Stella is a sweet appaloosa mare, the dream of a girl who cared for her in her early years.

In 2007, she went blind due to uveitis. Arriving at IHP, she found a wise and patient guide in the elderly pony Miranda. After a few years, Stella bonded with Luna: a strong relationship interrupted by the death of Luna, who was elderly and ill.

Thanks to long and careful work, we had managed to find a new companion, Calippo: he and Stella were in symbiosis, they were the best-known and best-loved couple at the IHP rescue centre.

A few years later, Calippo also left us suddenly, in July 2023. Disoriented for days, Stella found a little comfort in the presence of Libero’s group. But it’s not the same as having a lead horse. So, we began a new, long, and very complex process of selection and bonding, this time with two mares: Louisiane and Heroine, rescued from slaughter in 2020 after a lifetime of exploitation in horse racing.
Louisiane passed away in April 2026 after a long illness. Today, Stella has found her guide and faithful companion in Heroine.

Stella was born in 1993: in her long life she faced and overcame many challenges and became one of our symbols.

In this video, her story