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Amira Now at Rest on Frosty’s Knoll

It is now a little over a week since we lost our beloved Amira and we are still adjusting to life without our sweet, wise old soul. Amira was such a treasured presence here at the rescue and now, the farm is quieter as there is one less sweet face and gentle nicker awaiting to greet us with the arrival of each new day.

Amira is now at rest on Frosty’s Knoll, with all her beloved friends who have gone before her, and it gives me great comfort to visit her daily. However, we are now faced with the reality of Amira’s end of life expenses which include her final veterinary care and euthanasia, coupled with her burial fees, the total of which is $921.

If anyone would like to assist us with these expenses in Loving Memory of Amira, we would be forever grateful. If you are not in a position to do so, however, we truly understand, but you can still help by sharing our message amongst family and friends in hope that they may be able to contribute to this present need.

Thank you all, for your continued love and support.

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Run Free, Beautiful Amira

Yesterday, one of the gentlest souls to ever grace Beauty’s Haven spread her wings. With hearts shattered beyond words, we released our beloved Arabian mare, Amira, to transition to Rainbow Bridge.

For just over two years, Amira called Beauty’s Haven home. Love isn’t measured by the time we have together – it is measured by trust, by quiet moments, by soft eyes that slowly learn they are finally safe, and by the memories that become part of our hearts forever.

When Amira arrived, she was little more than skin and bones, covered in open sores and carrying wounds far deeper than anyone could see. She also had severe scarring in her esophagus. Despite specialized care, endless love, and every effort to keep her comfortable, her condition progressed until she could no longer swallow. This was the very same issue which caused us to lose Betsy Rose.

Yesterday, we honored the greatest promise we can make to those we love.

Sometimes love isn’t fighting for one more day. Sometimes love is finding the strength to let go when there is nothing left to fix. It is choosing their peace over our own broken hearts.

As Amira took her final breath, I held her close and prayed she knew what she had always deserved to hear…

You are safe.
You are loved.
You matter.
You are enough.
And you will never be alone.

We like to believe that when she reached Rainbow Bridge, Beauty, Valley Girl, Betsy Rose, and so many other beloved souls came running to welcome her home – healthy, whole, and free once again.

Last night, the farm was quieter. There was one less gentle nicker, one less sweet face waiting to greet us.

But there will never be one less place for Amira in our hearts.

Thank you, sweet girl, for trusting us with the final chapter of your life. It was filled with dignity, compassion, and unconditional love. Being entrusted with your final journey was a great privilege.

Run free, beautiful Amira. Until we meet again.

1994-2026

Please click on the image above to view a tribute to our beautiful Amira.

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With Gentle Gratitude

“When we think of those companions who travelled by our side down life’s road, let us not say with sadness that they left us behind, but rather say with gentle gratitude that they once were with us.” ~ Author Unknown

We are very sorry to have to share the news that Valley Girl went to Rainbow Bridge on Thursday. We just could not fix the issues in her front feet nor keep her comfortable. It was time, even though we were not ready. She was a proud, grand old mare who was full of zest, kindness, and love.

Valley Girl was loved and will always remain in our hearts. Actually, she took a piece of my heart with her. But, I know we will meet up again someday. Our heavenly herd, sadly, just keeps getting bigger. Valley Girl now runs whole and pain free with her beloved Mishka and all her friends who have gone before her. I’m eternally grateful for the time she was with us.

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Such Very Good Boys


Some horses will test you, some will teach you,
And some will bring out the best in you.
These precious boys did it all. They will remain forever in our hearts.

This past month has been incredibly challenging as we continue to grieve the loss of Mishka and Dancer. Heartbreakingly, we recently had to say goodbye to two more cherished members of our herd, Bouie and Frodo. Bouie and Frodo were such good boys and it was so very hard to let them go. They have been inseparable companions since they joined our herd nearly twenty years ago. We’ve done everything in our power and beyond to keep them comfortable despite their health struggles, but the time had come to offer them our final act of love.

