It’s summertime and those cold days of winter are far away.
I know they will return but right now, everything is saturate greens, hazy blues, deep purple…horses are fat and shiny, sleeping in the barns all day and whirling in the clear night.

And yes, our herd has grown.
I remember, not so long ago, when reaching 20 horses felt monumental. Now we are hovering around 40, and it’s not so scary. Several recent adoptions have been quickly replenished by saves or horses coming back home. There are still several herds, each with their own territory and quirks, and the usual assortment of minor scrapes. Today just three are on meds; Apollo is on his daily steroid treatment to keep his IBD at bay; Blitz is healing from a cut on his forehead, probably a bite from a larger horse; and Gracie has a cut on her tushie that is being cleaned daily and she’s on an antibiotic just to prevent any infection. Two others, Oliver and Faline, are still getting added calories to get their weight fully back after arriving starved, and two horses that returned with thrush are having their hooves treated. All in all, quiet.

Because of the horse increase, and the drought, we have gotten a bit ‘creative’ in where herds are grazing. A new small herd has gotten special favors and has been grazing around the house. It’s been lovely actually, to have them so close, and to give extra attention to the newest RF horses. But I am sort of aware that we are getting a bit full! Discussions are happening about new possible fields and barns; if the need continues, we will continue to find solutions. I know that.

The horses here know us, they know the land, and the routines, and quiet progress continues with many damaged souls. Clover the morgan mare continues to relax and ease up on her threats to cause damage; Hava looks me full in the face now and trots over to greet me; Phantom has returned to his same quirky self; and the baby colts whinny throaty greetings whenever I am in sight. Healthy and happy.

I look forward to continuing to meet friends who visit, to either adopt or to simply breathe in the sanctuary vibrations. I look forward even, to the goodbyes, when a horse here does find a new forever home. And I am even looking forward to welcoming the next horse in crisis. There is just so much here to share.

The future is unknown to me, even next year seems impossibly far. I am unsure how the sanctuary is going to evolve. What I have seen is that if I continue to work very hard, and honestly share our adventures with our friends out there, that support has continued. The life here doesn’t always feel as easy as it does today, but I am aware that many lives out there aren’t easy either! I hope that those who can contribute to us, feel some of what we feel. This, in it’s own small way, matters. Sharing a beautiful summer day is important.

And I do hope that at least some of you reading this, someday stop by. Share the day with us. Share in what we have built together.