From Mary: “It’s not easy being the cutest sheep in the flock! That was meant as a little sheep humor but I truly am grateful for this wonderful body that I am in. I love being alive. I love the sun on my body when I’m out grazing with my friends on a nice day. I love being with my other sheep friends. I love hearing birds singing. And I really enjoy watching butterflies. I find them so magical. There is so much to be grateful for in life. My heart fills with the beauty and wonder of nature. And I love feeling so close to the Earth. On really quiet winter days, when the conditions are just right, I swear I hear the heartbeat of the Earth. If you humans could learn to be more quiet, I bet you could hear and feel that too. It is magnificent and deeply loving. It is good to feel our connection to the Earth. She is our mother and it is good to feel her love. I am most grateful for all of that.”
Animal Message of the Day: Lorinda
From Lorinda: “People sometimes mistakingly think that I have trouble getting around. That is a misperception just because I get around differently than most other cats. But for me, my normal is just fine. This is who I am. Life is actually very good for me. For a while in my life, I lived out on the streets. That was not much fun. I’m just not the type to have to fend off more senior cats to get my share of the food. I didn’t like that part of my life. But what I have found now is really a life that suits me well. I never take for granted a bowl of food or a loving touch. I love to share my gratitude and joy with others as well. Even the smallest act of kindness is cherished. I think the more kindness we can share, the more we all benefit. Let’s all focus on being kind today… and every day!”
Animal Message of the Day: Ginny
From Ginny: “I answer this question each year and am always grateful to be asked. But this year, I have even more reason to be grateful. I am literally grateful to be alive. You see, earlier this year I had a bad thing happen in my intestines and I almost died. I had to go to a big clinic and have a very large surgery. It was really scary but everyone took good care of me. Here I am now, all back to normal again. Although things feel good again, I actually will never be back to how I was. Because although I was always happy and grateful to be here, when I suddenly saw how close I came to not being here anymore, it made coming home even more special. I savor every day here at this farm. I love it all. So I can honestly say, thanks to many humans who made it all possible, that I am alive today because of all the help I received. I am eternally grateful!”
Animal Message of the Day: Cumin
From Cumin: “I may seem little but being a guinea pig is a big job. We have a lot of wisdom to share with the world. Often, we are around children and that gives us an opportunity to impart the seeds of kindness and compassion and joy into their lives. It is hard to be sad around a guinea pig who is exuding joy and happiness. We are built for that! Besides all of that, I am equally grateful for good morsels of food. Food tastes so good! And I love tasting a variety of foods. Life is full of good things. But we need to take the time to stop and recognize that.”
Animal Message of the Day: Flannigan
From Flannigan: “Life for me is all about appreciation. It’s so important to focus on the things you have in life than for the things you don’t have. Now you may think that makes sense coming from a one-eyed-cat and that some human put those words to this. But I assure you this is me. If I am missing one eye, then I need to trust what I see from the one eye I have. And it is up to me to then be sure I see things as they are. Now, I can look at life from and angle of thinking I’m only seeing half of what I should see. Or, I can choose to understand that my remaining eye is seeing twice as much. You see, I am blessed. And I choose to look at all the good things in life with the one eye I have. That is what I am most grateful to experience.”
Animal Message of the Day: Xander
From Xander: “I am most grateful for times of peace and quiet. All of my animal friends here in the barn are deeply connected to one another. We form a circle of energy that we are very aware of at all times. And we know how to use this circle of energy. It is the combined energy of our hearts. When we combine them all together, it is a huge force. It is a force that can be welcoming and embracing like when we have visitors who come in looking to find something in their own hearts. We circle around them and hold them close. They always leave here finding something that they need. It is our gift to them. And we can also use that circle to keep negativity out of our space. We do not have time for anger and judgment and therefore we do not give that any space within our circle. We look out for one another. I am grateful to share that energy with all who wish to enter our circle with an open heart and curious mind.”
Animal Message of the Day: Lucy Goose
Animal Message of the Day
From Lucy Goose: “It is a supreme honor to be a goose. Being a goose brings with it a lot of trust and responsibility. We are entrusted with keeping order and being vigilant of our surroundings. People have said I am a protector of the farm. But it is way more than that. You see, I am an energy holder. I am aware of the deepest energy of this farm. In return for paying homage to the origin of the energy of this pace, the farm energy in turn nurtures me. Being a goose is a privilege that I am grateful for every single day. What an opportunity! What a great experience! I have learned so much. I am grateful for every second of every single day. I wish that each of you hearing my words can be grateful for your life too. I am grateful to each of you.”
