Our Philosophy
Spirit of Hope Farm is a different kind
of horse farm. Our focus here has been to create a relaxed, calm, and horse-friendly environment that treats the horse like
a horse, working with its nature and physiology rather than against it, to maximize the horse's health and
well-being. We practice and encourage natural horsemanship training methods and horsekeeping practices.
We also discourage shoes on horses as a matter of improved soundness and general health for the horse. Barefoot is also
less damaging to herdmates and the terrain!
Horses are by design constant grazers and movers. They will eat, drink,
run, play, and rest when needed and as their comfort level allows. Their joints, hooves, muscles, digestive and circulatory
systems, and most of all their minds are all designed around this constant motion and energy expenditure. Horses forced
to submit to constant confinement are kept contrary to their nature and physiology and so are more prone to develop behavioral
problems like cribbing, chewing wood, weaving, or aggression. Horses confined and fed high protein concentrated grain diets
are also more prone to azoturia (tying up), arthritis, white line disease, colic, ulcers, and laminitis, among other
things, all of which are potentially life-threatening. As if that wasn't enough, confinement in a stall deprives the
horse of its herd, its social network. Horses are very social creatures and rely on one another for survival (at least in
the wild). Even horses accustomed to being stalled away from his herd buddies experiences a heightened level of anxiety until
returned to the herd again.
To maximize the horse's general health and well-being, then, we feel it is important to attend to its
physical and emotional needs in a manner that allows a horse to be a horse. To accomplish this, all of the horses at
Spirit of Hope Farm that are physically able are turned out 24 hours
a day, all year long with shelter provided by large field shelters as well as the natural shelter of the woods.
The horses are turned out in groups of "preferred associates," a term horse behaviorists use to describe horses that have
formed a particularly strong bond with another, usually one step up/down from them in the herd heirarchy. We have found
this practice to be very helpful in reducing herd conflicts and to reinforce positive play amongst them. They are able
to move about whenever they choose, drink and graze at will, and they love it! They are so content here that whenever they
are asked to work, they are relaxed and willing partners rather than keyed up from having so much pent up energy.
Of course, even a content horse can have off days for a multitude of reasons, they
are after all feeling beings! But when horses are kept in a manner that allows them to relax and just be a
horse, they are far more likely to be attentive to us rather than "hot" or evasive, which is certainly more fun and safer for
us!
For those horses that arrive emaciated, sick, injured, or with an unknown health history, we do have
two stalls with sliding doors to a small private post and rail paddock away from the rest of the farm's equine residents
so that new horses can be confined as needed but can also get outside for fresh air and a good leg stretch! Once a
new horse is stable enough and at least 21 days after it has been vaccinated, it too will be turned out
with pasture mates so that it may gain strength and socialization.
We understand that a critical part of our work in rehabilitating these animals is to ensure that they get
the best veterinary and farrier care possible. We are very careful to keep new horses quarantined from the general herd
for at least 3 weeks after they arrive and at least 2 weeks after they receive needed vaccinations and veterinary clearance.
All horses that are healthy enough receive Strangles, EWT/Rhino/Flu, Rabies, and West Nile vaccines. Our wonderful,
patient, and very knowledgeable farrier, Katharine Horsey, comes 1-2 times per month to work with us on repairing and maintaining
our charges' hooves... After all, No Hoof, No Horse!
