Bonnie and Jennifer

I first heard about Brook Hill Farm after seeing an obviously undernourished horse standing in a small dirt enclosure along a desolate stretch of country road. All the way home, I wondered to myself... what does one do when they suspect a horse is being abused or neglected? Who would you call? It's not like a stray dog or cat. When I got home, I Googled "horse rescue, Lynchburg, VA" and up popped a link to Brook Hill Farm. After looking at their web site, I made an appointment to go visit the next weekend to talk about possibly sponsoring a horse, and what that would involve. I work full-time, live alone, and don't have much spare time or money, so I was hesitant. Then I met Bonnie, or Miss B. as I like to call her. This adorable little horse had been found in a field with a 'healed' broken knee. I thought about the pain she must have endured while she waited for the bones to knit back together, and how frightened she must have been. But clearly this was one strong little horse who, fortunately, was rescued and taken to Brook Hill. I have to say, when I first started working with her, she had a look in her eye that seemed to say, "Whatever - I can't fight you and I just don't care anymore. Do what you want with me." That was April 2009.
So I started going out to see her as often as I could. Since she can't be ridden, all I could do was groom her, but each time I went out, she seemed a little bit less depressed, until one day, I actually saw a sparkle in her eye and when I lead her out of the pasture for her "beauty parlor treatment," I noticed I wasn't leading her -- she was leading ME! I actually had to say "whoa" a few times! That's what Brook Hill does for these horses -- they give them back their lost spirit. They let them know that someone cares. They give them a "herd"
where they can be part of a family and bond with horses of similar ages, temperaments, and disabilities. When I go out to see Miss B. now, I no longer have to cautiously approach her with an outstretched carrot, but can walk into the pasture and call her name and wait until she comes to me! And this is to say nothing about what Brook Hill does for the kids and older horse lovers like myself. As someone once said, there is nothing better for the inside of a person than the outside of a horse.
Whenever I go to Brook Hill, I always come home exhausted, dirty, and smelling like a horse, and oh, so very, very, VERY happy.

Springtime is coming! We are all looking forward to seeing the green grass return. Though not as bad a winter as last year’s, it will be good to not have to bundle up in so much outerwear to stay warm. It seemed that on some of the coldest days, everything was doubled: 2 pair of socks on, 2 pair of gloves on, 2 layers of clothes under that heavy winter coat. I am very thankful for winter riding boots that kept my toes warm and dry. You would think that activity would slow down at the farm during the winter season, but it’s not so at Brook Hill. Rehabilitative riding continued daily in all but the worst weather. It was with great teamwork that all the volunteers at BHF would blanket the horses when the severe cold/wet approached, then remove the same when the temperatures leveled out. What a great bunch of people I am privileged to work with. Such a family spirit here. We all have our own “chores” here to do, but everyone eagerly helps others whenever the need arises. Every horse is lovingly cared for, each and every day, whether ridden or not.

I was skeptical that I could fall in love again after my previous horse – one I’d spent 15 wonderful years with – passed away many years ago. After that, years of child-rearing precluded any involvement with horses for what seemed a lifetime. Then, I found Brook Hill Farm. I have now come full-circle, and sometimes cannot believe the blessing of being able to once again participate in something that is so deep in my bones. Now being 25 years older than what I was in those good old riding days, I must confess to not being very confident in my riding abilities or physical capability, but slowly it all comes back. I am so thankful to once again have my “own” horse that I’m totally crazy about – and thanks, JoAnne, for your keen eye in matchmaking. Anyone who has loved a horse, lost a horse, and loves a new horse knows that the love you had for the original horse is never replaced; only that your heart expands with new love; it becomes limitless. Ain’t it grand? Love seems to be the common thread at Brook Hill. I can’t think of a single person there who isn’t there simply because he/she LOVES horses and wants to help horses in need.

Come visit us! See the work! Feel the love! If you are thinking about adopting a horse of your own, contact us! If you have horse experience, come and volunteer! We are doing so much with so little, yet we could accomplish so much more with additional funding. We have a wonderful dream for the future to expand our facility in order to help more horses and serve our community. Please consider helping us financially!