Orion~ famous NYC carriage horse adopted by the Yankee's owner
Adopted!
Friends and a forever home at Blue Star
Shire feathers
Miss Lisa~ dwarfed by drafts
Pre-dinner traffic jam
Awaiting the evening meal
At last, repast
i do not exaggerate when i tell you, 2 hours on a november afternoon in massachusetts altered my life. there was my forever-friend, lisa, who made the discovery of blue star equiculture farm online, there was me, fascinated and nervous, and there was pamela. gracious, welcoming, passionate, wise pamela. she is head madam of the horse farm, and sports a rainbow aura like few i have ever encountered.
blue star equiculture is an organic farm that rescues, rehabilitates, offers retirement and long term care to horses in general and draft horses in particular. blue star cares for an average of 30 horses at a time~ some drafts come from the carriage trade (all have been well cared for prior to their arrival at the farm and have maintained wonderful conformation from doing the job they were bred to perform!), some drafts arrive when owners can no longer financially care for them, some when owners face terminal illness, some are thankfully rescued from slaughter.
pamela and her vast crew of horse-loving volunteers, along with veterinarians, an equine dentist and ferrier, have devoted themselves to making a compassionate difference in the education and care of drafts. they believe the draft horse is a national treasure, without whom this nation would not have been built. they believe we owe it to these working-breed horses to give them meaningful jobs and purpose. to honor what we have bred in to them~ the need to move, pull, earn their keep and interact with humans.
what pamela did for me, unawares, was give me an instant and lasting appreciation for these creatures that have occupied my thoughts and dreams. in casually bringing lisa and i out amongst the herds, calling each one by name, offering pets and kisses, she melted away my natural fear of horses and confirmed my instincts to seek out the largest horses for the gentlest encounters. she gave us more knowledge than it was possible to process all at once and she gave it with a wide open heart.
i cried when we got back in the car. because there were no words to express the joyful overwhelm of 30 horses and a woman who knows her mission in life.
lisa an i have agreed, and pamela concurred, we are going back. the calls of our hearts say we must.
blue star equiculture on facebook. "like" them for regular, touching updates on the horses!
blue star equiculture is an organic farm that rescues, rehabilitates, offers retirement and long term care to horses in general and draft horses in particular. blue star cares for an average of 30 horses at a time~ some drafts come from the carriage trade (all have been well cared for prior to their arrival at the farm and have maintained wonderful conformation from doing the job they were bred to perform!), some drafts arrive when owners can no longer financially care for them, some when owners face terminal illness, some are thankfully rescued from slaughter.
pamela and her vast crew of horse-loving volunteers, along with veterinarians, an equine dentist and ferrier, have devoted themselves to making a compassionate difference in the education and care of drafts. they believe the draft horse is a national treasure, without whom this nation would not have been built. they believe we owe it to these working-breed horses to give them meaningful jobs and purpose. to honor what we have bred in to them~ the need to move, pull, earn their keep and interact with humans.
what pamela did for me, unawares, was give me an instant and lasting appreciation for these creatures that have occupied my thoughts and dreams. in casually bringing lisa and i out amongst the herds, calling each one by name, offering pets and kisses, she melted away my natural fear of horses and confirmed my instincts to seek out the largest horses for the gentlest encounters. she gave us more knowledge than it was possible to process all at once and she gave it with a wide open heart.
i cried when we got back in the car. because there were no words to express the joyful overwhelm of 30 horses and a woman who knows her mission in life.
lisa an i have agreed, and pamela concurred, we are going back. the calls of our hearts say we must.
*************
blue star equiculture on facebook. "like" them for regular, touching updates on the horses!
oh my!!! graciel! they are gorgeous, and bigger than i realized, and that 3rd picture down especially- friends - just pulled at my heart! what a fabulous place!!!
ReplyDeletemedicine not by accident.
fabulous.