Our ‘Therapists’
Consider sponsoring a horse for giving Tuesday. It is easy as donations can be done through Donorbox.
or Donate thru PayPal
Where would your sponsorship money go?
A round bale is $80
A bag of grain is $25
A bag of treats is $10
A small square bale of hay is $8
One horse eats about 1 to 1 1/2 round bales and about 2 bags each month.
One pony eats about 1/2 to 1 round bale and about 1 bag of grain per month.
Sponsorships can be done in any dollar amount … ANY amount helps.
Roger
Roger is an 11yr old Icelandic paint pony. He came to us in 2020 during COVID with his herd as another program had to shut down. He is referred to as a “big puppy” due to his outgoing, fun and playful personality. Truthfully as a kid he would likely be diagnosed with ADHD so he works amazingly well with our kiddos with similar struggles helping them to stay focused as he playfully demands it. He was left in a kill lot at an auction and the previous program got him and he spent a few years as a successful therapy pony before coming to us. He is deeply bonded to his partner Lily our mini mule and his friend Tuxedo who you can see him with in the bottom picture.
Lily
Lily is approximately 12 years old and a miniature mule. As mentioned before she is Roger’s partner. She is now also the lead mare of the pasture now that we have lost our beloved Mabelene. She may be small but she manages her pasture well. She is our “go to” for many of the young kids when they are beginning our program due to her kind nature. She also pulls a cart which is a great new activity for some of the kids depending on their goals. She is gentle, loving but expects you to regulate yourself in order to accomplish your tasks… the perfect therapy partner. She tolerates all the shenanigans being dressed up, all the mistakes and will still come right up to you asking to do more with you. She is everybody’s friend.
Marshmellow
Marshmellow is a P.O.A. pony. He is estimated to be around 20 years old. He was originally purchased to be Rachael’s, the directors, daughters show horse. He was starved and sick when she went to see him. After a lot of TLC and training he became a very well known barrel racing pony beating many of the top barrel racing horses. His Facebook page “Marshmellow the P.O.A.” is still up if you want to view his active racing days. He was even recognized by the Breyer horse company. During his time on the Goodrich equestrian team the competition even cheered for him when he ran. He has a heart bigger than his body. Even with all that fire, when it comes to a child in need he softens and meets that child where he/she is at. He has healed more hearts than I can count. He is about 50% blind during the day and about 90% blind at night and still can perform all his activities. He was still barrel racing as his side job from his therapy job until 2025. And yes that is a picture of him in our mudroom… he knows he is family lol.
Pucker
Pucker came to us this summer with a pasture mate, Hank. Her owner had passed away and she needed a safe place to land. She is a retired race horse. A pacer, so the race horses that pulled the carts. She was retired due to an injury to her front leg. She is about 30 years old and very sweet. She was terribly underweight so we have spent the last months getting her teeth floated, deformity and making sure she has good nutritional intake. She is a sweetheart and gentle with everyone. She has designated our pony Marshmellow as her boyfriend and she helped guide him at night due to his blindness.
Hank
Hank came to us with Pucker after his owner passed away also needing a safe place to land. He is in his 20s and a Quarter Horse. We have also spent some time getting him healthy. His biggest challenge was his feet and joints. He is on an arthritis plan with supplements, IV polyglycans and a NSAID as needed and now acts like a young horse again. Everyone falls in love with him as he has a gentle “all knowing” way about him. He is like the grandpa you would go to for advice. We feel very blessed to have him as a part of our program. Horses like him are worth the extra maintenance for what they give with their heart to our clients.
Daisy
Daisy came to us in 2020 during COVID with Glory, her daughter, Lily and Roger as their program had to shut down. Daisy is estimated to be in her late teens. She is the herd leader and caretaker of all the mini donkeys. She is soft and gentle in her approach. Willing to carry anyone’s burden. She literally just sucks your pain out of your body like the mini donkeys do. The horses carry your burden for you at times the donkeys pull it out of you. She is the one that walks lightly but carries a big stick. One time when I was in deep emotional pain she pushed all the other donkeys away… because they are young and were in the moment of being silly and fun… she told them sternly to move their shenanigans away from me and just came over and literally hugged me. Held me. That is Daisy. Her thing is hugs and she is a gift.
Glory
Glory is approximately 10 years old and the daughter to Daisy. She is also part of the group that came to us in 2020 during COVID when another therapy program had to shut down. She is much like her mother Daisy as she is very sweet and loving. Being younger she challenges the kids a little more to stay emotionally regulated in order for them to complete a task but always steady as she waits for them. She loves to have her hindquarters scratched and will gently sit on your lap if you do so. At that moment you are her best friend for life
Pablo
Pablo is the baby of all our mini donkeys. We got him from our veterinarian as a weakling. He is about 5 years old now and still thinks he is a baby. He absolutely loves playing tag. He is an absolute program favorite with the kids due to his playful energy.
