Jem is a large gelding who came to us from a cattle ranch after his days as a working horse were over. Uniquely roan with a white mane and tail and a body splattered with soft golden freckles, Jem stands a little over 5 feet tall at the withers. Dawn, who has a soft spot for large horses, was smitten by Jem’s magnificence and brought him to Tina Jo’s Promise so that he could have a wonderful retirement as a reward for giving so much of his life to working. Upon arrival, Jem was quite thin but appeared to be in good health. However, soon after his arrival, it began to become evident that he had a longstanding stifle injury.
With wonderful care from Dr. Gonzalez, along with lots of love from us folks at TJP, Jem fully recovered and became a very calm and capable trail horse. His wonderful demeanor earned him the honor of being the horse first ridden by Tina Jo and Dawn’s young son, Nathaniel, when he was about three years old. Once Nathaniel moved on to other, more spirited horses, Jem became our key therapy horse and has been instrumental in helping a six-year-old boy speak his first five words in succession. Jem’s work with both physically and emotionally challenged children has resulted in many small and large miracles. He may be retired from the cattle ranch but his more important work here on earth is far from over.