Debi Metcalfe with Idaho

Sometimes what seems at first like an unfortunate situation can change the direction of your life. That is certainly what happened to Debi Metcalfe. In 1997, Debi ran a home-based business in Shelby. But on Sept. 26 of that year, her husband Harold's mare, Idaho, was stolen from her pasture. Idaho had been a member of the Metcalfe family for eight years.
Thus began a year-long ordeal for Debi, during which time she put her business on hold and led a relentless search for Idaho. In 1997, Debi found no structured system to help her track down her missing horse. Desperate, she blanketed huge sections of the United States with flyers and spoke to as many horse dealers, law enforcement officers and auction house workers as she could. Remarkably, aided by luck and prayer, someone who saw one of Debi's flyers placed a call that ultimately brought Idaho home.
"At the time we thought we were the only ones this had happened to," says Debi. "But we soon learned that one in five people have had a horse stolen or knows someone who has. In fact, we found a Texas A&M University study that showed at that time that 40,000-50,000 horses are stolen each year."
After learning all of this, and given her own experience, Debi was determined that no one else should have to face the same situation alone. She founded Stolen Horse International (later nicknamed NetPosse), a modern-day organization that uses "the speed and networking power of the Internet to spread the word about stolen horses around the world." Anyone can participate in the "posse" by visiting www.netposse.com, where information about missing horses is posted.
"In 1998 people were just beginning to discover the power of the internet," says Debi. "We were the first ones to use the internet in this way."
Today, almost 20 years after her ordeal, Debi receives hundreds of emails daily and travels to speaking engagements across the country. Her work involves not only finding missing horses, but also educating horse-owners about theft prevention and recovery strategies.
Idaho, the horse who was the inspiration behind Debi's new life and work, is still alive and living on the couple's farm, although her health is not good. Now 31 years old, she has been diagnosed with cancer. "It's a day-to-day kind of thing," says Debi.
But looking at Idaho these days sometimes allows Debi to realize how far she has come. "Most days we are so busy, that I don't stop and think about it. But when I do, I just think, 'Wow! How many people have we helped through the years because of this horse?' She is truly an inspiration."
For more information about the organization, search for "Stolen Horse International" on Facebook, or visit the web site at netposse.com.

By April Hoyle Shauf

Special to Shelby Shopper

Photos by Maxann Crotts Harvey