Anne Wood is the type of woman who radiates warmth, with a beaming smile and kind nature. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and her willingness to take on new challenges is positively inspiring. To meet her, you’d never realize the loss and obstacles she’s overcome or the heartache she’s experienced, and when she shares her story, there’s nothing left but to be completely in awe of her.

The first big loss of Anne’s life came when she was eight years old, and her father passed away. It was he who introduced her and her sister to horses, taking them to ride a friend’s Shetland ponies. After he died, she says she did whatever she could to be around horses. “I didn’t care if I rode or not, I just loved being in the barns and close to them,” she said. “Horses have always helped me to cope with the intensities in my life, by bringing me to the present moment, where I can be myself without worries of the past or future.”

In a nod to what would later be revealed as her incredible wellspring of determination and resourcefulness, Anne purchased her first horse in cooperation with another student in high school. “We kept Cinnamon, a ¾ Thoroughbred, at a barn where we were responsible for all her physical and financial care,” she said. “I used to drive to the barn before school to feed and care for her, and I worked in a pharmacy after school hours to make the money needed to support her.”

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