Post #11- Beautiful
Hello Friends. I have a confession to make. Often when people compliment my dog, a rescue who had a very rough start, I swell with pride. When they tell me Phoebe is beautiful—as if I had anything to do with it—I’m elated. To be honest, though, that feeling lasts no more than a split second. […]
Post #10 E-mmersion Program — New at 13 Hands!
Hi Friends. It was damp and cold on the farm today, signs that autumn is really here. The minis ran and bucked in the distance, and Hitch the Wanderer moseyed into the barn looking for mischief. Aries the tuxedo cat helped himself to Alison Appleby’s lunch, and when the rain increased, we all braced against […]
Post #9 Congratulations, Amber
Hello, my horse-loving friends. And donkey-loving friends. And mule-loving friends. And those of you who love them all. I want to take a moment to congratulate Amber, the stunning, gentle, enormous draft who gave birth recently to a fiery colt, Fuego. Like his mom, he is magnificent. Shiny black coat; long, thick legs; pointy, alert […]
Post #8 Listening
Hi Everyone, I hope this post finds you in good health and enjoying your families — human, equine, canine, feline,…! The first time I rode a horse on a trail, I was told to listen to my horse. At eight years old, I had trouble making sense of this instruction; after all, the horses didn’t […]
Post #7 The Good Kind of Goodbye
Hi Friends, As a new volunteer at 13 Hands, I am so grateful for the opportunity to visit with so many different rescues. Also, simply put, I am in total awe of the people who take care of them. I think when I started coming, I hadn’t for a second stopped to think about what […]
Post #6 Hidden Gems
Hello Friends, I thought I’d start this post with something I’ve been thinking about: the idea of a hidden gem. I’ve heard it most often used to describe a pristine or lightly touched travel destination — an inn located on a gravel road, a restaurant so intimate that there’s no regular menu, a lake undisturbed […]
Post #5 Being Present
Greetings, Friends. I hope this note finds you taking good care of those you love and taking good care of yourselves. Life can be challenging, and we all need to retreat from stress. Taking care of others and a bit of self-care can go a long way. I mentioned in an earlier post that I […]
Post #4 Dante’s Story
Hello Friends, This week, spending time with Dante the draft mule, I noticed that his tail was severely matted in two long, hardened cables. This had to be frustrating for him; a tail can’t do the work of swatting at flies and yellowjackets if it can’t move swiftly. It might have also been painful. Those […]
Post #3 Bonds
Hello Friends, Watching the herds at 13 Hands, I’ve been thinking a lot about friendship. Like most equines, most human beings are social animals; we rely on one another for safety, affirmation, and comfort. Our friends provide that — and more. And so it is with equines. As members of a herd, they rely on […]
Post #2 Scars
Hello Friends. Since my first post, I’ve spent a few mornings at 13 Hands, wandering the terrain of the paddocks and getting to know the rescues. What a gift I’ve been given to be able to do this. We all know that many of the rescues suffered in significant ways before their arrival. This is […]
