Blog

Welcome to our new ‘Community Spotlight’ interview series! Throughout our years in operation as a foster training organization, we’ve been lucky enough to meet horse lovers from all over New England and beyond. From our incredible adopters, to our team of horse care and health professionals, to the amazing instructors we turn to for guidance,… Continue

Welcome to our new ‘Community Spotlight’ interview series! Throughout our years in operation as a foster training organization, we’ve been lucky enough to meet horse lovers from all over New England and beyond. From our incredible adopters, to our team of horse care and health professionals, to the amazing instructors we turn to for guidance,… Continue

  Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis— more commonly known as EPM— is a disease caused by a single-celled organism, found in opossum feces, that effects the brain and spinal cord of the horse. Horses are exposed to the organism when they accidentally ingest opossum feces. This can happen if an opossum comes into contact with a horse’s water… Continue

One of the things we are asked most frequently is how the adoption process works…The follow-up to that question is often, “Are there really that many steps?”   Let’s start out by clarifying that adopting a horse from a reputable rescue is not the same as purchasing a horse.  Horses that have wound up at… Continue

Trailering horses can be a stressful event for both horse and owner.  Many horses are never taught the skills they need to confidently load and unload from a trailer.  For owners, a horse that won’t load can lead to a frustrating and dangerous situation for everyone involved. Through the years we have seen all kinds… Continue

Every horse that comes into our barn has something to teach us.  Some of them come around quickly to the new routine, and improve rapidly with the consistency of a training program. Others may take longer for us to figure out, and require us to bend and grow as horse people.   For example, Dory,… Continue

As the holidays approach and we reflect back on another busy year, we are filled with gratitude for the community who make this work possible. Each horse who joins our program has landed here due to the efforts of a vast network of caring individuals. From the tiniest terrified mini to elderly ‘war horses’ in… Continue

As we head into the winter months and access to green grass wanes, so does access to the vital nutrients that horses obtain from grass. Vitamin E and the mineral Selenium are essential to a horse’s well-being— they work together to act as antioxidants, which are crucial for muscle health, muscle recovery after exercise, and… Continue

We’ve been feeling inspired by Karen Rohlf’s podcast episode “The Forest”. Karen talks about noticing and appreciating beautiful moments shared between a human and a horse, and shares a wonderful story of her own– go listen to that episode, and other episodes of her podcast, “Horse Training in Harmony”, if you haven’t already!  We asked… Continue

Working with a fearful horse can be a challenging– but rewarding– experience. Many of the horses we take in for training at Horses with Hope have had unfortunate encounters with humans. Some were exposed to rough handling at auction, others were trained through fear from the get-go, and all need a lot of time to… Continue

Over the years, we have explored many methods of tick-bite prevention. Tick bites can cause itchy or painful sores at best, and Lyme disease or anaplasmosis at worst. We have gathered all of our favorite methods to share with you to help keep your horses healthy and happy.  In no particular order, here are our… Continue

What is Lyme? Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease that is carried only by deer ticks. Deer ticks are found in every state but Hawaii, but they are most prevalent in the eastern half of the United States. They are typically found in tall grasses, where they hang on the tip of the grass with… Continue

As a new year begins, we reflect upon our recent experiences with a deep sense of gratitude. In a world that can feel increasingly hectic, horses keep us grounded. They help us to stay present in both our bodies and minds. They reward a relaxed, friendly, steady attitude, and are excellent at reminding us not… Continue

As humans we have the advantage of being able to communicate verbally using an extensive and precise form of language. Horses, however, primarily use body language to communicate with each other. In turn, they are very perceptive of human body language. Being mindful of our own energy and non verbal body cues when working with… Continue

Horses are a naturally intuitive and expressive creature, part of what draws us to them is how deeply emotive they are and how rewarding it can be to use body language to develop a dialogue between horse and human. The majority of us know basic equine behavior, even a non-horse person might be able to… Continue

We are so pleased that you have chosen a rescue horse as your next partner. Adopting a horse provides that horse with a new home, and their rescue with another slot to take in another equine in need. Adding a rescue horse to your family can be challenging but also extremely rewarding. We hope to provide… Continue