10/25/2026
Several weeks ago, my incredibly talented cousin Hailee painted this gorgeous portrait of a horse who will forever hold a special place in the history of Windy Hill Farm Animal Sanctuary. We’ve been waiting for the perfect frame to arrive before finally sharing it with y’all!
For those unfamiliar with her story, meet Sister 💜
Sister wasn’t just our sanctuary’s first horse. She was the one who brought us back to horses & helped inspire what would eventually become Windy Hill Farm Animal Sanctuary, alongside Miss Oreo, our Heinz 57 of a cow, & her daughter Nutella, who is still happily with us today!
Sister’s story began in Lubbock, Texas, where she was discovered by the new owner of the property she’d been calling home. Thankfully, family friends stepped in to rescue her.
While much of her past remained a mystery, her injuries told a story of their own. An old accident had left her with a damaged left knee & hind leg issues, followed by another injury to her hip during transportation to Weatherford. Being essentially feral, she required sedation for our vet to properly examine & treat her.
While our friends gave Sister the care she desperately needed, bonding remained a challenge. With her injuries limiting her to life as a pasture companion, our paths eventually crossed.
On October 24, 2020, six years ago yesterday, Sister officially became part of the Windy Hill family 💜
Now, Sister wasn’t just any ordinary gray mare! As it turns out, she had a little surprise hiding beneath that white coat of hers. After her first bath, faint gray paint markings started to appear, revealing that she was what’s known as a phantom or ghost paint!
Most days, you could find her grazing in the pasture Drifter & Pocket now call home, usually with her best friend, Mister Bones, close by or relaxing in her She Shed.
Sadly, our time together was cut short.
On May 14, 2022, we found Sister in excruciating pain. Our vet suspected a twisted gut, possibly caused by getting down & rolling. Despite our efforts, we faced the heartbreaking decision to say goodbye.
We laid Sister to rest in her favorite grazing spot, which has since become our sanctuary’s horse cemetery, visible as you make your way up our driveway.
We like to think she’s still welcoming every new resident who arrives at Windy Hill, alongside Little Texas, Naomi, & Cherokee, who now rest beside her.
Although Sister’s time with us was short, her impact was anything but. Without her, I’m not sure the sanctuary’s story would have unfolded quite the same way.
Now, thanks to Hailee, a little piece of Sister will forever hang on our walls. She took one of our all time favorite photographs of her & somehow captured not just her likeness, but everything we remember so fondly about her.
If you’re ever looking to have a special piece of artwork commissioned, we couldn’t recommend Hailee enough! Be sure to give her page HRC Original Art a follow to see more of her beautiful work & her adventures with some pretty amazing horses!
