Horse rescued from Lake Powell goes home

Emma Dean stepped out of the trailer at her new home and wasted no time making her presence known. The mare headed straight for the tub of hay and gave her new pasture mate, Lichee, a playful little buck — just to let everyone know there’s a new horse in town.

It was a promising beginning for a mare who had come a long way to reach a home where she could relax and enjoy the simple things.

Before Emma Dean could step hoof on the grassy pasture with her new pal, she had a bit of a journey to get there. In June 2023, Emma Dean and her foal, Marina, were trapped by rising water on a sandy beach on Lake Powell, 80 miles east of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.

The National Park Service rallied a rescue team, which included Best Friends, but it wouldn’t be easy to get to the horses with no access to the beach by land. The team worked out a plan to fit a horse trailer on a boat, and then it was time to set sail for the horses’ beach. The rescue took 14 hours. Emma Dean, wary of people and protective of her foal, had to be sedated before the team could load her into the trailer. But in the end, both horses were safe and taken to the Sanctuary to rest and recuperate.

No family came forward for the horses, and Marina was later adopted with two other horse pals from the Sanctuary.

Meanwhile, Emma Dean was cautious of people and kept her distance. Caregivers at Horse Haven, the Sanctuary’s home-between-homes for horses and other barnyard pals, worked with her to gain her trust and help her feel comfortable. It started with caregivers simply spending time with her. Then, they taught her to comfortably wear a halter. And then, they helped her master walking calmly into a horse trailer on her own. So soon, she’d be in a trailer on her way to her new home.

Rebecca Stoneman lives a few hours away from the Sanctuary in Blanding, Utah. She’s had horses for her entire life, and she was looking to adopt a pasture pal for her horse Lichee. She’d followed Emma Dean’s rescue story in the news but hadn’t realized the mare was available for adoption, and over time the story slipped from her mind. Then, while browsing the Best Friends website for adoptable horses, she spotted a familiar face: Emma Dean, the horse from the Lake Powell rescue.

It felt like fate was nudging her toward this special horse. So she and her daughter took a trip to the Sanctuary.

How 2 horses went from stranded survivors to friends

“I remember being almost ecstatic for the opportunity to meet Miss Emma Dean,” Rebecca says. “It was like meeting a celebrity after following her story.”

She knew Emma Dean had faced difficult circumstances in her life and needed time, consistency, and a sense of security. “But I knew she was the one to join our family and be a companion for Lichee,” she says.

Rebecca adopted Emma Dean, and they headed home to Blanding.

Rebecca prepared several hay tubs and corrals to ensure that Emma Dean had plenty of space to settle in. Even after that confident first entrance, it took some time for Emma Dean to find her rhythm. But Rebecca learned that she’d do just about anything for a horse cookie. So if Emma Dean was nervous about something new, offering her a cookie could help encourage her and bring her a sense of comfort.

“Emma needs consistency, security, and kindness. That’s my job to provide for her,” Rebecca says.

Together, they’re taking small, steady steps to continue building Emma Dean’s confidence. The most meaningful moments aren’t necessarily the dramatic ones. Sometimes, they’re as simple as Emma Dean looking up at her with those deep brown eyes, and Rebecca sensing that the mare trusts her.

A fairy-tale ending for horses who survived the odds

These days, Emma Dean and Lichee share a feed tub, swish their tails right alongside one another, and engage in their favorite pastime: horse-watching their neighbors just one home over. And Emma Dean is more curious, attentive, and interested in the world around her. “She’s first at my side when I have the wheelbarrow,” Rebecca says. Emma Dean just has to see what’s inside, no matter if it’s hay or manure.

For Rebecca, getting to be part of Emma Dean’s story is a privilege. That story started with a dramatic rescue on a remote beach. But her next chapter is being written in the quiet, everyday moments she shares with her family.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.