SPECIALIZING IN ELDER CARE, HOSPICE, AND SPECIAL NEEDS OF HORSES
HOW WE GOT STARTED
The Birth of a Horse Rescue
Spring Farm CARES was founded by Bonnie Jones Reynolds and Dawn Hayman. Back in 1987, before Spring Farm CARES was even born, their first venture in the animal field was to be a small breeding operation for Thoroughbreds and Arabian horses. For Arabian horses it was to preserve a bloodline that was literally dying out. And for Thoroughbreds, the goal was to breed a well bred horse and to use holistic and gentle training techniques to show that horses could be trained humanely to race. We weren't going to start them until 3 years old and we had no ambition to race them for money but to bring something different to Thoroughbred training. Well, that was the dream, but we quickly learned that it was not reality.
From 1987 through 1990, we bred a total of 3 Arabian horses and 5 Thoroughbreds. During this process, Bonnie and I discovered the truth of what was happening in the horse world. We discovered how horses were overbred and how there were way too many unwanted horses in the world. And our dream of racing in a holistic training was out the window. We could find no one who was willing to work with us. No one. We immediately withdrew our plan to race any horses. We refused to let any of the horses that we bred become victims to a system that needed complete reformation. In fact, of the 8 well bred horses born here at the farm, only one of them ended up being rideable. The universe was making sure that we got the message. And the horses were making sure we understood what they really came here to teach us and to show us. Those 8 horses were the teachers who showed us the plight of horses and what we could do to help. We decided to dedicate the rest of our lives to helping them. Spring Farm CARES was born.
By 1990, we understood that there was an incredible need for retirement and rescue places for horses. We completely switched gears, took up a no breeding policy, and became Spring Farm CARES. In 1991 we became a 501c3 not for profit corporation. The small animal part of our mission began a couple of years later. Horses have always been where we got our start and the mainstay of the farm. Many of the horses in our care have been with us for over 20 years. Still others stayed with us for shorter times as their lives ended sooner. Some came to spend their last few weeks/days with us in hospice care. We have learned a lot about special health issues affecting the aged horse. We have done a lot with other conditions such as founder over the years. They have taught us much and we then can apply what we have learned to help others.
Most of our horses have stalls and pasture access. Although some of them have physical conditions that limit their ability to go outside, they still get daily turnout in our indoor arena area. Many of our horses are elderly or have physical disabilities such as blindness or extreme lamenesses. All of them are loved and cared for around the clock. As well as conventional medicine and veterinary care, we also use a lot of holistic techniques and remedies with them. We do a lot of preventative care as well. Some of the modalities we have used on them include: chiropractic, massage, energy work, homeopathy, and of course, animal communication. It is not uncommon for our horses to live into their 30's. We have had many live to be between 30-35 years and one even lived to be 40 years old.
We do not adopt out our horses. They live with us for life. Because of this, we are very limited as to how many we can take in. We do not maintain a waiting list because the only way we get space available is when one of them dies. We don't like to have a list waiting for someone to die. However, we do a lot of networking with other horse rescues and through our Network Partners for Animals that we often help in the placement of horses in need. We continue to work on behalf of horses through education and networking to bring much more awareness to the plight these most honorable creatures sometimes meet at the ignorance of humans.
The horses have always been a vital part of the teaching in the animal communication workshops with Dawn Hayman. Their participation has been life changing for many visitors over the years.
MEET OUR HORSES, PONIES, & DONKEYS
ADDIE
Addie is a Quarter Horse mare in her mid-twenties. She was injured as a young foal and developed a neurological problem which rendered her to be not safely rideable. Although, even with this condition, she is fine, pain free, and safe to be around. Addie was taken in by someone who just fell in love with her as a foal and wanted to give her a chance at life, even if she couldn't be ridden. But as economic conditions changed and Addie's barn changed ownership, Addie needed a place to stay where she could live out the rest of her years. When we heard her story, we knew she was a fit with our herd. Our blind Quarter Horse gelding, TJ, needed a pasture buddy and Addie is the perfect fit. She had spent all of her life in one barn and this was a big move for her, but she handled it well and understands that she is safe in our herd and still loved and cherished by the folks who rescued and cared for her for so many years. They still come to visit and bring her her all time favorite treat - peppermint candies. Well, ok, carrots are right up there on her list too!
AMBER DONKEY
Amber Donkey came to us when her elderly owners could no longer care for her. She was loved and cherished and they were heart broken to part with her, but they were looking for a home that could care for her in her final years. Amber had been a part of their lives for over 20 years and they knew she was getting elderly and that she would have special needs. At the time, they thought her to be in her mid to late 30's, which puts her now into her mid-40's. Donkeys do not always take well to change. Her people told us that they had her for a couple of years before she ever brayed and it saddened them to think that her bray would never be heard again because the change to our farm would be too much for her. The elderly gentleman who cared so much about her came with her the day we trailered her. Amber gave him and us an amazing gift. As we led her into our barn, she saw all the other horses and let out a very loud and long bray. She hasn't stopped braying since then. Amber thrived at Spring Farm and years later when her elderly people, now both in nursing homes, came to visit her one last time, they remarked that she looked many years younger than when she arrived. Amber is our official greeter and the first one anyone meets when they walk into our barn. Our younger donkeys call her the "wise grandmother donkey."
BELLE
Belle is a bay Morgan mare in her late teens. Belle came to us as a three year old who was going to be euthanized because she could not be ridden or trained even by the most gentle and holistic methods. She has several behavior problems, most notably that she will not let us handle her. To Belle, these are not behavioral problems at all, but simply are traits she has so that she could live the life she came to live. We provided her with a place to just be a horse for the rest of her life. She will not let us halter her so we can not do much with her. She loves living outside with a large enclosed run in shed and has three other horse friends for whom she is the boss mare. She is very beautiful and is friendly over the fence. Sometimes she will even let us groom her beautiful mane, but only from the opposite side of the fence.
BREEZE IN BABE
"BREEZIE"
Breezie is a chestnut Thoroughbred mare born in 1990 here on the farm (before we were officially SFC). Breezie’s mom, Lamoka Babe, lived with us until her untimely death in 1999 of a broken leg. Breezie is very sweet but very difficult. She was an exceptional foal and very friendly and easy to handle. Then she had a series of accidents which left her very fearful. She is extremely accident prone and now refuses to go outside. In 1998, due to human error, Breezie sustained a severe injury when she reared and flipped over backwards hitting the concrete floor. She broke several vertebrae in her spine that poked up through her skin as she fell. This has left a continual open wound on her wither area that will unfortunately most likely remain that way for the rest of her life. She is extremely difficult to handle, although a very loving and friendly horse. Breezie is very tuned in to all the animals in the barn and frequently she will alert us when she senses that something is wrong. She has been credited with saving two animal's lives in our barn who would have died had she not alerted us to the emergency situation they were in.
MR. BUBBLES
Bubbles is a Shetland pony cross gelding born in 1993 at SFC. Mr. Bubbles actually arrived at the farm in utero. Bubbles’ mother, Missy, was brought to SFC when she was just a few days away from foaling. Bubbles was born right here on the farm with Bonnie and Dawn sleeping with them in their stall for the birth and first day. Bubbles comes from a very in-bred herd, none of whom were cared for properly. Our ponies, Missy, Bubbles, Corrie, Dream, and Echo all came from the same place.
BUSTER
Buster is a Standardbred gelding, somewhere in his mid-twenties we believe. Although not much is known about Buster, we know that he was in desperate need of a home and had some special medical needs that couldn't be met where he was living. Spring Farm helped get his medical problem treated at Cornell University and then we fostered him out until we had a space for him to join our herd. Although he has some lameness issues, Buster is otherwise now healthy and happy just to have friends to hang out with and the freedom to be a horse.