Bouie had bravely battled chronic founder and metabolic issues for years. Frodo, a survivor of an indirect lightning strike a few years back, had faced his own challenges, including founder and nerve damage from the incident, as well as COPD that developed from worsening allergies. Both have been cared for by the finest farriers, veterinarians, equine dentists, and a devoted care team, all of whom have ensured that these boys felt deeply loved every day. Recent semi-annual x-rays of their front feet confirmed that it was now time for Bouie and Frodo to join Mishka and Dancer at Rainbow Bridge. Please click here or on the image above to view our sweet boys just moments before their heavenly departure.

Though our hearts ache with this loss, the memories of Bouie, Frodo, Mishka, and Dancer will live on with us forever. We feel profoundly grateful for the time we were given with them. And I hold firm in the belief that we all will be reunited one day.

Sincerely,
Theresa

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Mishka, Our Gentle Giant

In 2014, this majestic Percheron – truly a gentle giant – captured my heart during a chance drive past a kill buyer’s property. There he stood, huddled in the corner of a paddock by the road, his spirit visibly shattered. Drawn irresistibly to him, I saw beyond the unhealthy coat that masked his underweight frame: open sores marred his frail body, a heartbreaking testament to his suffering. He desperately needed help, and that’s our calling at Beauty’s Haven – to extend a lifeline to horses like him, pulling them from the brink and into a world of compassion and care.

We named him Mishka. He was vetted and his dental and feet needs were taken care of. We doctored his sores, tended to his feet, put him on a controlled diet, and showered him with love. Day by day he grew stronger, his spirit ignited, and he blossomed into a vibrant, loving horse that everyone simply adored.

Mishka was more than a survivor; he was a quiet and calming healer for countless people, dispensing the purest form of solace: boundless, unwavering love. He was also a devoted friend to all horses that came here as you can clearly see in the video by clicking on the image above.

I later discovered that Mishka was once owned by a renowned NBA star that once live in Florida, who undoubtedly never imagined his equine companion could fall into such dire straits. Regrettably, his story underscores the critical need to verify that anyone receiving your horse is fully dedicated to its lifelong well-being. Equally important, in my opinion, is ensuring that you, yourself, are prepared to offer a horse exemplary care throughout its entire life before ever acquiring one. It’s the sole reliable guarantee against your beloved horse ending up in a horrible situation such as Mishka did.

We were truly blessed to share so many precious years with this gentle giant, whose kind spirit touched us all. Though he battled chronic foot problems throughout his time with us, our devoted care team poured everything we had into easing his discomfort.

As the years took their toll and his struggles intensified, our hearts ached at the thought of losing him – but our love ran deeper still, guiding us to grant him the peace he deserved. Now, free from all pain, he runs alongside our cherished Beauty’s Haven herd that awaits us at Rainbow Bridge. Run free, beautiful boy. You shall forever remain in our hearts.

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Run Free, Beautiful Girl

Please keep Dancer in your prayers as she transitions to Rainbow Bridge. She rotated and sunk in her front foot and sadly, there was nothing more that we could do.

Run free, beautiful girl. You shall forever remain in our hearts.

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Collage of Miskha, a dark bay Percheron, with Theresa Batchelor. Captioned "Grief is the price we pay for love."

Godspeed, Beautiful Boy

Collage of Miskha, a dark bay Percheron, with Theresa Batchelor. Captioned "Grief is the price we pay for love."

Our beloved Mishka has sadly transitioned to Rainbow Bridge. We are all completely devastated at this time and do need time to grieve. A more detailed post will be forthcoming. Thank you all for your understanding.

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Flint, the Boy with the Most Beautiful Smile

Flint, a very special and sweet Quarter Horse gelding with a heart of gold, went to Rainbow Bridge early Friday morning. He came to us back in December, literally skin on bones. He was a wise, grateful, and loving soul who always seemed to be smiling – and such a beautiful smile he had. His rehabilitation went well and he became wonderful friends with Kalista and Amira. He had been living a good and happy life.

Temperatures warmed up recently and when that happens, I think we all tend to slow down a little – both humans and horses alike. We’ve been dealing with some other issues which I will share at a later time, but we have been diligently checking each and every horse every morning for any signs of illness.

At the morning meal on Thursday, Pam contacted me on the radio to inform me that Flint didn’t finish his breakfast and had walked away and laid down. This was not a good sign.