Animal Message of the Day: Freddie
From Freddie: “I am grateful to have been given another chance at life. People gave up on me a long time ago when I couldn’t fulfill their dreams. I wasn’t fast enough. I wasn’t tough enough. But I can tell you I tried. No matter what I did it wasn’t good enough. They sent me to an auction where there were a lot of scared animals. I was scared too. By now I thought my fate was sealed. But then someone bought me again and took me to a big field with other animals. And then they didn’t come back. I had never just been left like this before. I wasn’t doing well. I thought I was going to die. I gave up. What did I do so wrong that got me here. I couldn’t figure it out. But like a miracle, I was suddenly taken out of that place and brought here. You know what the best part is? I don’t have to do anything to be loved. I don’t have to be fast or athletic or bend in ways I can’t bend. I just need to be me. This is like a dream. But this time instead of living for someone else’s dream of what I should be, I am finding my own dream. I keep thinking I’ll need to leave but the other horses and donkeys tell me I get to stay here now forever. This is what I’ve always wanted. I can’t believe I found it. Believe in your dreams. No matter what it might look like now, it can change in ways you cannot imagine.”
Animal Message of the Day – Angelo
Animal Message of the Day – Each animal is asked what they are most grateful for.
From Angelo: “Peace. I am most grateful for peace. I am an old man now. I have seen a lot. I have been through a lot. And the one thing that has brought me through the most difficult of times is a moment of peace. The thing is that peace is always there. In fact, I think that peace is the true and natural way of the universe. When we can’t find peace, it is because we are disconnected from the deepest part of ourselves. “How can a cat know this?” you ask. Because cats know the melody of peace. We understand how to harmonize with the universe. And we love to share it with all of you. That is what I am most grateful for in life. Come harmonize with me or your own cats. You will find peace.”Animal Messages Start Tomorrow
From Jessie: “Hi everyone! I’m Jessie and Dawn is my person. She has been talking to a lot of animals around here and getting lots of messages from them to share with you. I hope you don’t miss any of the messages to come. All of the animals at the farm are excited to share our thoughts and feelings about what we are grateful for in life. I can tell you that I am grateful to be a part of all of this. I am most grateful for my family. To be loved is like being surrounded by sunshine even when it rains. Last year at this time I was very sad as I had lost my two last dog companions in the months before. I was so sad to be alone. But since then, we adopted two other dogs that really needed homes. I told my Mom to post a picture of the three of us. Because I am most grateful to have them with me. I am the yellow lab. Maya is the black dog. And Charlie is the brown one. Don’t tell them I said so, but they are what I am most grateful for this year. But I think they know that anyway.”
Coming Soon! Annual Daily Animal Messages
Coming soon is our annual tradition of a message a day from one of the Spring Farm CARES animal residents. Animal communicator and co-founder, Dawn Hayman, asks the animals to share what they are most grateful for in their life and/or what messages of wisdom they’d like to share. Many of you have told us that this is a part of your holiday tradition now. We cannot think of a better tribute to our animals than to share their wisdom with all of you.
Each day, from November 23rd – December 31st, a message will be posted on our Facebook Page as well as right here on our website.
Stay tuned!
Welcome to Bunny and Mister!
Welcome Bunny and Mister! This week we welcomed two senior Standardbred horses to our sanctuary.
Bunny is 28 years old and Mister is 27 years old. Both were in urgent need of a place to live out their lives together. Bunny and Mister both had racing careers early in their lives. Bunny even was used for breeding. But Bunny foundered badly and Mister broke both front pasterns and required surgery that made it possible to live out to pasture but never to be driven or ridden again.
Both ended up living together for the past 20 years on a small farm with large pasture for them. The plan was for them to live out their days there. These two are very bonded. But life turned upside down for them when, sadly, their owner passed away, their farm had to be sold, and there was no place for them to go as they reached the final turn and headed into the home stretch of their lives.
Bunny has significant problems and pain with her feet and is thoroughly enjoying soft bedding and the comfort of a stall to lie down and get the weight off of her feet. Mister is right next to her watching over her and enjoying all the pampering and visits from our doting care team. They have already been thoroughly vetted, and have had special farrier care for their feet and other treatments to help keep them comfortable.
We are honored to do our best to make their final days happy and comfortable ones and to give them whatever care they need.
Once again, you have helped save two souls who were at the end of their options and in need of immediate care. Because of you, we were able to give them the safe place they urgently needed.