CHOPS
Chops is a Quarter Horse mare now in her late 20's. Chops came here from a farm in New Jersey. She was going to be euthanized because she was extremely mean and her foals were really mean as well. She had a great show career and had several foals who also ended up doing quite well on the show circuit. Dawn first met Chops when she went to visit another horse, Dinah, and Chops was one of her stable mates. When Dawn met Chops, she was told that she was one of the nastiest horses around. The people demonstrated how nasty she was by running a metal pipe across the metal bars of her stall until she started barring her teeth and biting. Dawn felt she was actually quite a sweet horse who was very misunderstood and unhappy. Dawn later heard that Chops and Dinah were both to be euthanized as the owner had no use for them anymore. They came to SFC together and will stay together until they die. Chops has not once shown any sign of aggression since she set foot on our farm.
WRONG WAY CORRIGAN
"CORRIE"
Corrie is a Shetland Pony cross gelding born in 1993. Corrie was born almost completely blind caused by a genetic condition. At only a few weeks old, he fell into a pond at the farm where he was born and nearly drowned. The people wanted us to take him but we would not take him at 2 months old without his mother. We convinced them to send his mother, Dream, with him until he was old enough to be weaned. When he arrived, he walked off the trailer backwards, and walked backwards all the way to his stall. Thus we gave him the name Wrong Way Corrigan, but call him Corrie for short. He is quite a character and very happy to be here with his pony family.
DINAH
Dinah is a Quarter Horse mare now in her mid 30's. Dinah came from a farm in New Jersey with Chops. They have been together for many years. Dinah was a client of Dawn’s whom Dawn got to meet in person at the farm where she and Chops lived. Dinah had been an accomplished show horse and brood mare but her last foal had a severe birth defect and had to be euthanized when only a few months old. The owner felt that Dinah was now useless to him and ordered to have her and her buddy Chops euthanized. When Dawn heard of their plight, she offered to retire them at SFC where they could remain together for the rest of their lives. Dinah has the distinction of currently being one of the oldest horses on the farm. She is starting to really show her age and enjoys a lot of chiropractic care to keep her more supple as well as a lot of supplements. She is doing quite well and is very happy.
I'M A PLEASANT DREAM
"DREAM"
Dream is a Shetland pony cross mare in her late teens. Dream came to SFC in 1993 with her 2 month old blind foal Corrie at her side. We were only supposed to keep her here until her foal could be weaned but we did not want her to go back to the substandard conditions of her other farm especially since we discovered that she had already been impregnated again before she came here. Dream has had several foals, all of them with severe defects and blindness. She came with the name Baby. When she was born, her mother died and she was bottle raised by her owner. The woman did not want to part with her, even though she could not properly care for all the ponies she had. They are all very inbred. We asked Baby what she wanted to be called and she came right out with I’m A Pleasant Dream. We call her Dream for short. 9 months after she arrived, she gave birth to Echo. Dream actually asked us to name her Echo of Spring. We promised her she would not ever have to have another foal again. Dream and Missy are sisters and their father is also the father of their foals, Bubbles, Corrie, and Echo.
ECHO OF SPRING
"ECHO"
Echo is a Shetland Pony cross mare born in 1994 at SFC. Her mother, Dream, had come here already pregnant. The ponies come from a very inbred herd where they were not being cared for properly. Echo has several birth defects including an eye problem and a neurological condition. She is not totally blind but does have trouble with her vision. She also has confirmation problems in her legs. Echo comes from the same farm as Dream, Missy, Corrie, and Bubbles.
IRON EMBRACE
"EMBER"
Ember is a Thoroughbred mare born in 1990 here on the farm before we became SFC. Her mother, Iron Isle (Ginny), was free leased to us for two years and two foals. Story is Ember’s sister also born from Ginny. Ember is somewhat shy but a very friendly mare. She was originally bred to race but we did not want to put her into that environment. Ember’s father is a stallion named Embrace The Wind and he also sired SFC horses Breezie and Mariah, so the three of them are half sisters. Ember is very low key but enjoys spending time with all of the other Thoroughbreds running in the pasture.
FELIX
Felix is a gelded Donkey born in 2003. Felix and fellow donkey Leo arrived at SFC in November 2003 from a horrific animal abuse case. Both donkeys were severely emaciated and very near death. To increase their chances of survival, they lived for that entire first winter in a pen in Dawn and Margot's heated garage. With lots of nursing and tender loving care, they pulled through but by then had developed an amazing bond with both Dawn and Margot. The barn was remodeled to add two more stalls and they now both live in that barn with the horse herd of Jeremy, Dulcie, and Shawnee. They are affectionately known as the donkey boys. And Felix especially can be heard all over the farm at dinner times.
LAMOKA GYPSY
"GYPSY"
Gypsy is a Thoroughbred mare now in her late twenties. Gypsy has been at SFC since 1988. She was retired off the track along with her sister Lamoka Babe. While Babe won lots of money on the track and was very famous, Gypsy only won one race because she would always slow down as the other horses got closer to her. We figured out later that she was stopping to kick them as she didn’t like other horses coming up behind her. Gypsy, Babe, and Bo were three horses that made up our Thoroughbred breeding program before we officially became SFC. She had one foal, Mariah. Gypsy was adopted out for a couple of years and ended up in a horrible abuse situation where she was starved when the adopter broke our contract and sent Gypsy off to someone else without our knowledge. She almost died but a veterinarian fostered her for a year and really brought her back to health. She then came home to SFC where she is retired permanently and promised to never be without food again. She was very attached to her daughter Mariah and to Bo with whom she grew up before coming to SFC. Sadly, her daughter Mariah passed away very unexpectedly in February 2008. Because of the abuse that Gypsy encountered while being adopted out, we decided to change our policy and become a retirement home for horses rather than a rescue and adoption facility.
HARRIET
Harriet is a Thoroughbred mare born in about 1991. Harriet arrived here as a two year old when her owner on Long Island could no longer keep her. Harriet was very difficult to train and had some behavioral problems. She has been retired to spend her life here rather than being euthanized. She lives outside year round with several friends with access to a full run in shed. We are at least able to halter her and lead her and do necessary medical things with her. She is a complete sweet heart but likes to live life on her terms.
JEREMY
Jeremy is an Arabian gelding in his mid 20's. He came to the farm in 1995 with Margot from Idaho. Rescued from a hunting dude ranch where he was terrified to have people shooting guns from off his back, Margot tried to rehab him to be a riding horse. But Jeremy had other plans and basically had had enough of people trying to work with him. Margot opted to retire him and let him live out his days just being a horse. Jeremy also has the distinction of having survived two abdominal surgeries because of a twisted gut. His recovery was remarkable. When they moved to SFC, Jeremy was thrilled to find a place where other horses could just live without expectations of them performing. He continuously reminds us of how grateful he is to be here and to just be part of a loving family herd. Jeremy has been invaluable in helping us raise both donkey babies Felix and Leo and then later, orphaned foal Shawnee. We affectionately call him Uncle Jeremy and he is worth his weight in gold for what he has brought to this farm and to the horses in his herd.
LEO
Leo is a gelded Donkey born in 2003. He arrived at SFC in November 2003 at just a couple months old with another donkey baby, Felix. They were both rescued from a dreadful animal abuse case where they were both found starving and near death. They spent their first winter in Dawn and Margot's heated garage to increase their chances of survival. After much nursing care, they made it and then later moved into the barn with horses Jeremy, Dulcie, and Shawnee. Leo may be the smallest in stature in the barn but he is the largest in attitude. Stubborn doesn't nearly describe Leo when he doesn't want to do something. He is a very sweet and loving guy and holds his own out in the pasture with the big horses. In fact, his favorite play buddy other than Felix of course, is his uncle Jeremy.
MELOUDEE
Meloudee is an Arabian gelding born at SFC in 1990. Meloudee was born to Deelight as part of our Arab breeding program before we became SFC. He was originally supposed to be sold as a stallion but that did not work out. Meloudee was not having a good life as a stallion and we gelded him at 4 years old. He was the third generation of his family line to reside at SFC. His grandmother, Deeteza, held a very special place of honor at SFC. A daughter of hers, Deelight, later came to SFC and was bred and had Meloudee. Meloudee is quite a character and has been known to make faces at workshop participants to get them to lighten up around him. He loves to run in the pasture with seven other friends and to be able to play with his stall neighbor and best friend TLC.
