Horses

“While most of us would agree that animal companions, like dogs and cats, are not work animals - the purpose of horses stirs a lot of controversy. Are horses our companions, or are they work animals? Are horses an industry? Like most domesticated animals, horses suffer from over-breeding, overuse and overpopulation - there are simply too many horses in the system, and most of them live in unsavory conditions. There's even a debate among rescues about rescuing horses from kill pens. How do we end the vicious cycle of cruelty, neglect and abuse? Horses end up in [kill pens] for a variety of reasons: old age, financial stress, behavioral or health issues and sometimes, the horse has simply served its human purpose”.

– Karuna Horse Rescue, www.karunahorserescue.org

  • Kill pens are organizations that exist solely to purchase unwanted horses and sell them to slaughter plants. Although slaughtering horses has been outlawed in the United States since 2007, Canada and Mexico both have a thriving equine slaughter industry, as many other parts of the world still eat horse meat. A shocking 60% of all horses in these slaughter plants come from the United States. For more information about horse slaughter, visit animalsangels.org.

    As a result, kill lots place profit over horses’ well-being and very little, if any, consideration is given to the horses’ physical needs for food, shelter or medical attention. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), “It is common for horses purchased from [kill pens] to arrive at their new locations [starving], sick, injured, capable of spreading disease and/or in need of veterinary attention and isolation.” Negative psychological behavior can also develop in horses due to kill lot conditions.  Hope & Serenity has housed its fair share of rescued horses who arrived with depression, anxiety and aggressive tendencies.

  • Yes, horses can be purchased from these kill pens which in turn, removes them from the possibility of being slaughtered. However, the key word is “purchased”, not “adopted”, meaning that there are no requirements to purchase a horse from a kill pen; kill pens do not care who buys them as long as they get their money.

    This is where the controversy lies in rescuing horses from kill pens; some believe that buying a horse from a kill pen is only helping keep these kill pens in business. Especially since the kill pens often play on people’s emotions to get them to spend high amounts of money to rescue a horse that they have no business purchasing in the first place due to a lack of horse knowledge and experience. For more information on this viewpoint, visit aspca.org.

    The alternative viewpoint to this is yes, kill pens are terrible, but these horses need to and can be saved right now.  This is also why horse rescue organizations are needed because they are intended to provide a home where all physical and emotional needs of the horses are met from people who know what they need and how to properly care for them.

  • The answer to this question arises from the controversial “horses as vehicles vs. horses as companions” debate in the equine world. Those who view horses as a vehicle or tool enable an ongoing throwaway culture, squeezing as much work and money from a horse as they can before finally discarding them. For example, horses trained in competitive jumping are used at most, eleven years of their life before their chances at reaching championship are hugely decreased, often by permanent injury from years of jumping. Racehorses are only used for three. On average, horses live between 25 to 30 years, which means these now discarded horses need a home for the next 20+ years. While there are some wonderful horse owners who do keep their horses for the entirety of their lives, the reality is, that the majority do not.

    There are from 7 to 10 million (*) domestic horses in the United States. Of those, approximately 200,000 are unwanted annually. There are little more than 500 equine rescue organizations in the US.

    Besides the low numbers of organizations actively rescuing horses, the cost of caring for horses is can be more than most people can afford.

    Which leaves the kill lots.

    (* The American Horse Council estimates 7 million horses.

    The World Animal Foundation estimates 10 million horses.)

  • A sad reality is that not all rescued horses who come to our sanctuary, or any rescue foundation, will have the opportunity to live out a long happy life. There is a regional term called a “twilight purchase” which is when you purchase a horse knowing it does not have long to live.

    The purpose of a twilight purchase to provide that horse with comfort and safety for the rest of its short life and to prevent the terror and abandonment of being slaughtered instead. Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue (www.gentlegiantsdrafthorserescue.org) in Mt. Airy, MD is known for purchasing dying drafts from kill pens so that they may at least experience a peaceful death in a safe and loving space.

  • Hope & Serenity has recently experienced the loss of a twilight purchase: Journey, our spirited Paso Fino mix pony.

    Journey was mere days away from being sent to slaughter when we rescued her. She had been given up due to a severe leg injury that we hoped would heal in time.

    Sadly, it grew worse until she could no longer walk and was in chronic pain. We had to make the painful decision to euthanize her. She was only 11 years old, which is very young for a horse.

    She is very missed by staff and volunteers alike but there is much comfort in knowing she died in a safe place where she was loved and happy.

  • At Hope & Serenity, we strongly encourage that you do not rescue a horse on your own without doing serious research on what goes into owning and caring for a horse.

    The best way you can make a difference is by contributing to a horse rescue organization like Hope & Serenity. This provides the much-needed funding to people with the knowledge, experience, and resources to be properly care for these wonderful animals.  

At Hope & Serenity, we believe that horses are companions

We believe the horse/human relationship is mutually beneficial to both horse and human when it comes to healing and emotional well-being. Hope & Serenity takes in what horses it can and actively works to rehabilitate them in order for them to live out their best quality life. Medications are prescribed to ease depression and anxiety. Training is implemented to correct any aggressive or negative behaviors. And of course, unconditional love and support is given to each and every horse in our herd.

Meet Our Horses!

Below you will find photos of all current Hope & Serenity horses with descriptions of their back story, personality and how they have progressed since coming to the farm.

