SOUTH VALLEY - All Liz Mott of South Valley has ever wanted to be when she grew up was "a cowgirl and a farmer."

For Mott it wasn't a difficult goal to achieve - her family has owned the Rock Valley Farm in South Valley ever since her great-grandfather Emmet Mabie bought it in 1907. The farm was always filled with animals and children - and plenty of horses.

Mott credits her grandfather, Lester, and her mother, Marty, with instilling in her a love of animals.

"I never saw him hit an animal, never saw him yell at an animal, never saw him do anything bad, and I guess it just passed on to all of us kids that way," explained Mott, one of four fourth-generation Rock Valley Farm children.

But Mott has since modified her original dream of cowgirling and farming. She is now in the process of forming "Rock Valley Rescue," a non-profit horse rescue operation, "a place for horses to heal, to get their spirit back and gain trust." Fifty of the family farm's 200 acres have been set aside for the purpose of embracing abused, ailing or unwanted horses, and eventually finding adoptive owners for them. The healing process, in some cases, can take years.

The idea for the rescue farm evolved from what seemed an unlikely beginning - an injury Mott sustained about a decade ago while riding a horse that bucked her. Although two vertebrae in her neck were broken, her connection to horses never was. In fact, the incident prompted her to try and understand horses even more.

"I knew there was a better way than jumping on a horse and trying to break them," said Mott. "To get inside of a horse's head takes a long time. You can't stare them down, you can't pull them, you can't yank them - that's why I free pen everybody. I don't put ropes on them."

Mott currently cares for six horses, and one mule named Molly. Each animal has their own story to tell - through their advocate Mott.

"I can't get into her head," Mott commented about Molly. "I don't know what happened to her. I saw her at an auction, met her eyes, looked under her blanket and saw that she was really terribly skinny. She needed to come home."

Mott has had Molly, whose age is estimated at 30 years, for about five years. Molly shares a pasture with Chance, a 34-year-old ex-polo horse. Their section is affectionately referred to by Mott as "the geriatric clinic."

Erastus, a palomino, and Emmet, a pony, were found through an advertisement in a newspaper. They were to be put down on Feb. 28, but Mott bought them on Feb. 26, nursed them back to health, and found a good home for the pony. Erastus is staying on the farm as Mott's daughter, Melissa Kehoe's horse.

According to Mott, the "problem child" of the group is a morganesque "mutt" named Java. He is literally a horse of a different color - a tan coat in the wintertime, a red one in the spring and a copper coat in the summertime. After patient and careful interaction, Mott has gained Java's trust to a certain degree, but he remains unpredictable and shy.

"I went to a spring round-up auction and when he came through I thought, 'where did he come from?'" said Mott. "He had this wild look in his eye. He must've banged the top of his head, he had big scars under his eyes and his ribs were sticking out. I bid on him for a little over $400 and brought him home. I've been working with him ever since."

Mott does have her own horse, Muhshunnka, a Native American name meaning "big white medicine dog." Muhshunnka is a "medicine hat paint horse," an addition to the group providing symbolic, if not actual, healing on a spiritual level.

"I think once you think you know everything about horses, that's when they surprise you," said Mott. "All horses deserve respect. I think respect is utmost, even before trust. You also need a ton of love and a ton of time. You really have got to devote yourself to them."

Mott's vision does not end with the healing of horses.

"I would really like to work with kids," Mott added. "We would like to do some kind of mentoring here eventually. I'd like to bring abused children and abused horses together, and show them that it's something they can get over. I would love to have inner city kids come up too. This farm has always been filled with barking dogs and kids on ponies. It's always been like that."

The farm isn't Mott's only responsibility. She has been employed by The Glimmerglass Opera as concessions manager for the last nine years, and is also a painter and an artist. She sells her carvings and Native American beadwork to buy hay and other horse needs. And she takes care of her grandmother, Doris Mott, who lives in the farmhouse with her, along with her partner, Chris Peretin, and daughter, Kehoe.

How does Mott find time for everything? "I don't sleep," she chuckles. "I get up really early in the morning and do all my chores."

But she doesn't do it all alone. Mott credits many people with volunteering their time to help maintain the farm, and prepare it for its new purpose. Along with Mott, Jeri Dropp, administrative director at Glimmerglass Opera, and Peretin oversee the Rock Valley Rescue foundation. Her children, Melissa and Jason Kehoe, and many friends in the community help on a regular basis.

"I'm hoping to have the foundation up and running by September," Mott said. "This way I can apply for grants, and people who donate can receive a tax deduction."

Mott continued, "We need anything - blankets, horse tack, bags of carrots and stale bread, people to stop to pet or brush them, private donations, bequests, volunteers... just coming in all the time."

A web page, www.rockvalleyrescue.com, is currently under construction, but is up and running, and shows a photo of Java. Mott can be contacted by telephone at (607) 264-3519 or by e-mail at dirtgirl33@aol.com.

"This is the year of the horse in the Chinese zodiac," Mott concluded. "I thought, everything is circling around - and this is the year to start the foundation."

$xds," Mott added. "We would like to do some kind of mentoring here eventually. I'd like to bring abused children and abused horses together, and show them that it's something they can get over. I would love to have inner city kids come up too. This farm has always been filled with barking dogs and kids on ponies. It's always been like that."

The farm isn't Mott's only responsibility. She has been employed by The Glimmerglass Opera as concessions manager for the last nine years, and is also a painter and an artist. She sells her carvings and Native American beadwork to buy hay and other horse needs. And she takes care of her grandmother, Doris Mott, who lives in the farmhouse with her, along with her partner, Chris Peretin, and daughter, Kehoe.

How does Mott find time for everything? "I don't sleep," she chuckles. "I get up really early in the morning and do all my chores."

But she doesn't do it all alone. Mott credits many people with volunteering their time to help maintain the farm, and prepare it for its new purpose. Along with Mott, Jeri Dropp, administrative director at Glimmerglass Opera, and Peretin oversee the Rock Valley Rescue foundation. Her children, Melissa and Jason Kehoe, and many friends in the community help on a regular basis.

"I'm hoping to have the foundation up and running by September," Mott said. "This way I can apply for grants, and people who donate can receive a tax deduction."

Mott continued, "We need anything - blankets, horse tack, bags of carrots and stale bread, people to stop to pet or brush them, private donations, bequests, volunteers... just coming in all the time."

A web page, www.rockvalleyrescue.com, is currently under construction, but is up and running, and shows a photo of Java. Mott can be contacted by telephone at (607) 264-3519 or by e-mail at dirtgirl33@aol.com.

"This is the year of the horse in the Chinese zodiac," Mott concluded. "I thought, everything is circling around - and this is the year to start the foundation."