The Big Purple Barn, A Sanctuary

11/20/2024

Yesterday Jonas was feeling gassy. In the 5 or so years since we've had him, we've found hay changes and temperature changes can make him prone to bloating with gas. We had BOTH this week and despite our efforts to avoid a gas colic episode, he managed to have one. When Jonas bloats with gas, you can literally see his abdomen increase substantially in size.

Horses can't burp, they have to pass it from the rear. When their intestines distend with the gas, it can make it uncomfortable, even painful, and harder to pass it. We have a plan we worked out with our vet and through trials and tribulations when this happens. Yesterday he got a dose of oral activated charcoal (to help absorb toxins and break down the gas) along with some adaptogens (a liquid supplement to support stressand digestion). We typically give that a bit of time to work and if needed, we administer banamine to help relieve the discomfort. Luckily he didn't need the banamine yesterday and the oral cocktail did the trick!

Bodi (pictured) was so obsessed with what Jonas was getting that we decided to give him a little taste so he would stop harassing everyone. This is what he thought of the elixir 😂. Look closely, you can see some charcoal on his teeth 🤭.

Part of our work here is having a customized plan of action for each animal to help support them and maintain their optimal health and comfort. Your donations support that care!

11/20/2024

Join us for an exciting Trivia Night on November 20th at Chesepiooc Brewery in Crofton, MD. This event is a fantastic opportunity to support our sanctuary animals while enjoying delicious food and drinks. With family and pet-friendly options, it’s the perfect outing for everyone. Don’t forget, the night features amazing raffles to benefit The Big Purple Barn! Let’s make a difference together!

https://conta.cc/492gBeS

Email from The Big Purple Barn, Inc Show your smarts and your support.     Come Support Our Winter Care Fund!   We invite you to join us Wednesday night, November 20th, at Chesepiooc Brewery in Crofto

11/19/2024

Raffle items that will be available tomorrow night! Tickets will be sold at the door, so come on out to Chesepiooc Real Ale Brewery and support The Big Purple Barn! Trivia starts at 7pm sharp so make sure to get there early to get your tickets and claim your seats! If you’re not playing, you can still enter the raffles and just hang out with us and enjoy some good brews, and good food from Old Line Eats!

11/19/2024

Today we are thankful that Abby seems to finally be making steady progress towards recovery!

Last summer, she contracted Lymes from a tick bite. Her lymes titres were very high and she required aggressive antibiotic treatment. During her treatment, we discovered she also had cushings, which is common in older ponies (she's 18) and can be triggered by health crisis. Cushings reduces general immunity and so fighting the infection was more difficult and included several repeated courses of antibiotics.

During the phase of regulating her cushings and continuing to treat the lymes, she developed laminitis (a painful condition of her hooves which initially landed her in the auction we pulled her from). Her laminitis was not food induced so it was not the metabolic version. She had lymes induced laminitis which can be more of a neuropathy. We began treatment immediately with anti-inflammatory medication and nerve pain medication. We continued to manage her feed, her bedding and got her boots to provide pain relief. She had 2 total bouts of lyme induced laminitis along with one hoof abcess.

For over a year and a half we have worked tirelessly to help Abby heal and be the most comfortable we can make her. We have partnered with our vet and farrier to devise the best courses of support for her continued care and our volunteers have worked to adapt those management strategies.

We are so thankful that she finally seems to be continually improving with her care regimine. She is off all medication aside from her daily cushings meds and daily anti-inflammatory meds. The farrier was able to take a lot of her damaged hoof off in this trim and she adapted well after a few days in her boots. Her hooves are finally in the rebuilding phase!

Thanks to the support of our community, we have been able to provide Abby with all of the care and support needed to help her get back to her optimal health and condition!

Please consider a donation in support of Abby and her care 🙏 AND care for the other special needs animals at the farm!

Donate now 💜
🐎 click the button on this post
📫 mail to : 6407 Hillmeade Road Bowie MD 20720
✔️ website options: www.thebigpurplebarnbowie.org
🙌PayPal:
https://www.paypal.me/bigpurplebarnbowie

11/18/2024

Good morning from Groot!

Groot is thankful for the families and individuals that donate in support of the animals and programs here!

The holiday season is upon us and with that, the colder winter months. During this time, our programs slow down and we rely more than ever on donations to provide care for the resident animals. Groot is looking for sponsors for him and his friends to help provide care for the winter!

Since 2001, when we moved to this property to establish this farm, we a have accomplished so much with your help and support!