LITTLE MISSUS
"MISSY"
Missy is a Shetland Pony mare in her late teens. Missy came to us pregnant and ready to foal at any time. Shortly after she arrived, she gave birth to Mr. Bubbles. Missy came from a farm where the ponies were horribly inbred and not well cared for. She had never even been haltered before she came here, although when we went to pick her up, she walked right up to us, let us put a halter on her, and walked into our trailer. She is relatively shy but is very loving. She comes from the same farm as Dream, Corrie, Echo, and Mr. Bubbles.
SMILEY JAY
"SMILEY"
Smiley Jay is a Standardbred gelding in his late twenties. Smiley was retired at SFC in 1994 after a racing career. He has gone blind in one eye and has some vision problems in the other, due to cataracts. In fact, the eye specialist who examined him told us that he doesn't have vision in either eye, but to watch him maneuver we do think he can see something. Smiley is lucky to have his herd mates, especially Bo and Gypsy, who keep watch over him and are willing to be his eyes for him. Because of that, he is still able to go out to pasture and play in the sun and eat grass with his friends. It is wonderful to watch them care for him the way that they do. It also helps that he lost his eyesight gradually and was more easily able to adjust. Smiley is a big boy and is second only in size on our farm to Lamoka Bo.
IRONIC HISTORY
"STORY"
Story is a Thoroughbred mare born at SFC in 1989 before we were incorporated as SFC. Her mother, Iron Isle (Ginny), was free leased to us for two years and two foals. Ember is Ginny’s other foal. Story contracted a serious viral infection when she was about one month old which affected her heart. That ended up being temporary and her heart is fine now, but her possible career as a race horse was ruined. Story then sustained a neck injury while playing in the pasture with other horses which left her unrideable and pretty much unhandleable. Story will live out her days here. She is very friendly but will not let us halter her, trim her feet, or do other things with her. We can approach her though and she loves to be petted over the fence. She is another one of our horses who lives life solely on her terms.
SERTINA
"TINA"
Tina is an Arab/Quarter Horse mare in her mid-30's. Tina was one of the original three horses that got Bonnie started on her journey to creating SFC. She was a show horse at one time in her career and has also had some foals as well. Tina had two foals from our breeding program before we were SFC. One foal, Serlouki, was sold as a riding horse. Her second foal, TLC, is still here at SFC. Tina came to Bonnie with another mare named Kazinka who was pregnant when Bonnie bought her. Kazinka gave birth to Viva (still here at SFC) and Tina helped raise him. These were the first three horses in Bonnie’s life that lead her down the path to eventually founding SFC. So we can blame Tina for this whole adventure! Tina is in amazing shape for her age. She is strong willed, stubborn, and basically the silent head mare of the farm. She has a very dry wit about her and loves to tease Dawn especially.
SHAWNEE
Shawnee is a Quarter Horse/Tennessee Walker gelding born in May 2005. Shawnee arrived at SFC at just 12 hours old when his mother died shortly after giving birth to him and the people could not properly care for him. He also was badly injured from something that punctured him all over his legs and thighs. Unfortunately, despite massive medical treatments and around the clock nursing, infection still managed to set in. Dawn, Margot, and Bonnie took shifts nursing him around the clock for weeks, bottle feeding him and tending to his wounds. He pulled through but there seems to be permanent damage to one of his hind legs where the infection had gotten into one of his joints. There is major question whether he can ever be ridden or be sound under saddle. He lives in the smaller barn on the farm at Dawn and Margot's with Jeremy, Dulcie, and two donkeys Felix and Leo. Shawnee was given a second chance at life when Margot's mare Tasia (who sadly passed away in February 2008) actually took Shawnee in and was a surrogate mother for him. She let him live in her stall while we maintained bottle feeding him. Tasia's gift to him afforded him the chance of having a horse mom and learning the ways of the horse. He is a kind, gentle, loving and now well behaved horse thanks to Tasia. But sadly, Shawnee has now lost two mothers in his life. His best friend is Jeremy and Jeremy has been the very kind and playful gelding that has taught Shawnee about manners. He is one lucky guy.
TLC
TLC is an Arabian/Quarter Horse gelding born at SFC in 1990. TLC was born to Tina as part of our breeding program before we were SFC. He was a very difficult little foal with a mind of his own and could be somewhat nasty. He has since grown up to be a decent horse citizen and minds his manners well. Because of his difficult temperament, TLC was not sold or adopted out as we felt he could fall into abusive hands. He is Meloudee’s best friend and enjoys his summer days out with his herd in the big pasture. When TLC was born, we couldn't immediately think of a name, so temporarily in our records he was TLC which stood for Tina's Little Colt. When we saw how ornery he was, we began to think that TLC may be a good name to influence the direction he developed in. It seems to have worked.
TJ
TJ is a Quarter Horse gelding in his mid-late twenties. TJ came to us in the early 90’s but was fostered out for a few years to a young girl who took care of him. When he arrived he was 5 years old and was losing his eyesight due to a degenerative disease. TJ went blind very gradually and never got frightened. He was returned to SFC from his foster home when the girl could no longer keep him. By then he was almost completely blind and today he is totally blind. He is completely secure and level headed and he still lives a very happy life. He is best friends with Orion who has the stall next to him. Everyone who meets TJ immediately falls in love with this kind and gentle soul.
TOPAZ
Topaz is a Quarter Horse gelding in his mid-late twenties. Topaz came to us when his elderly owner died and he was having trouble with arthritis in his hips, making him very difficult to sell or place as a riding horse. He really couldn’t be ridden heavily so he was retired here at SFC. He later became best friends with Toby, a pony who came from the same barn as Topaz, and another horse named Amber. Toby died at the age of 33 in 1992 and Topaz and Amber really grieved for him. Then in 2004, his best friend Amber passed away. Today, he enjoys many different therapies for his arthritis that help him to stay comfortable, including regular chiropractic treatments which have really changed his life. He also has allergies that give him symptoms much like asthma and on warm summer days he is breathing more heavy or even wheezing some. Topaz enjoys being the only gelding in a pasture with 3 mares, however sometimes he gets fed up with being bossed around.
AMERICONSTITUTION
"TUTTI"
Tutti is a Thoroughbred gelding born at SFC in 1989 to Bo as part of our breeding program before we were SFC. As a young foal, he contracted a virus that damaged his heart. Many years later he outgrew the heart problem, but he also has a conformation problem that causes him to go lame with a lot of work. His heart problem prevented him from trying for a racing career and then the confirmation problem prevented him from being trained for riding. He is an incredibly sweet horse. He was adopted out for a while but taken back by us after we found him to be in poor condition. He loves to be out with his herd in the pasture. He truly is a gentle giant and is great with people who have never been around horses, a trait he inherited from his mother.
VIVA
Viva (registered name: Zinkaviva Ursus) is a Quarter Horse/Arab gelding born in 1985 to Bonnie’s first horse Kazinka. Kazinka was purchased by Bonnie when she was already pregnant. Another mare Tina was also purchased around the same time when Viva was born, thus, he was raised by two mares, Kazinka and Tina. Kazinka died in 1993. These were the original three horses that got Bonnie on the path to founding SFC. Viva, especially, played a large role in that, as Bonnie raised her first foal and learned about all the things going on in the horse world. Viva developed a bad case of kidney stones which were really painful and gave him lots of back pain. As a result, he had a lot of pain under saddle and bucked people off. He thankfully has not had a problem with kidney stones for a long time now but has not been trained for riding. He occupies his place of honor here at the farm with his mares that he takes care of in the outdoor paddock. He is a real clown, like his mother, and just as loving and caring as she was too. Viva is sort of like the class clown and the 3 mares he lives with love to get him going by picking on him.
