Saving the Noble Horse

As a child, I was lucky enough to own a Shetland Pony and later an Arabian horse.  When I left for college, I had to sell my horse and have since spent my adulthood trying to stay in touch with horses somehow with riding lessons here and there.  Fortunately, I've found a way to be around the glorious creatures again by volunteering a couple of days a week at Beech Brook Farm Equine Rescue in Mystic. 

Beech Brook Farm (BBF) is a non-profit organization owned and operated by Deborah Finco, whose mission is to save gaited horses like the Tennessee Walker and Missouri Fox Trotter, along with a few miniature horses and donkeys.  After a couple of hours of cleaning up after the many horses at the farm, if time allows, we volunteers will try to groom, handle and perhaps ride the rescue horses. 

Many of the horses are bought from an auction where their owners have relinquished them.  If the horses are not adopted from the auction, they are often slaughter-bound to countries which still allow the practice.  With the economy, the situation has gotten worse.  The goal of Beech Brook Farm is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome as many horses as it can accommodate.

Obviously, the farm relies on donations to cover the many expenses these horses have.  The adoption fees cover a small percentage of the costs each horse incurs. 

Some of the horses we get can be ridden, some were just friendly pasture pets without the benefit of much training.  Many were neglected and arrive malnourished and with health issues.  In many of these cases, all that's needed is good nutrition and antibiotics to clear them up quickly.  Other horses require more intensive care and frequent visits from the veterinarian. 

This past year, one skinny mare the farm rescued and named Mia turned out to be pregnant.  I was fortunate enough to be at the farm three months ago on the day Mia delivered a beautiful, healthy paint filly, later named Brooke by the many followers on BBF's Facebook page. Mia and Brooke are two of many horses BBF has available for adoption to qualified homes.

As a busy person with a full-time career at Pfizer, Deborah is tireless with her devotion to the farm.  She does an outstanding job of promoting the horses on her website and Facebook page, trying to find homes for them so she can raise funds and open up a stall for another rescue.

This coming Saturday, June 25th, from 9 am until 1 pm, BBF will be holding a Walk for Horses  and fundraiser on the property.  This will be an opportunity for anyone interested in meeting the horses and learning more about the work the rescue does.  Visitors may elect to walk a one or three-mile hike or opt out to just walk around the farm. 

Visitors/Hikers are asked to park across the street from the farm at Cutler Middle School on Fishtown Road and walk up the drivewan to the barn.  Hikers will register and be directed to the trail head while visitors can walk up the driveway to the barn.  Commemorative T-shirts will be given away for each $20 donation while they last.

For more information and pictures of the horses, please check the Beech Brook Farm Equine Rescue website and Facebook page.