💜 Began working in rescue in 1991
💜 Became Bowie based in 2001
💜 Non profit since 2012
💜 Maryland Horse Discovery Center since 2014
💜 Gold seal of transparency with Candid
💜 We have helped over 50 animals live out their lives in comfort and care

We currently provide a home for
🐎 15 horses, minis and ponies
🐑 5 sheep
🐐 4 goats
🐖 1 pig

https://www.thebigpurplebarnbowie.org/s-projects-basic


Visit our website to join our sponsorship teams or message us for more information!

11/17/2024

We had an amazing day yesterday at our Fall Festival on the Farm ! Thank you to our volunteers that helped our community connect with our animals! Po-tato did a spectacular job as an ambassador for kids to meet and brush and hopefully inspired some new people to love ponies as much as we do!

11/16/2024

Setting up on this sunny, breezy saturday to see you at our Fall Festival on the Farm ! We've had to make some accommodations for the brisk breeze but it's overall a beautiful day 🌞

11/16/2024

Last night's super moon 🌚 was the last of the year and was beautiful above the farm!

Our November Fall Festival on the Farm is today! Noon to 3...come on by!

11/15/2024

Do you know how to tell these 2 apart? They look very similar! In fact we have quite a few pairs of similar looking residents! Here we have Miles and Bruce.

Come see us tomorrow during our fall festival and learn how to tell them apart!

We are thankful to be able to share our knowledge and teach people all about horses 🐎, including things lime how we describe them and what terms we use. As a Maryland Horse Discovery Center, we can't wait to help you discover horses 😀.

11/14/2024

The gang is all here and hope to see you on Saturday!

11/14/2024

Officer Presley will be managing the fun this weekend at our Fall Festival! Come see us!

11/14/2024

In the past almost 3 years, we have made life changes for this little pony! Po-tato came to us on death's doorstep and was so disconnected and disinterested in the world around him. Day by day, piece by piece, we unraveled his extensive health issues, treated his problems, and worked on helping him heal from his trauma. Today, he's almost unrecognizable! He's a happy, opinionated pony that rules over us humans in the most adorable ways. He's thriving here thanks to the care he gets daily and the community that has rallied around him to make sure he gets everything he needs! # #

11/14/2024

Don't forget to check out our Facebook event page for information about our Fall Festival this Saturday! Come meet the animals, learn about holiday sponsorship, talk with volunteers, enter holiday gift raffles, shop official merchandise, participate in hands-on activities, and more! This is a donation based entry, so come show your support!

11/14/2024

Sophia is thankful for all of the love and support she's recieved since joining the herd!

Sophia developed a sarcoid tumor on her hind right leg back in 2020 and it became softball sized, requiring surgical removal. The surgical site was in a difficult spot due to the tension caused when her leg moved and the large amount of skin that was required to be removed along with the tumor. The site ended up opening while she was in the hospital for her recovery and there was no way to close it again and keep it closed. We ended up with a complex care strategy of managing an open wound that needed to heal from the inside out.

Thanks to the generosity of our community, we were able to afford her entire surgery and aftercare. Thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers, under the guidance of our veterinarian, we were able to manage her post surgical care and she is left with just a small scar!

Sophia was adopted into our sanctuary in 2018 from the Equine Rescue League ❤️. She will remain here for the remainder of her life and recieve all the care she needs. Come meet her Saturday at our Fall Festival on the Farm and join her care team which is headed up by Gingerbread House Zoo Crafts !

11/14/2024

Today is World Kindness Day. First introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, World Kindness Day offers an opportunity to highlight good deeds in the community and the common thread of kindness. If you know our co-founder and director, Tara, you know she has worked to build a place where kindness and compassion bring humans and animals together ❤️. Our organization works hard to provide an uplifting place where the animals in our care and our community can come together in a positive, supportive environment to learn, heal, and grow. Our mission remains community oriented, and for over 20 years, we've worked to be a positive resource and uplifting voice in our community. Join us in our quest to be kind to all! The world needs all of the kindness we can do right now.

11/13/2024

Don't miss The Big Purple Barn’s Fall Festival this Saturday! Fun for all ages awaits!
https://conta.cc/3Z2qgi6

11/13/2024

Last night 🌙 was a cold one! We've managed a relatively warm and mild fall so far, but winter is still approaching. Brucebwas happy to be bundled up as he is not as cold tolerant as many of our residents. Did you know for about $100 you could give the gift 🎁 of warmth 🔥!? $100 can purchase a new blanket or clean/repair/waterproof an existing blanket for a resident horse or pony 🥰.