OTHER FARM ANIMALS OF THE FARM
GABRIEL
Gabriel was born at SFC with his twin brother Michael in 1998. Their mother, Angel, came to SFC already pregnant and gave birth to them the following spring. Gabriel is the most outgoing of the three sheep and frequently visits with workshop participants.
MICHAEL
Michael was born at SFC with his twin brother Gabriel in 1998. (See Angel and Gabriel above). While Michael is not quite as shy as his mother, Angel, he is not as outgoing as his brother Gabriel.
CHIP
Chip arrived at the farm in the summer of 2009 along with Sage, Flora, and Fauna. The four of them were rescued by an animal control officer after the person who had owned them for meat, just opened their pen and let them loose on a rural highway to fend for themselves. Another young buck was killed by coyotes before they could be rescued and another nursing mother was killed as well.
FAUNA
Fauna arrived at the farm in the summer of 2009 as a youngster, under 6 months old, with another kid the same age named Flora, a mother goat named Sage, and a young buck named Chip. The four of them were rescued by an animal control officer after the person who had owned them for meat, just opened their pen and let them loose on a rural highway to fend for themselves. Another young buck was killed by coyotes before they could be rescued and another nursing mother was killed as well. Sage took both kids and raised them herself. Fauna is pictured above on the left.
FLORA
See the story above with Fauna. Flora is pictured on the right above.
LINDY
.jpg)
Lindy arrived at the farm in the fall of 2008. She was one of several goats who were rescued when a petting zoo was selling them at auction and they were clearly going to be sold for meat. Lindy was a little too bossy with her fellow pygmy goats so we moved her in with our larger goats and sheep. In that group, she nicely found her place at the farm.
LUNA
Luna is a female pygmy goat who was born here at the farm in fall of 2008. Her very pregnant mother and several other goats were rescued when a petting zoo was selling them at auction and they were clearly going to be sold for meat. Several days later, Luna made her grand entrance. Four of the goats stayed here with us on the farm while the others were placed in loving homes. Luna is a character and a half and what she doesn't have in size, she makes up for in spirit. She has an amazing sense of humor and is an incredible imp. Luna has brought laughter to the farm by the bucket loads and we are grateful to her for her antics.
NANNY
Nanny is a Mix breed female goat who was born about 1998. Nanny arrived here in 2000 when we needed a younger female goat as a companion for Simon as the other older goats were passing on. Nanny, a spry youngster, brings lots of life and energy to the group. She especially likes to get playing with the sheep and actually suffered a rather severe head injury from over-doing it with them. She is very loving but somewhat shy.
NUTMEG
Nutmeg is a neutered male Pygmy goat born in 2001. Nutmeg arrived just before Christmas in 2001 with his friend Eggnog. Someone drove in our driveway and up to the parking lot of the hall and just opened their door, let them out, and drove away. Nutmeg is quite a character. Unfortunately his friend Eggnog passed away from a genetic medical problem. But Nutmeg continues to live with his good friends Nanny and Yoda.
ONYX
Onyx arrived at the farm in the fall of 2008. She was one of several goats who were rescued when a petting zoo was selling them at auction and they were clearly going to be sold for meat. Onyx is the shyest of the four pygmy goats who remained with us. She is a sweet soul who just wants everything in life to be peaceful. She currently lives with Sky and Luna in a quieter space on the farm.
SAGE
Sage arrived in the summer of 2009 with two young kids (Flora and Fauna) who she nursed, and a slightly older buck named Chip. The four of them were rescued by an animal control officer after the person who had owned them for meat, just opened their pen and let them loose on a rural highway to fend for themselves. Another young buck was killed by coyotes before they could be rescued and another nursing mother was killed as well. Sage took both kids and raised them herself. Sage is pictured above center.
SKY
Sky arrived at the farm in the fall of 2008. She was one of several goats who were rescued when a petting zoo was selling them at auction and they were clearly going to be sold for meat. Sky was very pregnant when she arrived and within a few days gave birth to a most precocious and precious kid who we named Luna. Sky is a very gentle soul and was a great mom who put up with a lot, as goat mothers do! Sky lives with Onyx and Luna.
AND THEN..... THE GLUE THAT HOLDS THE WHOLE BARN TOGETHER.... THE BARN CATS
BELLA AND IZZY
Bella and Izzy are littermates that were rescued from another barn where they were going to be killed at the age of 8 weeks. Izzy (the gray and white one) had a seriously injured and infected eye when she arrived which later had to be removed. Both Izzy and Bella are super friendly cats and they know their way around the horses, ducks, chickens, geese, and goats and sheep. They watch over the whole show and greet all the humans who come to visit as well. They are always very busy patrolling and keeping an eye on everything and everyone.
Bella
Izzy
OUR BELOVED GHOST HERD
This is a memorial to all the ones who have passed into spirit. Gone from our farm but never far from our hearts. Each one of these beings touched our lives in unforgettable ways. It would take pages and pages to tell their stories. But for now, we will just list them with a brief description. Though gone from our sight, we can still feel their presence on the farm. And every once in a while, we hear the stampeding sounds of hoof beats running through the farm, when all of our horses are snug in their stalls, and we know, it is the ghost brigade galloping in for a quick visit to the farm. We love them all forever.
We do not have photos of all of the horses due to the tragic fire in 1993.
We lost all of our photographs of our beloved friends who passed before then. In some rare instances, others have given us photos that they have found in their collections. Although the quality of these photos is not great, it is all we have to remember them by, other than the marks they left on our hearts.
THE HORSES
(In order of their passing)
Gigi - 40 year old paint mare - the first of our herd to leave. Gigi came to us at age 39 years after her beloved person she had been with her whole life passed away. Regrettably, we do not have a photo of Gigi.
Rocky Red -"Percy" - Thoroughbred gelding, 10 years old - retired race horse from California. When Rocky arrived here at the farm, he was the meanest horse we'd ever seen. But we saw through to his gentle heart of gold and helped him find that again. In the process, he gets total credit for leading us to many holistic modalities including TTOUCH. His true nature came shinning through after we helped him heal the layers of the abuse he experienced as a race horse. His legacy continues on through the heart of Spring Farm CARES each and every day.
Bo's Twins - Thoroughbreds - born prematurely to Lamoka Bo, both sadly died at birth.
Four Bales - Thorougbred mare, 28 years old - retired race horse. Four Bales had 86 starts on the race track and then "retired" and had 11 foals. She was retired at SFC when she could no longer be bred and was headed for the meat man. Four Bales was one of the most gentle and wise beings we have had here. We also have her daughter Lamoka Bo and her grandson Tutti. They both inherited her amazing grace and kindness. At over 17 hands she was indeed a gentle giant.
Buckwheat - buckskin Quarter Horse/Draft gelding - 37 years old - retired school and family riding horse. Buckwheat was one of the first 5 residents at Spring Farm CARES so we consider him to be one of our founders. He is also the first horse in Dawn's life, having been rescued from a life as a school horse by Dawn's parents in the 1970's. Buckwheat was the John Wayne of horses. His size was equaled by his humor and his heart. Buckwheat touched a lot of lives while he was here. He is known for so many things but one of our favorites was his incredible sweet tooth for donuts (brought to him regularly by his family) and his taste for pizza (provided regularly by our staff).
Kazinka - Arabian/Quarter Horse mare - late 20's - The first SFC horse that started this whole thing. Kazinka was Bonnie's first horse. Her story is told in our book, IF ONLY THEY COULD TALK, THE MIRACLES OF SPRING FARM. Purchased as a pleasure riding horse way before Spring Farm CARES was even conceived, she arrived pregnant and later gave birth to Viva. Kazinka survived an incredible disease after busting through a fence to get to her foal during the weaning process and piercing her chest with a nail. The resulting infection was thought to be virtually unsurvivable but she pulled through with her strong will. There have been medical papers written about her case and her survival. There is not a person who met Kazinka who didn't think she disliked them. But when she got to know people, she was known to give long, squeezing hugs. Kazinka was also one of surviving twins, so she was a fighter from day one.
