Bluemont Equine Sanctuary

Bluemont Equine Sanctuary We’re a GFAS acredited and Equus vetted 501(c)3 nonprofit Equine Sanctuary with a platinum rating on Guidestar.

We rescue, rehabiliate and offer permanent sanctuary to equines of all kinds. We specialize in dwarfs, seniors and difficult medical cases.

12/27/2025

Herd dynamics are a good thing. Our hands on experience with lots of different breeds, ages and backgrounds allows us to see all sorts of interactions. We believe hierarchy is more fluid and not as black and white as some trainers and behaviorists say it is. But also you can’t deny, there is a clear pecking order in herds. Even in twosomes. Skipper is the clear leader of their small herd. Prior to being partnered with Skipper Sam struggled with interpersonal relationships with other horses. He was neglected for a very long time. There were few resources and he was dominant over his friend Charlie at his previous home. Here he bullied his companions. Mare, gelding, big and small. He even tried to bully Skipper when he first arrived. Skipper is a senior and the move to our sanctuary jarred him. Just like other species, elderly horses take change hard. We worried at first… would he settle in and would he find the right companion. We tried for a month and right about the time we were going to move Skipper to a new herd and shuffle things around we saw a change. Skipper stepped into his leadership role and gently directed Sam around their pasture for a solid week. My fretting over Skipper quickly moved to Sam. Was he ok ? He’s old and fragile too…

But Skipper, a natural born leader with a good brain didn’t overdo it. He moved Sam’s feet and took over guiding him but he was kind about it. Once Sam conceded to this power play they fell in together. As friends. ❤️

Now, the only time we see any subtle dominance from Skipper is around treats or occasionally at mash time. These two have access to lots of resources. Free choice hay, excellent shelter, multiple waters. All of it is even and plenty. We also have several hay stations to ensure no single horse gets kicked off the hay. This is a critical to managing a herd. There should never be the perception from the herd that there isn’t enough of anything. This is what causes serious aggression and injuries. Additionally, access to hay is crucial to prevent colic and keep a horse warm in winter.

Sam needed a leader to show him what acceptable behavior is and how important peace is to a herd.

12/16/2025

Wren was so happy to have a nakey roll in the snow 😍

12/15/2025

Don’t worry! Chip’s having the time of his life! Supervised by his Mama and us of course. These experiences are so important for baby horses and he had so much fun playing in the snow!

After his fun they were tucked into a cozy stall with mashes and lots of hay. Chip and Vida both have thick water resistant coats that can absolutely withstand a roll in the snow ! They were inside the barn for the actual storm.

But you see how easily he got cast in the snow. This is why we have constant eyes on these guys.

12/02/2025

This Giving Tuesday please consider a donation towards the beautiful lives that call Bluemont Home. Whether it’s a one time donation or a sponsorship, your contribution enables us to continue our life saving work.

True sanctuary in the equine world is rare. Our focus is to rescue, rehabilitate and offer forever to the animals that walk through our gates. Most of them experience stability for the first time in their lives here with us.

We honor bonds and keep babies with their Mamas. Many of our seniors eat 20lbs of mash a day. They all get warm grain tea and a toasty blanket on a cold day and fly control, hose downs and fans on a hot one. We give out way too many treats and braid way too many manes 😅. There’s also lots of kisses on the nose. The thing is… the horses here don’t FEEL like they’re at a rescue. We have a dedicated team that helps us take on the tough medical cases. We complete a 4 hour med pass each day, which doesn’t include daily chores. I don’t think people realize just how rare all of this is in the equine space. It breaks my heart to think that all horses don’t have this kind of love and care with no strings attached.

We’re able to accomplish all of this because of our community. Because people believe in our mission and that animals deserve better. Because of all of you.

We would love to hit our social media goal of $5k this giving Tuesday! Can you help us?

We also have some exciting give aways this giving season. Please note these items are also available in our merch store.

Giving Season Monthly Sponsor Gifts

From now through Friday, December 19th, when you make a one time donation of $300 or set up a monthly sponsorship of $25 or more, we’ll send you a 2026 Residents of Bluemont calendar as a thank-you for your support.

Supporters that make a one time donation of $600 or commit to a $50/month (or more) sponsorship will receive a 2026 calendar AND a copy of Bluemont Tails. This beautifully illustrated book highlights our very first Resident- Roxy, and her sanctuary friends. Our beloved Thor has many appearances in Bluemont Tails as he welcomes our first save to the sanctuary.

We cannot thank you enough for your support

This is extremely difficult for me to write. I know I’ve been quiet over here. I would normally post, celebrate and get ...
11/26/2025

This is extremely difficult for me to write. I know I’ve been quiet over here. I would normally post, celebrate and get excited about hosting guests for Thanksgiving but we were given a crushing blow about our most beloved boy Thor.