He was in a paddock at the south end of the property where he stayed with Kalista and Amira. I immediately went to assess him and he was up when I arrived. His respiration was slightly elevated, his gums looked good, and his temperature was normal, but he clearly wasn’t himself. I walked him up to the barn after giving him some Banamine and on the way, he wanted to graze, so we stopped for a bit and he passed poop which was a good thing. Afterward, he was tucked into a nice clean stall with fresh water so we could monitor him. He perked up, ate all of his mushy lunch, passed more manure, ate hay, and drank water. Since his eyes were bright, we let him out of the stall. He grazed for a bit and passed more manure.

By late evening, he wasn’t himself once again. Jessica was here and took his temperature and checked his vitals. His temperature was normal, his gums were pink and moist, but his HR and RR were slightly elevated. With this info, I called the vet and we followed instructions regarding what medications to administer and we were instructed to withhold hay and grain and to keep him stalled for the night. He passed more poop and drank more water before lights went out at about midnight.

When I checked on him at 6:15 yesterday morning, he had passed more poop and drank more water. He looked tired and worried, but not painful. I was going to call the hospital at 7:30 am but shortly after 7:00 am, he collapsed. There was no struggling at all – he was just gone. My heart shattered. We don’t know if it was a possible GI issue such as a rupture from a strangulating lipoma, his heart – or perhaps internal bleeding from a ruptured aorta, or some other issue. He was twenty-seven years old.

Flint now runs with our heavenly herd at Rainbow Bridge with Beauty in the lead. While our hearts are torn, we are grateful for the few months that we had with him.

Flint knew love, received daily attention from multiple humans, was served nutritious meals multiple times a day, and he had many horse friends. He will forever remain in each of our hearts.

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A Year Ago Today


It was a year ago today that Beauty went to Rainbow Bridge but it seems like a lifetime ago.

I will never miss her any less. She brought so much happiness to my life for more than twenty years. Losing your heart horse really shakes your world and changes so many things. At least it did for me.

Please click on the image above to view a video of my beloved Beauty.

Benjamin

Many thanks to everyone for the kind words and prayers in the loss of our Benjamin. We were very blessed to have had him for the time we did – I’m just sorry that it wasn’t longer but God had other plans for him. I do miss him, very much. Grief, is truly, the price we pay for love.

Sincerely,
Theresa

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Our Hearts are Forever Broken

Love leaves precious memories. I have no words tonight, only heartache.

Yesterday, I took our sweet Benjamin to the hospital for the second time this week. He had been sick after chewing up part of a pillow from a cat bed. We were unaware of just how much he had ingested, but he thankfully, threw up, as well as passed, some of the pillow contents. Sadly, he began vomiting after having eaten his meal, so we took Benjamin to the vet on Monday where x-rays were taken and fluids were administered – he was quite dehydrated. As nothing was found on the x-rays, and his bloodwork was good, medication to alleviate his nausea was prescribed which would hopefully, enable Benjamin to begin eating once again. Sadly, he continued to refuse his meals and subsequently, he lost quite a bit of weight. I continued to run fluids while constantly monitoring his vitals.

As there still was no sign of improvement, Benjamin was taken to the hospital again yesterday, whereupon, a second set of x-rays were performed which now revealed a blockage. Benjamin immediately went into surgery and the vet felt confidently, that all had gone well. Benjamin was released to return home at the end of the day. We got him comfortably settled into the home office and monitored him closely as he rested. A couple of hours later, as I was talking to him, holding his head across my lap, Benjamin, unexpectedly, but peacefully, transitioned to Rainbow Bridge.

And, there’s more.

Most of you are aware that Gabe has been fighting COPD ever since he arrived at Beauty’s Haven three years ago. Against all odds, we were able to get his COPD under control to a degree where he was comfortable. A few months ago, however, Gabe’s condition worsened, so our last hope was to send him to a foster home where there would be less dust. While there, Gabe initially was so much better, but he recently started to take a dive. Our care team determined that Gabe was at the point where his quality of life was just not where it should be and would only further deteriorate. We made the sad and painful decision to release him from his pain and yesterday morning. Surrounded by those who loved him dearly, our beloved Gabe peacefully transitioned to Rainbow Bridge.

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