Pedro
Pedro is our very first mini donkey added to our farm. We adopted him from the rescue Saving Grace Miniature Horses. He is about 9 years old. When he came to us he was very shy and timid. We spent hours just reading to him in his new shelter. He is now another program favorite. Very soft, gentle and lovable. In the cooler months though he does love wrestling with his little brother Pablo. His favorite thing is to give kisses. He requires a soft touch so is very good at teaching the kids emotional regulation. He is known to be Santa’s elf at Christmas.
Bugsy
Bugsy came to us about 8 years ago and is about 15 years old. He was severely neglected and abused after his previous owner thought she had securely sold him to a safe place. Sometimes contracts are broken and bad things happen to our beloved equine. Bugsy has never forgotten the abuse and it has taken the full 8 years to earn the trust we have. We honor the independence he requires and he is loved by everyone here. This year he was finally able to have his feet trimmed without restraint… a milestone due to much patience. He often wanders our farm taking treats from clients and allowing a scratch here and there on his face or neck. He loves to follow us on the trails which makes the kids laugh the entire time. Many of our kids can relate to him and what it takes to trust again. He is sweet and now just wary, not terrified. It has been a beautiful journey to watch him heal with the kids.
Tuxedo
Tuxedo is nearly 30 and the ringmaster of the farm. He is owned by one of our facilitators. He came here to have some recovery done on his front legs and has done amazingly well. Even after surgery on the one front leg do not let him fool you he will take off running leaving you to walk to the other end of the farm to politely ask him to return, which he always does. He spent a lot of time helping one young girl who came to us to help regulate her anger but also had balance issues. He was her support mini and took great pride in it. He spends his days in the yard around the barn “helping”.. although I have found him deciding our tackroom is his office at times. So much character, he brings joy to every client that visits. For a mini he has the heart of an elephant.
Nelly
Nelly is the most special horse on the farm. She is a 9 year old foundation bred Quarter Horse. She was bred to be a reined cow horse. That means to do reining and cutting work. The trainer that had her bought her to be his next world champion. After about 30 rides he noticed the skin on her withers was starting to tear. He had her tested and she has a disease called HERDA. This is a disease only found in Quarter Horses and traced back to a certain bloodline. Breeders are supposed to test the sire and the dam prior to breeding to make sure they do not carry the genes that would cause a foal to have HERDA. Obviously this did not happen and Nelly was born with Herda. She does not produce enough collagen so her skin rips and tears easily. It has many similar characteristics to Ehlers Dahlos syndrome in people. The research on Herda is being used to help people with EDS today and occasionally the veterinarians from MSU will come and take blood from Nelly to help support that research. Most of these horses are euthanized at birth because they cannot be ridden with saddles regularly and maintaining them can be costly. The owner called me because he knew I had a program that did mostly ground exercises and I am a licensed veterinary technician. She is so smart, witty and athletic she deserved to have a chance to do something. I took her and work closely with the veterinarians. She is only one of a handful that have lived past the age of 2. She feels everything emotionally and physically much more strongly than the average horse. I have learned more from her than I have working with horses the past 40 years. One teen with reactive attachment disorder that had been in juvenile detention mostly from 12 to 17 bonded to her, she even let him sit on her, which I allowed because she would have very clearly told him if it hurt and he would have never even gotten a leg over… but she let him and he taught her so many tricks… I believe she saved him. He broke a generational cycle has two children who are well loved and cared for now. There are others she has brought from some of the darkest places. She is worth every moment, every dollar as she is a truly special…. sometimes spicy horse. We are so lucky to have her and are blessed every day she is a part of this farm.
Ima
Ima is a 19 year old Appendix Quarter Horse. She came from a trainer friend and was my child’s show horse for many years. She was starved and nearly dead when she got to my trainers barn and spent a year in a pasture just getting fed. We bought her shortly after that. She is a gentle giant. She is not a leader and generally has a bit of anxiety when she is without a safe leader. She is perfect for the client’s w h o have low self confidence and anxiety struggles. She teaches you to find your own strength within yourself. How to provide safety without bullying. How to find your voice. Once a client joins up with this big powerful horse and feels that horse lean in on them with trust it is a beautiful thing to watch. Kids that have been bullied, abused, trafficked… find their voice, learn to hold boundaries… it is amazing. She has a playful and curious side that can be seen during times like our painting with Ponies where she is always trying to “help” people paint. She is truly the adult that refuses to grow up.
Woody
Woody is a 20 year old foundation bred Quarter Horse and EVERYBODY’S favorite. He was my daughter’s show horse for reining and barrel racing and still competes on the Grand Blanc Equestrian team as his side job. He is fire and speed in the show pen and slow and steady at the therapy barn. He loves the client’s and sulks when they are not around. Oh and he loves his girlfriend Ima quite a bit also. He is the “go to” horse for the most dysregulated client as he always adjusts and just patiently helps them. He requires some upkeep for his arthritis like IV polyglycans but we are happy to go to whatever level of care this guy needs and wish we could clone him. I cannot even count the number of souls he has provided sanctuary for here at this farm. He is irreplaceable. As many of you know he is always the horse used at our events for the little kids to ride. He is the foundation of this program and at the heart of everything we do.
Other friends around the farm