Thor has an osteosarcoma on his front leg, which is an aggressive bone cancer with no cure. There is amputation and chemotherapy but this would only buy him on average 10 months. Thor is 9 years old, as a mastiff he’s a senior for his breed. He’s 143 lbs and very front heavy. He has arthritis in his thoracic spine and he absolutely hates going to the vet. Cries, pants, laments and spends the rest of the day exhausted from the stress. I thought about if I were in his shoes. Would I want my limb amputated and chemo to be my last season of life to only buy me months? We decided not to put Thor through this. We have spent our evening and nights with Thor, managing his pain and sleeping on the floor next to him.

We call Peanut the mayor of Bluemont but Thor is the real Mayor. He’s watched over this magical place before it was ever Bluemont and was just a dream in my heart. He was here when we broke ground, when we welcome our first- Roxy, when we brought our own human babies home from the hospital and he’s stood by us in the freezing rain, the snow and in the heat as we’ve said both hello and goodbye to the deserving equines that find sanctuary with us.

Thor loves his self appointed job as greeter, emotional supporter and protector of all things Bluemont. This impending loss will without a doubt be the hardest we’ve ever endured, leaving a massive hole on both the farm and within our family. I’m extremely worried for Zoli who’s relied on Thor since his spinal cord stroke in the spring of 2023.

I have spent yet another year bawling while putting up our Christmas tree up so that our kids can enjoy the Holiday. Sometimes I wonder if I’m truly strong enough for this work.

Please say a prayer/send love and light to the best boy Thor-Thor. Our son Cole would always say his name twice when he first learned to speak and it stuck. Our entire family calls him Thor-Thor or Tor-Tor now.

Bless him and all he’s given to everyone here. ❤️

As a sanctuary founder and rescuer you aren’t supposed to have favorites. But we’re human and our souls connect with ano...
11/14/2025

As a sanctuary founder and rescuer you aren’t supposed to have favorites. But we’re human and our souls connect with another and sometimes you just can’t explain why. Skipper reminds me of a beloved horse named Nelson who we lost just before Christmas in 2022. Nelson was a tall black standardbred with a Roman nose and hardened eyes. He was a buggy horse and was worked hard. He fought his heart out pounding the pavement pulling a family to and fro. He was sent to auction after years of service. When he stepped off the trailer here at Bluemont he gave me a glance that said “absolutely not” when I greeted him. He was strong and stoic and had accepted his fate for all those years. It took about 6 months but his eyes softened. He fell in love with a beautiful mare named Glowy and he knew and felt real kindness.

His second Fall with us hit him hard and his body began to unravel again. Seasonal changes can trigger all sorts of problems in senior and medically fragile horses. First it was a lyme flare up, then hoof abscesses and then his heart. All within a matter of weeks. We released him from his body in the middle of the night, in the freezing rain on an emergency call. Carl was out of town for work and I was very ill with the flu. When I walked into the house after tarping his body I tripped over a large grocery order that had been delivered. I remember crying while I shoved food into the freezer thinking I would never give my heart to another again. That I would rescue but I wouldn’t allow myself to get so close, so invested. Ofc these were just fleeting thoughts while I was in the throes of grief. I love every single animal that calls us home.

But Skipper. While his transformation isn’t exactly the same as Nelson’s it’s profound in its own way. Nelson softened and gave and received love. Skipper arrived jarred, a bit broken and didn’t have a real zest for life. Looking at these current photos of him…he almost looks like a Mustang. Like a wild man. Strong, bold and intelligent. He shines like a copper penny and he has real autonomy but in a domesticated setting.

Somehow skippers transformation is healing the hole in my heart that Nelson’s loss left behind ❤️‍🩹.

11/07/2025

This week we had two unexpected emergencies with senior horses. Peanut, a 38 year old pony who’s been in sanctuary with us for 3 years had a severe colic. And Jingles presented with malaise and an increased respiratory rate on Sunday night. He’s new to and an old boy too.

The last 24 hours have been a nail biter with Peanut who isn’t a big drinker and tends to gas colic during change of seasons. We’ve tried all the things to get him to drink and wet down his old man mashes for hydration. His colic began around 5am yesterday morning and persisted even after an emergency visit from our vet. We requested a second visit last night when Peanut had still not passed manure and was quite down and miserable. He started to perk up a bit around 11pm last night but he’s still barely eatinf. We’ve been by his side non stop since his colic began. Our biggest challenge is to keep his blood sugar up via 10cc of maple syrup 4 times a day. Otherwise Peanut will develop a serious condition called hyperlipidemia. Our vet came out for a third time today and administered more medications and gave a bag fluids plus b vitamins to Peanut. We’re hoping this boys appetite is back by this evening 🙏🏻. Three emergency vet calls with all the interventions are costly.

Add on jingles pneumonia call on Sunday night and we were smacked with unexpected emergency veterinary costs. The equines in our care deserve the best care. Seniors are extremely fragile and expensive to care for. It’s critical that we catch things early and address them immediately.

Please consider a donation towards Peanut and Jingle’s care. I can’t think of two more deserving souls.

Donations can be made via this fundraiser, on our website or through Venmo (under charities), PayPal or Zelle.

We appreciate the Bluemont family so much, without you there is no us. 🩷

PS Stay tuned in stories for updates on Peanut and Jingles.

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Colts Neck, NJ
07722

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