We embrace all animals as having a right to be here, just as all humans have a right to be here. We deplore how animals are often simply thrown away (abandoned, put down, given to a shelter, etc.) in our culture, if they no longer serve human needs. We nurture, provide a safe place, for our rescued animals to get healthy, to get more socialized, and to have a great life. A number of the horses on the Farm assist in the courses that we teach.

We currently have eight rescue horses, and two boarding horses, and each has their own special story. Sundance was a trail horse in Yellowstone National Park, but got to be too old to play that role. He was sent to the kill pen, and in the holding area for that place, he met Shadow. Shadow was a brood mare, kept in a small stall all the time and kept constantly pregnant. They were both rescued by another horse rescue organization, moved to a recovery facility for a year, at some point they were separated, and then later they were separately and on different schedules, sent to the Farm. They were delighted to once again recognize each other at the Farm, and now can be seen grazing together and running long distances together in the central-south pasture.

Another horse, Missy, was a champion reigning horse (a type of Western riding competition) who was abandoned when her arthritis and lameness prevented her from competing. She was going to be killed, but instead was adopted by the Farm. Living on the Farm she has discovered that men can be trusted friends. She loves to be scratched on the back, and thinks she’s a lap dog. She falls asleep on the back of Josh, one of our farmhands, when he’s doing Farm projects like painting the barn.

Comet, a strong big white horse, was considered too rambunctious and unmanageable, although his temperament has changed significantly since he arrived at Kinship Community. He’s the court jester of the horses, and wants to play with whatever is available, maybe the trough-filling hose, maybe the tools that we’re using to fix the fence. Comet is in the process of being gentled by our trainer Jerry, and he is definitely more relaxed since he arrived at the Farm.

Chester was the first horse to arrive at the Farm. He had been advertised on Craig’s List for a year as a free horse, but there were no takers. That was probably because he has Ringbone, a permanent osteoarthritis condition in his hooves. He was also a former trail horse, so he’s very comfortable with people and is often a wise teacher in the classes that we teach. His arthritis prevented him from continuing as a trail horse, but he has found his new role as the leader of the herd. He has recently been dealing with some paralysis of the hind legs, but Peggy has nursed him back to health with herbs and natural remedies, and now he’s out there again with the herd.

Tequila was a former barrel racer horse whose owner died. At 28, she’s old for a horse, but still has lots of spunk in her, and loves people. She’s not too crazy about other horses though, and this fact makes pasture assignments, and movements between pastures, difficult and challenging. Since she’s the latest arrival at the Farm, she’s kept in her own corral, as she gets to know her surroundings, the other horses, and the people nearby.

Two Arabian horses, Maise and Tinkerbelle, were both going to be shot. A mother and daughter pair, they were rescued by members of the local horse community assisting the Farm, and that happened just in time — the day before they were going to be put down. Maise had been a former show horse, but because she got to be too old, she was no longer considered acceptable. Tinkerbelle was considered dangerous and untrainable. Since they arrived at the Farm, and worked with our horse trainer Jerry, and our farmhand Gwen, they’ve both relaxed and seem content. We’re continuing to work with them both with the goal of adopting them out. Most of the horses on the property, however, cannot reasonably be adopted out because they’re too old, too sick, too lame, or otherwise unwanted.

Witty and JDee are both boarding, and they’re our farmhand Gwen’s horses. JDee is in the process of going natural and having his shoes removed. His hooves have been considerably damaged by the metal shoes he was wearing, and his healing gives Gwen a chance to practice her future career as a farrier (a specialist in equine hoof care). Witty is a well-trained horse who is the only horse at the Farm who is ridden. Most of the horses on the property are too old, arthritic, or otherwise unsuitable to be ridden.