Riago - Bavarian Warmblood gelding - 10 years old - retired high performance dressage horse. Died during surgery for a twisted intestine while in a foster home. Riago was a magnificent horse who was trained to very high levels of competition at a much too early age. The result was that he broke down both mentally and physically. Originally purchased and imported from Germany by top level trainers for over $50,000, he was going to be euthanized as he could no longer be ridden at the levels he was bred for. Another case of an industry who misused this amazing creature, broke him down, and then didn't care about trying to fix him. He came here to Spring Farm to retire and find peace. We only hope that he found that in the short time he was here before he died.
Tara - Arabian mare - 28 years old - retired show horse and brood mare. After a show career, Tara was "retired" to be a brood mare where she then had 14 foals. She was retired here at age 26 completely broken down. She could barely walk. Her back was so swayed that she looked like two people in a horse suit. Her eyes were so badly infected that she was nearly blind. She clearly had given up hope. Only two weeks after her arrival, using a lot of holistic resources, and a lot of nursing care, Tara found a new start. Her eye infections cleared up. Chiropractic care enormously helped her back and her hips. And she found a new lease on life. She even began trotting and playing with some of the younger horses. Tara touched a lot of hearts while she was here. She was worn down by life and hard use, yet people could always find her inner beauty just glowing from deep within her.
Bubbles - Shetland Pony mare - late 30's - rescued from neglect case. Bubbles came to Spring Farm CARES after she was found wandering as a stray in a local neighborhood. Our local humane society was called and took her in until an owner could be found. After a day, a man arrived at the shelter claiming to be her owner but he was as drunk as could be and said he didn't want her anymore as she was a nuisance and kept wandering off. Although in her mid 30's at the time, Bubbles was in horrific shape from neglect. She was incredibly thin and covered in lice. She really had no teeth left with which to eat so she had to be put on a mash that she could eat. She soon began thriving here at the farm and lived a couple more very good years before passing. She loved children and loved to go out on educational events with us.
Toby - Tobiano pony gelding - late 30's - retired children's school horse. Toby snuck into Spring Farm. We were basically full when Bonnie heard of a horse in need of placement whose owner had just passed away and the horse was arthritic and needed retirement. That horse was Topaz. When the stable where Topaz was boarded found out we were taking him, they asked at the last minute if Toby could come along too. Toby was at one time a cherished school pony for children but somewhere along the line it took a huge toll on him. He was very stiff from arthritis and covered in old saddle sores and scar tissue. We vowed he'd never have to work again. He used to tell Dawn he was just a forgotten old pony. But we, and his other horse friends here at SFC, have made sure that he will never be forgotten. In fact, Dawn has always called him her special little pony. He and Bubbles (above) died a day apart and are buried together.
Deeteza - Arabian mare - 29 years old - retired brood mare and show horse. Deeteza's arrival at Spring Farm CARES was the start of a new era. Deeteza is the horse who really started Dawn on the path of animal communication. Teacher and guide, Deeteza brought spirituality to the farm, or at least, made us realize what was here. An Arabian mare with incredible breeding, Deeteza was actually for sale when we first heard about her. However, she proved to be unhandalable and a complete nuisance to the farm where she was being sold and they basically told Bonnie that if she could come and catch her and get her off their farm then she could have her. Deeteza was a horse who knew where she was going in life. And when she knew that where you were taking her was not where she wanted or was supposed to go, she became an immovable object. Bonnie came out to the field where she was and sat on the ground with a bunch of carrots. Pretty soon, Deeteza came over to see what she was all about and decided that this was the place she was supposed to go. The rest, as they say, is history. Deeteza has affected and continues to affect a lot of lives through her many teachings and work she has done with Dawn. Her importance can never be overstated and we owe an awful lot to this mare who truly was a princess.
Sugar - Shetland Pony - mid 20's - rescued from abuse case. Sugar had the distinction of being the first horse abuse case that we took in from our humane society. We were called to the field she was found standing in when a lineman for the phone company saw what he thought was a bush moving in a field. When he realized to his horror that it was some sort of animal, he called the humane investigator. Sugar was covered in over 24 pounds of burdock! There was one tiny hole where she could peek out with one eye to see her surroundings. Her feet were so overgrown that they curled up and and growing into her legs. At first we didn't think she could be saved. But we all took one look at the fighting spirit within her and all of us knew we had to give her a chance. After removing her safely from the farm she was on and bringing her to SFC, we began cutting away the burdock from off her body. It was so heavy on her that she couldn't even lift her tail and it took days before she figured out that she could. But Sugar turned out to be one amazingly gorgeous, sweet, and loving pony. She also was a major teacher to work with Dawn through animal communication. Sugar would often tell Dawn about herbs and other remedies to help the other horses and they would always work. She was certainly an angel to bless this farm. She lived for several years here before her sudden death from what we think was most likely a stroke. She died one month to the day after Deeteza and that was a huge spiritual loss for this farm.
Raffens Tomasyn "Tommy"- Arabian stallion - late 20's - retired stud horse. We first met Tommy when we had our Arabian horse breeding program. We had bred one of our mares to him and were touched by his incredible gentle nature and his relationship to the wonderful gentleman, who cared for Tommy who everyone knew as Uncle Bob. Uncle Bob and Tommy were quite a team and the love between them was very touching to watch. Many years later we were approached by Uncle Bob's family as a retirement home for Tommy after Bob had passed away. Tommy was always an incredible gentleman. He was literally the perfect stallion in every way. Although he was happy here at the farm, we knew his heart was breaking at his loss of his dear friend Bob. He wasn't with us for long, less than a year, before he left to be reunited in spirit with his dear friend.
Raja - Arabian/Quarter Horse gelding - mid 30's - son of Gigi (see above)-retired pony club school horse. Like Gigi, Raja came from a friend of ours who had a pony club barn and who died very unexpectedly. Her horses were all placed with the pony club families who cared for them over the years, but it soon became clear that Raja needed a retirement place. Knowing that Gigi had come to SFC, the people who had taken in Raja gave us a call. We took him in to live out his days here at the farm. He had been loved and cared for his whole life and it is rare that we get to say that about the horses who find their way to us. Gentle, kind, and loving are all words to describe Raja. He was buried next to his mother.
Lady - Thoroughbred mare - early 20's - retired race horse and dressage show horse. Lady was originally purchased by Bonnie to be her riding horse for dressage. Unfortunately though, the sellers were not quite honest about Lady. After throwing Bonnie badly several times, it was discovered that she had a very bad back problem with two vertebrae actually fused together. This caused her incredible pain when the saddle hit her in one certain point. It was determined that the best thing in the world to do for Lady was just to retire her and never let her have to endure that pain again. But she didn't just retire to do "nothing." Lady was the head mare of our herd and that was an incredibly important role. In fact, she actually helped save the lives of many horses the night of our fire. The horses kept running back into the barn as it was filling with smoke. Lady stood there outside the barn and Dawn looked over and told her to take them out to the pasture. Lady literally moved into action, rounded them all up and took them out away from the barn fire. Each one we got out, she would come down to the gate and escort them out to pasture. She was a real hero.
Cody - Anglo-Arab gelding - mid 30's - retired riding horse and neglect case. Cody was rescued by a woman who found him in emaciated condition. The person who owned him would not give him away but wanted to sell him and so this lady bought him for meat prices. He was a mess. We first met him when the woman called us to see if we could help him with holistic methods. He literally was so stiff he couldn't walk and so thin that you could see every bone in his body. We were so touched to watch this woman bring him back to health. At the end of a year, she could actually ride him on trail rides. We didn't hear from the woman for a couple of years when one day we got a phone call that Cody had to find a home quickly as the woman got divorced, had to move immediately and he needed a home or was going to auction. We were full at the time but knew we had to do something. We found a foster home for him and hired a friend to go pick him up. That friend arrived at SFC with him the next day and said, "you don't want to see this horse, I've never seen anything so horrible. There is no way he can go into foster, he needs to come here." She opened the trailer and we were stunned and incredibly saddened to find Cody in the exact same shape again as when the woman had rescued him the first time. Spring Farm was his last stop. Once again he healed and recuperated and never again had to face starvation or deprivation of any kind. Cody lived and died exactly on his terms.
