Sanctuary Stories

May 2025

Howdy Taylor,

My name is Taylor and I'm a friend of The Missed Path Sanctuary (MPS). I'll be seeing to it that you get regular updates and shares straight from the sanctuary to your inbox.

This month, sanctuary founder and leader, Marc DiFrancia shares the subtle, yet undeniable way that healing happens at MPS. Read it below!

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Warmly,

Taylor Coburn

Missed Path Sanctuary Awareness

Faith, at its core, is the willingness to step into the unknown with an open heart — not because we’re sure, but because we’re curious.

That’s what we witnessed this week at the sanctuary, when David, a 27-year-old autistic man with the curiosity of a child, chose to put on a blindfold and meet Daisy, our blind mare, on her terms.

Daisy can’t see, but she knows how to feel her way through the world. She’s calm, steady, and honest — the kind of horse who doesn’t hide how she feels.

Her blindness could make her seem intimidating, but it often has the opposite effect. Horses like Daisy have a way of softening people.

David had already spent a day with her, learning basic horse safety and how to approach with softness and clarity. He’d asked great questions. He was gentle. He took his time.

That first day, he brushed Daisy with care, and she stayed soft beneath his hand.

On this visit, I suggested something new: what if David tried grooming Daisy blindfolded — stepping into her world more directly?

His companion had some concerns. Would he be uncomfortable? Would it overwhelm him?

I said, “Let’s leave it up to David.”

David was nervous… but he said yes.

In that moment, he chose connection over safety — one of the hardest decisions a human can make — and he did it in faith.

David blindfolded himself slowly. He held the brush in one hand, the other hovering in the air like a question. At first, he searched. He was careful… nervous… unsure.

But as he moved down Daisy’s body, something shifted.

She stayed soft. She stayed present.

David brushed her with growing confidence — not because he could see her, but because he could feel her confidence.

The connection was visible to those who could see, and palpable for those who could not.

And somehow, through the brush, her softness traveled back to him.

When he spoke, his voice was quieter, more certain than before.

“She trusts me,” he said.

Not as a statement of pride… more like a quiet realization. Something they both now knew.

Faith has the power to connect even when there are significant barriers to those connections.

That’s what faith makes possible: Two beings, both unsure, both in the dark in their own way, meeting in the middle and choosing connection.

The Missed Path Sanctuary now has a kiosk at the Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville! 📍

It's pretty unusual to see all the horses lying down at the same time—herds usually like to have one horse on lookout…

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