Blog

Here at the farm we use a variety of obstacles to help our horses gain confidence and to expose them to as many objects as possible. They are also a very useful way to simulate what the horse will encounter out on the trail, such as streams, bridges, and fallen trees.  Desensitization to such things as flapping tarps and… Continue

Horse rescue is a multi-faceted endeavor. Sometimes the equines are in dire need of critical and supportive care just to get them out of physical crisis. The work and dedication doesn’t stop once they are healthy, however. We need to begin building up their strength and stamina before their bodies, minds and emotions can handle any focused… Continue

If you spend time observing a mare and her foal, you’ll see the foal mirroring every move its mother makes. It will be stuck to her side as if still attached by the umbilical cord. It is a beautiful thing to watch.  Besides the period of bonding that occurs shortly after birth, the foal is… Continue

We’ve all seen those ‘Horse for Sale’ ads that read: “So gentle children can handle.” However, sometimes it ends up that the only people who can handle the horse are children. The horse refuses to let any adult into its airspace. Why is this? Both children and horses live completely in the moment. They are not burdened… Continue

As we bring new horses into our program, our goal is always to learn as much about them as possible. We are looking to address ‘gaps’ in a horse’s education while giving them a solid foundation for riding. In this way, we hope to lay the groundwork so that our horses will be ready to embrace… Continue

With his good looks and laid-back attitude, Charlie was one of the first horses to catch our eye at the New Holland auction this past December. Upon completion of his quarantine, we began evaluating Charlie and determined that he had soundness issues which needed attention.  Several months later, we now have a clear understanding of Charlie’s… Continue

A teacher asks her student a question: what day is it today?  The student responds with confidence, “It’s Friday!” Again the teacher asks what day it is, and this time the student hesitates before saying, “The 7th?” Again the teacher poses the exact same question, and the confused student replies in frustration, “I don’t know!”… Continue

In late November, we brought Tommy and Roman up to the arena for the first time. Initially they were so anxious that we could barely lead them. The transition from quarantine to the busy farm scene was a shock for these boys, and it was immediately clear that we would need to start at the very… Continue

When temperatures hit 50 degrees earlier this month, we couldn’t resist the chance to ditch the arena and head to the beach.  We are always looking for ways to expose our horses to new experiences, and after weeks spent doing circles in the indoor, everyone was ready to get outside! We chose to bring Willow and Toby,… Continue

Our cute little Quarter horse Toby has had a busy few months in training. After completing his quarantine in early July, Toby spent several weeks doing groundwork, obstacles, and work in the roundpen before we began riding him consistently. We knew nothing about his history, but suspect he was roughly handled in the past as… Continue

We have some exciting changes coming soon to Horses with Hope. A new program manager will be joining our team, and shortly thereafter we will be looking to bring in a brand new batch of horses to work with through the winter months. We look forward to branching out from our traditional trip to auction, and are… Continue

Despite the lingering summer heat, we have been celebrating the disappearance of the deerflies by getting out of the arenas and off the farm. Austin, Koda and Toby are all in a similar place in their training, and now that we have spent some time getting to know them as riding horses it’s time to… Continue

Two of our trainers recently embarked on a whirlwind roadtrip to meet with rescues in Maryland and W. Virginia. Our mission was two-fold: to learn as much as we could from the folks running these well-established organizations, and also to discuss the possibility of future collaboration.  Behind each rescue, we found a dedicated woman (and supportive,… Continue

As we mentioned last week, all three of our recent arrivals are now in full retraining mode. Koda and Toby completed their quarantine at the end of June, and so we have spent the past month getting to know these two boys. As with all of our horses, we began gradually from the ground up…. Continue

Now that they have had a chance to really settle into the new routine, we have begun working regularly with Koda and Toby. Together with Austin, these boys are now fully immersed in the retraining program and we’ve been having a lot of fun learning about all three.  Austin came out of quarantine in May…. Continue

Summer is an amazing time on any farm. The days are long, it’s warm, sunny and beautiful, and the animals are thrilled to be out in their fields after the long winter and muddy spring seasons. However, there are a few drawbacks to the summertime scene- namely the heat and those pesky bugs! Like all… Continue