Chubby - Quarter Horse mare - late teens - foundered brood mare who came to SFC for possible rehab and retirement. Chubby was a survivor. We were called in by our veterinarian for assistance to see if we could use some holistic modalities to help Chubby. Daily for months we would go to her farm to poultice and bandage her feet and to administer many other medications and remedies. When she got well enough to walk, we trailered her to SFC where she lived for the next few years until her death. A real rarity for founder cases, Chubby actually sloughed both front feet and grew new hooves in. It is very rare that a horse would survive this process but she clearly let everyone know she wasn't ready to give up. So we learned all sorts of things to treat her and together we made the journey back to her new feet. It took about 8 months for the entire process.
Lamoka Babe - Thoroughbred mare - mid-teens - retired race horse. Tragically died when a hind leg snapped while trotting in her pasture. Babe was as sweet as any horse we've ever had here. But she was more accident prone than any horse we've ever met. If there was anything that could go wrong, Babe would find it. She survived a very rare equine disease after spending 10 days at Cornell University with less than a 20% chance of survival. We called her our miracle horse. Then one sunny morning we let our horses out to pasture as usual and they all trotted up the hill together. Our barn manager heard a sudden horrific sound and turned to look up and one of Babe's legs had snapped. It was a nightmare that none of us will ever forget. Babe was with us for 10 years yet the hardest memory we have to get out of our heads was the last 15 minutes. There was no miracle to be had this time and we had to have her euthanized. She is a sad testament to the perils of horse racing and the toll it takes on these horses' legs.
Miss Poppy Jay - Thoroughbred mare - early 20's - retired race horse. Miss Poppy Jay had the distinction of being only one of three horses here on the farm whose former owners continued to be a part of their lives in retirement. Poppy had been a race horse but had a person who adored her and followed her through her career and lifetime, even when sold or claimed in races that took her to other places, and promised that she would be given a great retirement. After racing, Poppy was to become a brood mare but something happened with her physically that made her unable to carry a pregnancy full term. Her person wanted to be sure she was granted an honorable retirement and asked us to take her in. She was no longer rideable and thus would have no career. That person maintained contact with us and with Poppy for the remainder of Poppy's life, making the long drive to come visit her at least once a year and donate to her care. Poppy adored when her person came to visit and indeed lived the life of retirement that her person had hoped to provide for her. Her life was cut short when chronic laminitis became too much for her and we could no longer keep her comfortable.
Amber - Tennessee Walker mare - mid 20's - retired riding horse due to foot injury. Amber is the second of three horses that was retired here at our farm whose previous owners maintained contact with us and with her. Amber was loved and cherished as a riding horse and spiritual friend. When she developed a bad foot condition called navicular she could not be kept pain free and thus was not rideable again. She underwent a procedure where they deaden the nerves to a partial section of her feet so that she can be kept comfortable. Unfortunately, although she no longer had the foot pain, she also was not able to detect when she was stepping on stones or other objects and became unsafe to ever be ridden again. She also then had a propensity for foot abscesses. Battling these abscesses for years, her feet eventually became so bad that she lost the hooves in both front feet, one at a time. Luckily, having had experience with this before, we were able to bring her through. Again, she was a horse who was not ready to quit and was clearly asking for our help. Over a period of many years, she did eventually succumb to the foot problems and we needed to help her out when she could no longer stand on her own. Through all the years that she stayed with us, her person was always a part of her life and her care. Amber always knew that she was never abandoned and that she was always loved. Her person drove for many hours two or more times a year to come and visit her.
Lieutenant Columbo - Anglo-Arab gelding- early 20's - retired dressage show horse. Columbo was sent to SFC when he developed a back problem and could no longer be ridden at the level of competition that he was doing. Through chiropractic care we could keep him comfortable enough for retirement. He lived for many years until he developed a very quick moving cancer that ended his life.
Scherry - Anglo-Arab mare- early 30's - retired pony club horse due to severe accident and injury at age 12yrs. Scherry was owned by a friend of ours who ran a pony club barn. Dawn first met Scherry when assisting at a horse training seminar at that barn. Scherry had been in a horrific accident when something spooked her and she ran through a split rail fence. One of the rails pierced through her chest and out her side. No one thought she would survive but she did, with the pole narrowly missing her heart. Scherry had been an award winning and very well-known show horse before that accident. However, even though she healed physically, she mentally became very unstable and dangerous as she spooked at anything around her. Her owner was thinking of euthanizing her because she was so dangerous to have around children in her barn. When Dawn met Scherry it was love at first sight. When she heard her story, she talked to Bonnie and they both agreed to offer Scherry a place to stay for life. Her owner was very skeptical and didn't want anyone getting hurt so we made a contract and we bought Scherry for one dollar with the agreement that we had one year to work with her to see if we could bring her around to at least be safe. Scherry ended up being Dawn's first horse and the relationship they developed was amazing. Within 6 months, Scherry was helping Dawn and Bonnie train people on horse handling. She was amazingly calm and gentle. When her person came to visit at the one year mark, she stood there crying as she watched Scherry. The contract was solid and Scherry would stay until she died at the farm 18 years later, then in her early 30's.
Johnnie - Mule gelding - mid 30's - retired farm working mule with advanced cancer. Came to SFC for hospice care. Johnnie had a tumor that basically took up the majority of the right side of his face. His elderly owner could no longer care for him and he came to SFC for hospice care for whatever time he had left. He clearly was not ready to die yet and both his owner and his veterinarian recognized that fact. Johnnie was not in pain and actually enjoyed the short time he was with us. We were only blessed by his company for 5 weeks but he left his mark on all of our hearts forever. He was an amazingly special guy. When Dawn last saw Johnnie during the final evening close down of the barn, he was sleeping in his stall just as always at that hour. Comfortable and content. And that is just where our barn manager found him in the morning, no sign of any struggle, he quietly died in his sleep. That is a rarity in horses and we all felt very blessed by that gift.
Lassie - Standardbred mare - mid 20's - rescued from neglect case. Lassie was a true inspiration to many people. Born with a deformity to both front legs, she walked with her feet curled upward. This condition was not painful to her and she could move around quite well, as witnessed by the dent she put in our pickup truck door as she kicked out one day. Lassie was feisty but she was never mean. She had strong determination and will and amazing patience. She came to SFC not because of her deformity but because she was being neglected, near starvation, and was picked up by a humane society. Given her special needs and her advancing age, we were really the only place for her. She was here for several years and participated regularly in animal communication workshops. If people got so distracted by her deformity, she wouldn't give them the time of day. But when a person was able to look past her outward leg deformity to her incredibly radiant beauty, she would give them all she had to offer, which was enormous. Many a person left this farm transformed by the work Lassie did with them.
Viking - Morgan gelding - early 30's - retired show horse. Viking is the third of three horses here at SFC who had a person who cared about him in his retirement and remained a part of his life until he died. Lightly ridden until he was 30 years old, Viking had been a beloved show horse and trail riding horse. Very dear to our office manager Karen, Viking was retired here when he began to have problems with chronic laminitis. He was only here for about a year when he developed a urinary tract cancer that took his life. We were very glad to have known him for the short time that we did. Viking was the pure epitome of kindness.
