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Feb 16, 2009

"I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." --Etienne de Grellet

Finding Friends on Horseback

On a chilly morning nearly two weeks ago, Donna Byrne packed everything she owned onto one horse, climbed atop another, and set out for Ocala, a ranching town 160 miles north. She said she lost her job in Arcadia a few months ago, could not afford the rent, and hoped to pick up some work in Ocala before riding on to Amarillo, Texas. "I take it one "I take one day at a time," said Ms. Byrne,"I don't worry about anything." But what began as a lonely, quixotic trek has turned into a team effort, with horse lovers nationwide offering to help with rides, money, room and board, veterinarians and temporary work. By Wednesday, when she reached this small farm town, Ms. Byrne had become a minor celebrity and a magnet for generosity.