All I really need to know I learned from the theft of a horse.

Some people may have learned all they really need to know in kindergarten but I am learning all I really need to know because of a theft of a horse named Idaho.

I've learned that your life can be changed in a matter of minutes by people you don't even know. In 1997 a man from Valdese we didn’t know walked onto our farm, cut our pasture fence and took my husband’s horse Idaho. I am sure his only

Debi Metcalfe with Idaho, age 28 in May 2013.

intent was to sell Idaho for quick cash. His dirty deed took only moments to complete but ended up starting a journey for our family that has lasted over a decade. It is ironic that this very action that caused us so much pain has ended up providing so much comfort for victims of horse crimes around the world.

In our Criminal Justice System the victims of horse related crimes are represented by three important groups; the police who investigate crime, the DA who prosecutes them and the NetPosse volunteers that determinedly search for the missing horses. This blog will tell their stories and along with the lessons I have learned along the way.

Although horse theft is the catalyst that has provoked me to write a blog, it is a mere stepping stone to the thoughts and stories that I will tell here. Hang in there with me. I am not a writer but rather a person that has awe inspiring stories to tell. I promise you moments of wonder, tears and laughter, not necessarily in that order.

See intro on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bFEAuPFBTA