Mariah - Thoroughbred mare - 18 years old - born at SFC. Mariah was the first of our "babies" to leave us. Born here before SFC was a horse rescue, Mariah was a foal out of our mare Gypsy. Mariah and Gypsy remained close friends for her entire life. At the age of 10, Mariah went blind very suddenly from a disease. She literally left our barn in the morning to go out to pasture as a completely sighted horse and came in several hours later completely blind. This rocked her world and we began to wonder whether Mariah would be able to survive the ordeal. She was never an easy horse to handle when she was sighted, but she became much more difficult when she was blind. She would not leave her stall but as long as she was in that space that she knew so well, she became quite comfortable and in fact eventually became even more handlable than when she was sighted. Mariah's death was very sudden. Something happened neurologically one day and Mariah went down in her stall and could not get up. After several hours of trying to help her, it was clear that she was not going to recover and we had to help her move on. She is another horse who touched a lot of lives here through animal communication workshops.
Buddy - Mule gelding- mid to late 30's - retired farm working mule. Buddy was actually friends with Johnnie the mule (see above). They both needed homes when their elderly owner could no longer care for them. Buddy was placed in a home where he lived for several months. Unfortunately, Buddy's teeth were really bad and he had trouble eating and keeping weight on. He also had a knack for taking down the fences where he was and getting out of his pasture. We were asked to take Buddy in to see if we could give him the special care he needed. Like Johnnie, Buddy also wasn't with us for long. Although he thrived on the new diet we put him on and the chiropractic care and extra TLC, he actually looked like a whole different mule in the first month. And just like Johnnie, Buddy left us one night in his sleep. His death was a complete shock to us. Although he was very old, he seemed to be healthy. There was no sign of any struggle, he had eaten all his food, but he was found in his stall in the morning, having died sometime during the night.
Tasia - Arabian mare - 26 years old - retired riding horse. Tasia came to SFC in 1995 when director Margot joined our team from Idaho. Tasia was her riding horse. But Tasia was also the head mare and she helped a lot of rescued horses really find their way. She helped raise donkey babies Felix and Leo who were two donkeys from a severe abuse/neglect case. But most notably, she amazed us all when she offered to be a surrogate mom for an orphaned foal brought to SFC at only 12 hours old and badly injured. We bottle fed the foal, Shawnee, but she let him stay in her stall with her and she gave him all the comfort, love, nurturing, and discipline that a mom could give him. Tasia's death was a shock to us all and was very unexpected. She took a fall in her pasture which didn't seem to be that bad of a fall, but she apparently ruptured something internally and died 4 hours later. We know that in the ghost herd she is bringing her calm and strong leadership to the group. She was the most gentle of leaders and her herd here at the farm is still lost without her.
Orion - Arab cross gelding in his late twenties. Orion came to SFC from another rescue organization who had removed Orion from his home due to neglect. He had been found absolutely emaciated. Unfortunately, the rescue fed him too much food, too fast, and Orion got a condition called founder. This disease can severely affect a horse’s feet and can even lead to death. Lucky for him, his case was not too severe and we were able to contain it for many years. Orion has been an inspiration to many people who come through our facility for workshops and tours.
Holly - Morgan/Quarter Horse mare in her late twenties. Holly came to SFC when her owner, who had rescued her and really tried to work with her, unexpectedly died. Holly was not rideable as she would rear and buck. Her owner tried very patiently to get her past that but to no avail. She was basically kept as a pet. Holly lived here for about a year when she was adopted out to a wonderful lady in 1990. She kept her as a companion for her other horse until in spring of 2003 she was starting vet school and could no longer keep her horses. Holly came back to SFC where she will now stay for the rest of her life. Holly is a stubborn boss mare but with a heart of gold. Holly died at the age of 28 from cancer.
Sydney - Thoroughbred mare born in 1999. Sydney came to SFC in 2002 when her owner was going to send her for slaughter. Sydney was in a bad accident at 10 months old that left her neck very injured. She can not be ridden and can be difficult to handle at times. But she is very sweet and loves people. She is retired here for life. Shortly after she arrived here at the farm, she developed the equine equivalent of Lou Gehrig's Disease. In horses this condition can be treated and arrested with the use of vitamin E, which we did. We were able to bring her through but she does have some permanent nerve damage which makes her unsound. For Sydney this is not a problem since she was not sound when she came here because of her neck injury. Sydney is a bit of a wild woman though when she is turned out in our arena each day proudly displaying just how high she can kick up those back feet of hers. Sydney is a horse who will always need significant care and special supplements and holistic work.
Dulcie - Welch/Arab mare in her mid-30's. She has the distinction of being one of the matriarchs of Spring Farm. She was owned by a friend of ours who had a pony club barn and was getting to be too unsafe for children to ride. Dulcie originally came to SFC in 1988 when she began having trouble with her eyesight and was spooking at things on the ground. Our friend asked us if we would retire her here on the farm and we did. Dulcie is an incredibly stubborn, strong willed, and lovingly gentle pony. After working with her and building up her confidence for a while at the farm, we were able to foster her out to another children's riding school program where she loved teaching children about horses. When they were going to move out of state in 1996, we opted to take Dulcie back for a well earned retirement here at the farm and she has been here ever since. Dulcie then lived in the smaller barn at the farm, with Dawn and Margot, where she lived with horses Jeremy and Shawnee, and donkeys Felix and Leo - affectionately known as her herd.
Moose - draft cross gelding who is in his early - mid twenties. After spending many years as an event horse, he retired for lighter riding with a person who loved him. Unfortunately, Moose sustained a very bad neck injury that left him with a coordination problem in his hind end. No longer able to be ridden, he was going to be euthanized. We offered to see if we could rehab him and give him a place to retire and live out his days. Moose clearly was not ready to die and we knew he deserved a space to see if he could heal on his own timeline and in his own way. (Post script - Unfortunately we only had Moose with us for 4 days before he succumbed to whatever physical problem he had that caused neurological difficulties. )
Lamoka Bo - chestnut Thoroughbred mare. At 17.2 hands tall, she is the tallest horse on the farm. Bo has been at the farm since 1987 and is now in her late 20’s. Bo was one of the horses here on the farm when SFC was formed. She was bred to race but could not run due to confirmation problems. She has had four foals. Her first, Tutti, lives here at SFC. She also had a set of twins who both sadly died at birth. Her last foal was born to a family who adopted Bo for a couple of years. Originally we adopted our rescue horses out but due to the fact that we ended up taking all of them back for various reasons, we changed our policy to be a retirement home instead of rescuing and adopting them out. Bo is as gentle and sweet as she is large. As a foal Bo was raised on the same farm as Lamoka Gypsy (also at SFC), and Lamoka Babe (who tragically died at SFC in 1999). We also had Bo’s mother Four Bales in retirement with us until her death in 1992.
Deelight - Arabian mare in her early 20's. Deelight’s mother, Deeteza, had been retired at SFC a couple of years after Deelight was born. When the breeder found out we had Deeteza at our facility and she had a problem that she could no longer keep Deelight, she asked us if we would take her. Deelight comes from a very royal bloodline that we were trying to help preserve. She arrived here in 1989 at the age of 4. She was bred and had a foal (Meloudee) born here at the farm, before we were SFC. She has never been ridden, and since we do not breed, she is now retired here. Deelight is a lot like her mother Deeteza, both in looks and personality.
Major - Morgan Horse gelding, approximately 30 years old. He belonged to one of our staff for 9 years and came to the farm when he was having a lot of trouble with heaves and was in a life threatening situation. We offered to see if we could help him as we had lots of experience working with this condition. Between traditional medicine and lots of holistic treatments, Major pulled through. He is best friend and pasture mate to TJ, a blind Quarter Horse. He is one of the kindest and most gentle souls we have known and he lets us know each day how he appreciates all the help we were able to give him.
THE SHEEP
Boots - neutered male black sheep - elderly - our first sheep. Sadly we do not have any photos of dear Boots.
Mary - female - black sheep - elderly - came from neglect situation. Mary touched a lot of lives at animal communication workshops. She was unusually friendly and more outgoing with people than most sheep. Mary came with Magdalen and goats Simon, Celeste, and Chantan.
