Owning a horse was a childhood dream that I was fortunate enough to turn into a reality upon gaining a financially stable career as a nurse. Little did I know...
In October 2023, a 26-year-old gelding, now named Valiant Victor, arrived at Days End Farm Horse Rescue (DEFHR) in Woodbine, Maryland, with seven other horses that had been seized by...
When it comes to creating a major cultural shift, don’t discount the little things. Often, a handful of small-yet-thoughtful actions can be just as effective as, or more than, major...
In April 2018, officers from Maryland’s Frederick County Animal Control responded to a call for assistance from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office regarding a report of neglected horses. Four deceased...
Dear 15-Year-Old(ish) Me, How’ve you been? I suppose it’s summertime in Upstate New York, now, which means you’ll likely be at the barn all day, every day. You won’t come...
It didn’t take long into the drive to feel that familiar catch of a lump in my throat. I felt queasy, paranoid. I was bracing with white knuckles against the...
In the spring of 2023, Days End Farm Horse Rescue (DEFHR), in Woodbine, Maryland, responded to a request from the Animal Control office in Jefferson County, West Virginia, concerning a...
I hate looking at photos of myself. So when equestrian photographer Laurie Thomson posted a candid picture of me and a Gypsy Vanner on Facebook last year, I picked myself...
In April 2023, Days End Farm Horse Rescue (DEFHR), Woodbine, Maryland, responded to a request from Carroll County Animal Control to take in seven neglected horses from a private farm...
When we see equines in the Gaza Strip today, it is via images of donkeys pulling large barrels of water and horses serving as life-saving ambulances. But hidden in the...
It was the worst possible time to buy a new horse, in retrospect. Late March 2020, the world was in a very uncertain place. But for me, with the doors...
Scroll through the memes on any horse girl’s social media feed and you’ll likely stumble across the same old tropes. Go to the barn and you’ll never come back. Own...
In late 2022, Days End Farm Horse Rescue (DEFHR), Woodbine, Maryland, responded to a request for help from The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). HSUS needed on-site assistance...
There are few things more rewarding in show jumping than the feeling that comes from topping the podium of a big startlist in a big money jump-off class. Except, maybe,...
I should start by saying, I’m not mad. That’s not to say I wasn’t mad. I’m only human. A normal, human, female just trying to go about her day, find...
At Desert International Horse Park, you don’t have to win to champion safe, healthy sport. But you win even more when you do! Joining forces for the second year in...
I used to always tell people, I'm gonna be the first show jumper from Iran to go to the Olympics. And everybody would laugh at me. They'd say, “How do...
The world outside my hotel room window in Casper, Wyoming, was bright and blue. Sunny. Gorgeous. But it was -9 degrees, a brisk day for the locals compared to the...