Memorial to Waylon
It is with great sadness that we share the news that we lost our horse Waylon. Waylon was thought to be around 20 years old, but no one knew for sure his exact age. He came to us with his friend Mia after they were rescued from a horrific neglect situation. When Waylon walked in the door, we knew that it was even questionable if he’d be able to survive. His physical condition was extremely poor and his prognosis very guarded. Mia, was just a little bit better than he was. They always remained together here as they were obviously very bonded friends. Mia always watched over Waylon.
Waylon came through amazing odds and recovered. He was now the picture of health. Where once he was just a living skeleton, he now was thriving and gorgeous. He enjoyed going out to pasture with Mia every day and he loved and appreciated all the care that he received from his human caretakers. He was a gentle soul. Waylon was easy going, trusting, a partner to whomever he was working with. He loved his new life, and he made that obvious to all.
Waylon approached each day with joy and gratitude. For two years, we have been humbled to spend that healing time with him and watch him shine. We could walk out to the barn or look up at him grazing with Mia on the hillside and always be reminded of why we are here doing the work we do. He loved his life here. And he was deeply loved.
Due to bad weather on the 27th, the horses stayed in the barn. It was noticed that Waylon was not acting like his usual self. He was still eating but he seemed more tired. And then he began showing symptoms of digestive issues. Again, nothing was alarming and our veterinary team began treating him for his symptoms. He went out to pasture the morning of the 28th. He and Mia spent time on their favorite hillside pasture. He seemed better. But now we understand that there was something more serious going on than we realized. He came back in to the barn at the usual time. But when he was fed, it was noticed immediately that he wouldn’t eat. He quickly deteriorated within a few hours. And before we could even wrap our heads around things, it was obvious that whatever was wrong, we could not fix it. What we first thought was something simple, turned out to be something life-ending. We had to make the painful choice to help him out of his suffering.
Our hearts go out to Mia as she now adjusts to life without her best friend. She played a key role in his survival. She busted through a fence where they were to get him help. And she did great! She was Waylon’s true hero and she never left his side.
It is never easy saying good-bye and we had hoped to have him with us so much longer. But what we do know is that he had overcome great odds. And he left this lifetime knowing he was loved and cherished. Rest easy Waylon, we will continue to watch over Mia just as you asked us to do.
Welcome Freddie
Today we welcomed a new horse in our sanctuary. Freddie came to us from the Susquehanna SPCA where he had been rescued from a neglect situation. Freddie is not only emaciated but also has a severe laceration on his cheek, which is why he has that big bandage on his head. Freddie is thought to be in his mid-20’s.Freddie will stay with us for the remainder of his life. He has a lot of healing to do and is not out of the woods yet. In addition to his poor condition, he also has Lyme Disease and Cushings Disease. Freddie will need a lot of intensive care and loving.
Thanks to your support, we were able to give Freddie a soft place to land, all the medical care he needs, and most of all – a place where he is loved. He is the most gentle and loving horse.
It is never easy to see animals come here in such bad condition. But we set our sights forward with Freddie now, knowing he is safe and loved, and we will walk with him through his healing and watch him evolve into the beautiful soul that he is.
Please send him your love and encouragement. He needs all the help he can get!
Memorial to Ziek
Today we had the incredibly difficult task to say goodbye to our Quarter Horse friend Ziek. Ziek was 24 years old, which is still young by Spring Farm CARES standards. He arrived here seven years ago, with a donkey we renamed Noah, after their owners could no longer care for them.
Ziek and Noah were very bonded because they only had each other. But once they arrived here at the farm, they each took up friendships with their own kind. Noah was overjoyed to be accepted into our donkey herd and became the wise mentor for our young donkey Murfee. While Ziek was thrilled to be in a herd of horses again.
Ziek had several medical issues that he was dealing with over the years. He had bad environmental allergies and Cushings Disease. More recently, Ziek started to show what we initially thought were lameness issues. However, these worsened and obviously showed themselves to be neurological in nature. Sadly, we discovered that Ziek most likely had a tumor that was affecting his spine. This past week, he deteriorated rapidly. And suddenly we woke up today to find that he could barely even walk around in his stall. Every movement became a monumental struggle as the messages just couldn’t get from his brain to his body, but his will was still so strong. Sheer will and determination were keeping him up and eating. But it was a challenge for him just to stand.
There was not a single thing anyone could do to help. Nothing we could offer but to help him leave this body behind. Ziek loved his life here. In fact, he loved it so much that he just didn’t want to leave. And while he knew and understood that he could not go on and he was only moments away from not even being able to stand up, he fought to stand and take in every last sight and sound that he could until his very last breath.