Magdalen - female - black sheep - elderly - came from neglect situation. Magdalen came with her friend Mary and goats Simon, Celeste, and Chantan. They were all very close to one another and supported each other. Most especially she was attached to fellow sheep Mary. When Mary died quite suddenly, Magdalen began grieving severely and got very depressed. Even though she still had her goats and 2 llamas who adored her, we knew she needed another sheep friend. We searched for another sheep needing a home and it didn't take long to find one. We brought sheep, Angel, to the farm and they hit it off immediately. It turned out that Angel was pregnant and delivered 2 lambs, Gabriel and Michael, and then suddenly auntie Magdalen had a new job in life. She helped raise the boys and in the process, she ended up gaining a lot of self-confidence and became much less shy.
Angel - female sheep who arrived in 1997 as a young adult. We found Angel when we were looking for a sheep as a companion for our sheep Magdalen when her companion Mary died. Angel was going to be slaughtered as she was smaller than the farmer wanted and her babies tended to be on the small side. We bought her as a pet and brought her to SFC. It turns out that she had been impregnated before she left her farm and the following spring she gave birth to twin boys at SFC. This worked out nicely as shortly after they were born the elderly Magdalen passed away leaving Angel and the boys as the new sheep flock. Angel is very shy but very loving.
THE LLAMAS
Featherdance - neutered male - 2 years old - born with birth defects. Feather was born with one leg severely malformed and just a stub. We were contacted by his breeder to see if we could take him here if she would also send a companion llama with him. In her herd, the others llamas were pushing him out and he was having trouble. We agreed and Feather and Gulliver were our first llamas. Feather died tragically one year later of an apparent allergic reaction to something.
Corrie - neutered male - 12 years old - came as companion for Gulliver after Featherdance died. Corrie was a perfectly healthy young llama when he came to the farm to be a companion to Gulliver. Llamas do not like to be alone so we went out looking for a llama that was in need of a home. Corrie answered the call. Corrie was another one of the master teachers to grace this farm. Many people learned a lot from him during his many years here with us.
Gulliver - neutered male - 14 years old - companion to Featherdance. Gulliver was a perfectly healthy young llama when he came to the farm as a companion with Featherdance. But Gulliver quickly let us know that he was not just any ordinary llama. The impact that Gulliver had as a teacher was enormous. When he looked at anyone with those big eyes of his, everyone felt that he looked into their soul. He was the head of the goat, sheep, and llama flock and his passing was very dramatic for everyone. He left an amazing legacy through his teaching at animal communication workshops and his work with Dawn as a teacher.
THE GOATS
Roo - female - mid teens - taken in when owner couldn't keep her - our first goat. Roo was an amazing character and our first experience with goats. She was wise and kind but most of all she was an imp with a most amazing sense of humor and play. Roo had helped raise human children in the family she lived in and she was a great baby sitter. She was always making us laugh with her antics and games that she would play. Roo was with us for several years before she passed due to old age.
Rosebud - female - late teens - rescued from neglect case. We jokingly used to say that Rosebud was the Peter Lory of goats. She just had that sort of face. Rosebud was an incredible character and frequently joined Roo in her antics. Rosebud had an amazing way of holding her ears straight outward when she wanted to make someone laugh. She participated in a lot of workshops over the many years she was here. Always, she was attracted to people who tended to take things too seriously. Her job was to break through the barrier and make them laugh. She always accomplished her mission.
Snowflake - female - late teens - retired breeding goat, arrived here unknowingly pregnant and gave birth to Tippie Canoe and Tyler 2. Snowflake had a large tumor in her udder and was basically sent here to die. But no one knew that she was pregnant. Although she could not nurse the kids because of the tumor, she still raised them while we bottle fed them. We realized in short order that Snowy was not ready to die. We pursued medical options and with a major surgery the tumor was removed. Snowy lived for many years after that until she died of old age. She was a more serious goat than Rosebud and Roo and often found them to be total clowns. She was more dignified in her opinion.
Tyler - male goat - 5 years old - born at SFC when his mother Snowflake was retired here- died of kidney stones and complications. Tyler was a magnificent male goat with a huge set of horns. Although he and his sister Tippie had been dehorned as kids, the procedure didn't take for either of them. He was a sweet, kind, and loving goat. He and his twin sister Tippie were inseparable and they loved to play together. Sadly, he was suddenly taken ill one day. We rushed him to our vet where they did emergency surgery. But they discovered that a kidney stone had ruptured his ureter and nothing could be done for him. We sadly had to say good-bye to our lovely boy.
Galaxy - female Lamancha goat - 2 years old - rescued from neglect situation. Galaxy was only with us for about a year. Sadly she had a viral disease (CAE) that goats sometimes get that causes pneumonia and lung problems. She was a very loving and special girl who we didn't get to spend as much time with as we would have liked to.
Celeste - female goat - late teens - rescued from neglect case. Celeste arrived at SFC with goat friends Simon and Chantan and sheep friends Mary and Magdalen. They were a very tight knit family and were extremely devoted to one another. All of them lived to be quite elderly and died one after the other. We learned a lot about aging in goats from both Celeste and Chantan.
Chantan - female goat - late teens - rescued from neglect case - see above.
Simon - male goat - late teens - rescued from neglect case with Celeste and Chanton and sheep friends Mary and Magdalen. Simon was the head of that little family and quite proud of his role. He was the last one to pass and he took the deaths of each of his family members very hard. Simon was also one of the greatest teachers we have had here on the farm. Many lives were changed by his teachings at animal communication workshops. People who knew him say they can still feel his energy in the barn. We think that is true. Simon was incredibly wise and very loving.
Milton - male goat - late teens - retired here when he was the last of his herd and he needed a place to live where he'd have goat companions. Milton lived with us for many years and was a cherished member of our family. He had arthritis so we moved him to the smaller barn at Margot and Dawn's where he could be kept warmer. He lived there with goat friend Tippie and was quite content and happy. Milton's people never forgot him and came each year to bring him his favorite crab apples from the field where he used to live. Milton had been cherished and loved his whole life. That is a rare thing for the animals that make it to SFC to be able to say.
Eggnog - male Pygmy goat - 5 years old - dropped off in our driveway as kid with birth defect. Eggnog had what is called awry face. His face was actually crooked. Unfortunately, the older he got, the more pronounced this became and the more his teeth no longer matched from top to bottom. We had extensive dental work done on him both at Cornell University and with a veterinary dental surgeon. For a while we were able to help him but unfortunately it soon became too much for his body to support. He was an amazing character with a lot of spunk, joy for life, and will to live. We learned a lot from him. He left behind his brother, Nutmeg, who was also dropped off in our driveway with him when they arrived.
Tippie - female goat - mid-teens - born at SFC when mother, Snowflake, retired here. Tippie Canoe was one of twins. Her brother, Tyler 2, died when they were just 5 years old. Tippie was devastated at her brother's death and we moved her up to the smaller barn at Margot and Dawn's where her mother Snowflake had retired. Mother and daughter spent several months together when Snowflake died of old age. Again Tippie was distraught. We then moved Milton up to be with Tippie and they lived together for several years until he also passed away from old age. After that, Tippie asked us not to bring her anymore goat friends as she was happy enough living with the horses in our barn and she didn't want anymore losses. We honored her wishes. Tippie died of an aneurysm in her late teens. Her death was a great loss to all the horses, donkeys, and humans who lived with her. She was an amazing character who loved to play ball by bouncing it off her horns and having people catch it. She brought us all great joy in life.
YODA
Yoda is a Neubian cross neutered male born in 2002. Yoda arrived in very early spring of 2002 when he was found only days old running lose in the wooded area of a park. He was most obviously a bottle fed baby and how he got to the park is anyone’s guess. Someone had to have dumped him there. He was frostbitten and then got very sick from having been exposed to the cold for however long he was out there. For his first few weeks, he was raised inside our small animal facility where we could keep him warm. He pulled through and turned out to be a wonderfully healthy goat. He is quite the character and loves people. Yoda is definitely the class clown.
PHOTOS OF FARM LIFE AT
SPRING FARM CARES
