Lemon's Hope Sanctuary

01/21/2025

I know the trainer who has been guiding the training of this horse. Michelle Martiya, head the equid division and steering committee member of the Pet Professional Guild, is very talented and knowledgeable about R+ training with fearful horses. Fearful equids, including horses, donkeys and zebras, are her specialty. You can’t get better. Additionally, she’s a skilled coach of humans working with their fearful animals. Again, you can’t get better. And, yet, Heart of Phoenix is taking this horse back from their human custodian and trainers.

This move is cruel to all concerned, particularly the horse, and based in ignorance. Ignorance of how behavior works, behavioral science, and positive reinforcement based training (of ANY and all species and individuals). Know better and do better.

Protect Swagger's Home - Urge Heart of Phoenix to Do Better

01/21/2025

Protect Swagger's Home - Urge Heart of Phoenix to Do Better

01/21/2025

What might be seen at the sanctuary on a snowy day.

01/17/2025

Throwback to when Hope and Lemon were the only two re-homed animals here at Lemon's Hope. Lemon came first and was very fearful of people. Hope helped her to come out of her shell, so to speak, in addition to the training we did with her to give her skills to engage with us. Now she is still shy, but enjoys our workshops with professionals, as does Hope. Hope is a great candidate for doing sheep agility with!

In other updates: the rats are doing great, coming out for treats and interacting with people. More on them to come.

12/28/2024

New rat, Amber.

12/19/2024

Old man Chance has to be labeled as friendly. ❤️

12/13/2024

Those who have been to the sanctuary likely will remember Puck, our extremely friendly and good natured cat. We said goobye to him yesterday. He was 20 years old and had spent his entire life with us. We will miss him always.

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12/13/2024

Diablo and Angel are adapting to life as adoptive brothers. Last night I found them hanging out peacefully together in an open stall. As the weather is now icy and cold, I am providing them with more novel things to engage with inside. In this case, some old packaging with hay pellets scattered inside. Another benefit to this sort of enrichment is to help Diablo with his startling in relation to sudden noises and movements. Love these boys.

11/29/2024

Me and Diablo, the new mini. He’s a serious sweetheart.

11/26/2024

Moody day at the sanctuary.

11/21/2024

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11/21/2024

New resident, Diablo. A bit scared of sudden changes in the environment and wary of new people. He’s figuring it out with long-time resident, Angel.

11/20/2024

This goat, though.

10/30/2024

Pretty sure they’re talking about how great things are going to be when Kamala Harris wins the election.

10/02/2024

Gradually getting to know each other. ❤️

09/28/2024

Evening sounds at the sanctuary.

09/26/2024

It’s rainy here today. The sheep went straight up to the horses’ run in, where there also happens to be tasty hay to munch. Also, that day when the lady put hay over the fence and Gina walked around with it on her back for awhile 🙂

*Pictures taken on a much nicer day.

09/23/2024

We added a pile of sand to the “track” of our horse, sheep and goat area, mostly thinking the horses might roll or rest in it. But the one who seems to get the most out of the new substrate is Lemon the goat, who rubs and rests in it the most frequently of any of the animals. 🤷‍♀️