Trainer tries to mend heart broken by losing horse
Little girl’s miniature horse was fatally shot
BELEN — When 5-year-old Rylee Brett’s beloved miniature horse, Chicken Nugget, was found dead from a bullet wound, the little girl was devastated.
Chicken Nugget was her friend and companion since she was born, said her mother, Kylee Brett.
The tiny horse with dwarfism was purchased eight years ago from a therapeutic riding organization when Brett thought she couldn’t have children. Two years later, to her surprise, she became pregnant with Rylee.
As Rylee grew, the tiny horse became her cherished pal, but in the early hours of Wednesday, Nov. 15, the little brown horse with a fluffy blonde mane was shot dead.
The Brett family, of Hull, Texas, doesn’t know who killed Chicken Nugget or why, but an investigation is pending.
Rylee’s loss was posted on Facebook and Jeff Lisowski, a Belen miniature horse breeder, was tagged by a friend on the post.
Lisowski said he read the story and was moved by the video.
“I was just horrified that someone would senselessly go and shoot someone’s horse in the head,” Lisowski said. “The picture of (Rylee) laying on the horse’s grave after they buried him is what really tore me apart.”
Co-owner of the Double J Farm on the west mesa in Belen, Lisowski and his partner, Joe Fraire, raise and train registered miniature horses. They currently have 20 colorful little horses on their sandy farm, each with its own shed and paddock.
The horsemen also offer lessons to children, adults and people with special needs on how to show and drive miniature horses in a buggy.
Perfect new horse
Lisowski was able to contact the family and spoke with Rylee’s mother. He told her he had a horse he thought would be perfect for Rylee. She’s 28 inches tall — short even for a miniature — and about 250 pounds. Lisowski and Fraire call her Allie.
But Rylee didn’t want any other horse; she wanted Chicken Nugget. Rylee visits his grave every morning and evening, her mother said.
“Rylee has her moments, usually at night,” Brett said.
However, now that news of the new pony is sinking in, Rylee has decided that Allie is Chicken Nugget’s sister and has named her Chicken Wing.
The only conundrum was how to pay to ship the horse to Texas.
Lisowski started a GoFundMe page to raise $1,200, a figure he arrived at by adding the costs of brand inspection and veterinarian services to obtain Allie’s health papers, which are required for transport across state borders. He also added in the cost to trailer the horse to Hull, Texas, which is near Houston.
“I knew if I had that (amount) we’d be safe,” he said.
To Lisowski’s amazement, within 12 hours the account raised nearly $1,600, and on top of that, he received a call from Mandie Harmon, a professional horse transporter in California, who said she would haul the horse to Texas — free of charge.
Another friend who works for Corrales veterinarian Dr. Mark Meddleton said they would provide free veterinary service.
Now that transportation costs have been donated, Lisowski said they are outfitting Rylee with horse supplies, such as feed buckets, brushes and other grooming supplies. The rest of the money will be donated to Spirit Horse Rescue in Texas at the Bretts’ request, and also the American Miniature Horse Association and its youth association fund, Lisowski said.
“So, it’s a good thing all the way around,” he said.
One of Double J Farm’s clients even made a pink tutu to go around the little grulla-colored mare’s neck.
“So that Rylee can play dressup-type things with Allie,” Lisowski said.
Allie’s grandmother, Triple T Double J Sandman’s Enchanted Beauty, won several awards and produced multiple national champion offspring, Lisowski said.
“This one (Allie) has always been in your pocket — when you go out to the field, she’s the first one to come up to see if you have cookies,” he said. “I think that’s what’s going to be important as she’s going to interact with Rylee, and that’s half the battle.”
He said the equine is gentle and quiet and easy to be around, so she’ll adapt well.
Buggy-trained miniature horses sell from about $3,000 to $15,000 or more depending on how much training they have, Lisowski said. Allie is a registered miniature horse but smaller than most miniature show horses.
“I’m willing to sacrifice that monetary thing to know that she’s placed good, and I’m bringing joy to a family that’s desperately in need of it,” he said.
Lisowski doesn’t have children of his own and said seeing pictures of Rylee and the horse that she lost just ripped him apart.
“I’ve had the luxury of having some good trainers in my life, who have always said that ‘when someone’s in need you help them out no matter what,’” Lisowski said.
The plan was to get the new horse to Rylee before Thanksgiving, Lisowski said, but it looks like it will have to be the following weekend.
In a phone interview, Brett said the family is very touched by all the Facebook posts and messages of support and condolence they’ve received.
“Jeff has been wonderful to us and he will always be family to us,” Brett said, her voice cracking.