“I’m taking it all in,” he told Dawn. “Savoring every last taste of what you all mean to me. I thought I’d have so much longer, but I don’t. I trust you to help me now. But I need you to know I never would have wanted to go. So a part of me now will stay with you. Right in your heart. I need you to hold me there so that a part my energy will remain here safe with you. This farm is sacred to the heart of the horse. I think that you still don’t truly understand that. But we animals do. Every single day I spent here was a gift. From the minute the sun came up and the rooster began to crow and the donkeys announced the arrival of our human friends to feed us, I would face each day with knowing it was all going to be good. From the sounds of the birds and the breeze through the barn and the sound of the gentle creek flowing through the pastures. And oh how I love my horse friends. It is here that I found people who truly understood me. The first part of my life I couldn’t find that. I was never good enough to be what people wanted me to be. But here …. Here is where I learned that I only had to be me. I could breathe. And I could just be. I could spend lifetimes here with you and it would never be enough. But, and this is so important, as you help me to leave this body, I want you to know how grateful I am for it all. I will leave here filled with gratitude. My heart full. My body spent. And my spirit grateful to know the grace and love from all of you. No, I would never want to leave. But I know I must now go. Hold space for me. You’ll still feel me here. Of that I’m sure. Thank you for all you’ve done and for all you are. Now let’s be still and breathe together. Love. Gratitude. Peace.”
Ziek left us with dignity and grace, surrounded by love and all of his caretakers, as well as his horse companion Brandy. He left knowing he was treasured and that he would be missed as much as he’d miss being here. He left with a flood of our tears. And the very last words he heard were of our Veterinarian Dr. Christine saying, “Good boy Ziek. Good boy!”
And a horse who walked into this farm feeling lost and uncertain of who he was, left here filled with the knowing of who he was, that he was loved and cherished just for being himself, and that he could rest on a job very well done. Indeed, he was a very good boy.
Graze easy in that big pasture with your friends now Ziek. We will always hold you here. Forever in our hearts and history. Until we see you again…..
Eternal Connections
Every time we lose a horse here, it feels like a monumental event. Today, after losing Lizzie just two days ago, I was out on my walk and walked past the gravesites of so many of our horses, including the freshly covered grave of Lizzie. As I looked up at the sky on this incredible day, a song started streaming through my inner thoughts. These lyrics rang so true…Lost
On a painted sky
Where the clouds are hung
For the poet’s eye
You may find him
If you may find him
(Be – by Neal Diamond from the soundtrack of Jonathan Livingston Seagull)
What a fitting song. I’ve walked this land and called this farm home for nearly 35 years now. And as I stood beneath those clouds today, I could feel our beloved ghost brigade in spirit still looking out after us all. Blessing us with the energy from their hearts. Gone from our sight but never far from our hearts and the ground they called their final home.
For anyone missing a loved one …. look inside your heart and your love for them and you’ll feel them loving you right back. That connection never dies.
Dawn
Memorial to Lizzie – April 14, 2023
Today we sadly said good-bye to Lizzie, a dear soul, who came to us rather lost and lonely but who left surrounded by friends and with lots of love around her.
Lizzie was rather stoic and somewhat withdrawn. She came here in 2019 and in the four years we shared with her, we saw that shell start to crack a bit. When she came here she was depressed, had severe stomach ulcers, and (as we found out in short order) she had untreated Cushing’s Disease as well. We had to start addressing these issues one at a time. At first, Lizzie seemed like a fairly grumpy mare. But most of that was because she just didn’t feel good. As the medications began to make her feel better, and she realized she was being helped, Lizzie began to soften.
Although she was not a fan of being turned out with other horses, she did appreciate her equine family and settled in as part of the herd. She had very serious ligament and joint problems in her lower hind legs that sadly necessitated that she could only go out on flat land. For those of you familiar with Spring Farm CARES, everything here is on a hill. She also could not go out on grass due to her Cushing’s Disease and the threat of foundering. So we built Lizzie her own little paddock behind the barn where she could see all of her friends and still stand or roll out in the sun and fresh air.
Like all of the animals here, Lizzie found her way into people’s hearts and we watched her work magic every so often when she found a heart that needed mending. One day we watched as a young girl came to visit on a tour. Lizzie usually was not interested in participating in tours and letting people pet her. She generally preferred to stand back in her stall and observe. So it was striking on this day when the young girl approached Lizzie’s stall and Lizzie immediately walked over, stuck her head out, and began nuzzling the young girl’s shoulder. This gentle communion between these two hearts and souls lasted about 15 minutes. Those of us who knew Lizzie stood in wonder as we watched how gentle she was with this girl. And we could see that the girl was totally wrapped up in Lizzie’s energy as well. Two hearts melding in a very special moment. Later, we learned that the girl had just suffered a tragic loss in her family and her heart was hurting. Lizzie understood that pain and reached out to let her know she was not alone.
