Tag: horses

Wild horses

This morning, the horses got out.

Someone banged on the door and the dogs went crazy and I went and opened it and the lady told me the horses were out.

Great.

I pulled on my boots and ran down to the barn for lead ropes and cookies. That’s when I noticed the gate was wide open.

Someone had been leaning on it.

I don’t know for sure who it was, but I have my suspicions.

[Calyx]

When things like this happen, I never expect anyone to come help. That’s the city girl in me. But the good people of Hamilton Township had our backs again. So many people stopped to help. One of our neighbors, who also keeps horses, caught them for us while I stood around uselessly holding cookies. His name is Hal. We learned a lot from Hal today.

When we got back to the farm, the township road crew had arrived to help.

Word gets around.

I am currently feeling sheepish because I haven’t done enough to meet my neighbors, and still, here they are today helping to corral five very stressed out horses and bring them home.

Today I experienced the magic of community. Your neighbors are just friends you haven’t met yet.

Thanks guys.

November 25, 2024

Getting my horsey on

Meet Hudson:

John and I recently dragged Sam to an open house at a local horse rescue. The place is called Black Mountain View Farm Draft Horse Rescue and it’s absolutely amazing.

Currently, the rescue has about 25 horses. Most of them are draft horses like Hudson, who is no longer able to work because he lost an eye. Some of the horses are seniors and some have arthritis or other painful conditions that make them – how can I put this? – not useful for pulling plows or buggies.

I’m sure there are plenty of people who use draft horses and treat them well and then retire them to nice grassy pastures, but that’s not the story here.

Most of the horses at Black Mountain View Farm are saved from kill pens, which is as horrible as it sounds.

Imagine, you’ve spent your whole life doing your best to pull stuff for your humans, and when you just can’t take one more step, they sell you to exporters who take you to Mexico or Canada for slaughter.

Not that it matters one bit, but not all of the horses that are shipped off are older or disabled like Hudson. A lot of them are healthy, vibrant animals who just aren’t wanted anymore, for any number of reasons.

Including pregnant mares, y’all. Black Mountain View Farm has two mares who came to them pregnant. (Happy ending: the mares are no longer pregnant and there are two beautiful foals romping around at their sides.)

I really can’t say enough about this place.

The owner told me that she normally has about 50 horses on the farm, but the price of draft horses has exploded, and so she can’t afford to save as many. If you’re so inclined, please follow along on Facebook, where you can learn about the horses they’re working to save and chip in where you can.

If you have ever thought you might like to keep horses at home, many of these guys are adoptable, and rescues can always use volunteers to feed and groom horses, muck out stalls, etc.

Stay tuned for more photos of these gorgeous babies!

August 14, 2021