  • Rescue Breed, 25+ years old

    Fully sponsored by Dina Gottesman & Amy Leekoff

    Bailey is a very old gentle soul and is good at sensing when you need some horse love. He likes to hold things in his mouth like his reins or the corner of your shirt. He has excellent manners and never causes trouble or mischief. If you are unfamiliar or cautious of horses, Bailey is a wonderful horse to spend time with to increase your overall comfort level with horses.

    Bailey came to us as a starvation case. He was living with a stallion (an unneutered male horse) that would not allow him to eat. The owners refused to make changes and he was confiscated and brought to us by our veterinarian.  Bailey is now eating well and is back to a healthy weight. Bailey was originally used as a lesson horse at H&S but he has since retired and very much enjoys his free time.

  • Mule, b. 2020

    Partially sponsored by the Loundermon family

    Darla is a mule from Central Virginia Horse Rescue and is the youngest member of the H&S horse herd. She is definitely a teenager with her “I do what I want” attitude and does not like being told what to do. She is the sweetest girl with limitless energy and will follow you around like a shadow.

  • Mule, b. 2008

    Partially sponsored by Joelle Van Over, the McFadden Family, and Susan, Bill & Annelise

    Luna was a beloved pet from North Carolina. Her owner sadly had to surrender her and chose Hope & Serenity because she felt this is where Luna could have the best life. Luna is the absolute sweetest; you will fall in love with her as soon as you see her and even more as you get to know her. She loves being held. Lindsay greets her each morning by hugging her around the neck and just holding her. And if Lindsay doesn’t greet her, for whatever reason, Luna will remind her. She has already begun participating as one of our birthday “ponies” and plans are in the works to train her as a lesson horse as well.

  • You can find Trixie with our donkey herd. She is older and her eyesight is failing. We do not ride her.

    Sponsored by Melinda Tomaino, Haley Harger, and Vanessa Stevens

  • Logan arrived at the farm in July of 2024 after we rescued him from a kill lot in Tennessee.

    He is settling into his new home.

  • Sponsored by Nina Atkins.

    Jackson is one of Renee’ personal horses. He is gentle and good for beginners.

  • Rescue Breed Pony, b. 2002

    Partially sponsored by Julie Phillips

    Mr. Sprinkles belonged to a farm down the road from H&S sanctuary. Again and again, H&S staff would drive by this farm and witness Mr. Sprinkles, a tiny pony, either being ridden by a 300+ lb. man or flat out neglected. Renee reached out three times before the owner agreed to sell him.

    Despite his past experiences, Mr. Sprinkles has always had an upbeat and positive disposition. He has two settings: work mode and pasture pony. In the pasture, he is the ringleader but in his work mode he wouldn’t hurt a fly.

    He is a familiar face to virtually all visitors at the sanctuary. He participates in riding lessons, birthdays parties, fundraisers, and special events. He has the appetite of an elephant and would meow if it meant getting food.

Interested in getting up close and personal with our equines?

Add an Equine Meet & Greet to your farm visit! Get inside the paddocks with our Equine Team to get to know the herd, learn about grooming and learn about our equine programs and volunteer opportunities at the farm.

Meet Our Miniature Horse Herd!

Below are the miniature horses who have joined the Hope & Serenity family. All of our miniature horses are housed with our donkey herd, which provides visitors with the opportunity to spend quality time with them.

What is a Mini Horse?

A miniature horse is a breed or type of horse characterized by its small size. Usually, it has been bred to display in miniature, the physical characteristics of a full-sized horse, but to be little over 40 in in height, or even less! Although such horses have the appearance of small horses, they are genetically much more similar to pony breeds such as the Shetland.

  • b. 2018

    Sponsored by Natalie Plochoki, Ben & Juliette Garamore, and Sara Fernandez.

    Duncan came to us from a kill lot. He is a big personality in a tiny body and is the head of the mini horse (and donkey) herd. He is a little chunky which makes him look like a giant marshmallow with Fabio hair. He loves people, food, and the ladies. He is a big flirt and will follow the female donkeys and horses around any time he gets the chance!

  • b. 2005

    Sponsored by Katrina Crosby, Linda Plochocki, and Savanna Trochan.

    Fancy, like Jetson, is one of the first miniature horses to live at H&S. Fancy was surrendered to us by the same owner who surrendered Gabby. The owner was selling all of her horses, including three miniature horses and Fancy was the only one not spoken for. It took a lot of time and effort to catch Fancy and bring her to the sanctuary. She was nervous in the beginning but has quickly bonded with a lot of people at H&S, especially children. She is sweet to people but can be spunky with the other horses. And she is adorably bouncy when she walks.

  • sponsored by Katrina Crosby and Lexie from Healing Works Foundattion

    Jetson was an impromptu rescue; while at a kill lot rescuing a different horse, Megan discovered Jetson, who was being overlooked due to his young age (he was 2 at the time) and for having a spot in his eye. Megan bought him on the spot.

    When he first came to the farm, Jetson was still a baby and unhandled, so he was not used to human contact. For the first few years at the farm, he lived with the big herd because we only had two miniature horses. He would not approach people or allow them near him. Luckily, Jetson is a very intelligent horse which made it much easier to work with him without invading his comfort zone.

    With the arrival of Duncan, Ripley and Bryer, Fancy and Jetson were moved to the donkey herd and the change in Jetson was quick and obvious. Within days, he was like a completely different horse. He and Duncan are head over heels for each other and play constantly. And most significantly, he approaches people and allows them to pet and feed him. We are so happy to see such a positive change in our smart little guy.