Lizzie was 28 years old. Recently, we discovered that she had a mass in her sinus area which was inoperable. None of us were prepared for how quickly it spread to her lungs. Today, she very rapidly progressed to having respiratory distress and we knew it was time to let her go. We know that Lizzie left us feeling loved and appreciated for who she was. We know she touched many hearts in her time here with us. And we know that Lizzie has now found the peace and rest she so deserves.
Thank you Lizzie for letting us in through the crack in the wall. We felt your heart expand and breathe and you will always be a part of this farm forever. Fly free.
Ginny Homecoming
Last Saturday, our horse Ginny was found with a bad colic. It was determined that she would need surgery or euthanasia. We sent her for surgery where it was determined she had a strangulating lipoma that had entrapped 6 feet of her intestines. Luckily, her intestines were still ok and they were able to remove the lipoma and free her intestines.
One week later, she is home. She has a long recovery ahead but she is doing well. This is a video of her homecoming with her best friend Nell and all of the others in our smaller barn that Ginny calls home.
Donkeys Spring Fling
After spending months in our larger barn and arena area for the winter, the seven mini-donkeys got to go back to their spring/summer/fall location with their small barn and paddocks where they enjoy the good weather together. As you can see, they were very excited. Enjoy!
Animal Message of the Day: Piper
From Piper: “If you ever meet me in person you will notice one very big thing about me. I never let anything get me down. I was born without eyes, yet I see more profoundly than most others. My world is rich with sounds and smells and sensitivities to everything. I can play with toys. I can run to the top of the cat trees with great agility and accuracy. Nothing can stop me. You might think I’m limited because I can’t see. But it has never once limited me at all. But that kind of thinking limits whoever is thinking it. Please don’t put your limitations on me. I’m free without them. And you’d be free without them too!”
Animal Message of the Day: Nell
From Nell: “I only have one eye. I am grateful to still have vision in that one eye. However, it is likely that I will eventually go blind. I don’t live my life in fear of what I will no longer be able to see. Instead, I try to take stock in watching everything I can with this one eye and pairing it up with sounds and smells so that I can always remember what this is like. Yesterday, I watched leaves rolling through my pasture in the wind. I could smell them. I could hear them. And I realized it was a joy to watch them and not take them for granted. Each moment in our lives is a gift to be grateful for. No matter if it is big or small, nothing is inconsequential to the whole of life. Nothing. Remember that so that you never forget that.”
Animal Message of the Day: Clark
From Clark: “The thing I really like to do is to make people laugh. Being a goat is a blast. Our bodies are made just right. It gives me great joy to be a goat because it is the way I can be the best me that I can be. I feel I live a life of purpose. I love playing. I love being funny. And I can also be quite serious too. But right now, there is way too much seriousness going on. Maybe the world needs more goats. Or maybe people need to listen to goats more. I’m grateful for every single day I get to be me.”
Animal Message of the Day: Noah
From Noah: “I am most grateful to share friendships with such a variety of wonderful beings. I have donkey friends and horse friends and human friends. Each of them are so unique. No two of them are alike. I love meeting visitors as well. What I have learned is that when I approach them with kindness, then they open up and share their kindness with me. I love that! Every day is an opportunity to learn something new and to be kind. Let’s see what you can do with your opportunities today!”
Animal Message of the Day: Varunie
From Varunie: “I love life. Life is by itself enough reason to be grateful. But I also love my friends. I prefer doing my own thing most of the time. But I am a part of the bigger world around me by watching and participating in my very own way. From my porch, I see so much of what goes on at the farm. I see more than my human friends really understand. I see and feel the energy of this place. And I ground myself in that. There is peace. There is kindness. There is love. Yet, many of the humans I see just walk right past it and never notice. The funny thing is that they are looking for those very things in their lives. They are looking for peace. Looking for kindness. Looking for love. You humans are not very observant if I may say so. You can be standing right within the very thing you are yearning for and you do not see it. Instead you keep telling yourselves that it is not there. You are missing it. You don’t deserve it. It will never happen. You just need to let it happen! I try screaming that over and over again. Just let yourself be ok! You are ok! I’m grateful to know this truth.”