The Star Thrower, by Loren Eiseley

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean. He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."

Can You Help Just One of the Horses, Families or Rescue Facilities Posted here? 

Virginia's horse welfare facilities, for many months, have been receiving increasing numbers of calls from Virginians who need to find new homes for their horses, sometimes on short notice.  Some people are losing their farms, some have lost jobs or are facing transfer out of state, some are boarding horses at barns in danger of closing. 

Many of the horses looking for homes are sound, healthy and well-trained but, with farmland disappearing at alarming rates in some areas of the state, finding new homes for large animals is not always easy.

Please take advantage of this forum to list horses in need of new homes.  Please also take a moment to spread the word to friends and family members that might be looking for horses.

While homeless horses are a nationwide problem, if you are "shopping" for a new horse, "shop" locally first.  Let's show that Virginia really is for horse lovers. 

Note: The managers of Virginia Horses Needing Homes cannot guarantee the accuracy of information in messages posted by members or guests.  By posting  on VHNH or  responding to posts, you assume any and all risks associated with placing or accepting a horse via the Internet.