will soon become a national model for successful horse rescues.“
“Even though I started volunteering at WNCR to give back, I think I’m the one who’s received the biggest gift. Don’t wait to get involved in something you care about. It’s been said that doing what you love is freedom, loving what you do is happiness. There’s no time like the present!”