K & D Performance and Versatility Training

11/21/2024

❤️❤️❤️

10/31/2024

10/22/2024

A thought-provoking read.
By Jane Smiley

Most horses pass from one human to another - some horsemen and women are patient and forgiving, others are rigorous and demanding, others are cruel, others are ignorant.

Horses have to learn how to, at the minimum, walk, trot, canter, gallop, go on trails and maybe jump, to be treated by the vet, all with sense and good manners.

Talented Thoroughbreds must learn how to win races, and if they can't do that, they must learn how to negotiate courses and jump over strange obstacles without touching them, or do complicated dance like movements or control cattle or accommodate severely handicapped children and adults in therapy work.

Many horses learn all of these things in the course of a single lifetime. Besides this, they learn to understand and fit into the successive social systems of other horses they meet along the way.

A horse's life is rather like twenty years in foster care, or in and out of prison, while at the same time changing schools over and over and discovering that not only do the other students already have their own social groups, but that what you learned at the old school hasn't much application at the new one.

We do not require as much of any other species, including humans.

That horses frequently excel, that they exceed the expectations of their owners and trainers in such circumstances, is as much a testament to their intelligence and adaptability as to their relationship skills or their natural generosity or their inborn nature. That they sometimes manifest the same symptoms as abandoned orphans - distress, strange behaviors, anger, fear - is less surprising than that they usually don't.

No one expects a child, or even a dog to develop its intellectual capacities living in a box 23 hours a day and then doing controlled exercises the remaining one.

Mammal minds develop through social interaction and stimulation.

A horse that seems "stupid", "slow", "stubborn", etc. might just have not gotten the chance to learn!

Take care of your horses and treasure them.

10/16/2024

If you choose to rescue animals, I am going to give you some sound advice - Grow thick skin and don't care what people think of you. I have known people to lose the battle with their minds and we just lost a kind, caring individual in my rescue network. Compassion fatigue is real, but nothing is worth your life. No pet. No rescue. No person's opinion. Nothing.

In rescue, that person that tells you what an angel you are and how wonderful you are every time you pick up a stray pet thrown at their door will also be the first person who tells people how your organization is worthless when you don't have space to pick up the 30th pet thrown off on their property. It's ok.

In rescue, the adopter that leaves you the five star review about how wonderful everyone has been will change that review quick when they return the pet even though you have spent hours trying to keep it in their home. One star reviews are ok.

In rescue, your friend will be your friend until you deny their application for a pet because they are a great friend but a terrible pet owner. That's ok too.

In rescue, you will answer 143 calls in a day (yesterday to be exact). But if you miss 6 calls in a row while you are in the shower, you will be the one who "never answers their phone". It's ok.

In rescue, other rescuers and random trolls will judge everything you do but never have time to pitch in a hand to help when they see something needing more attention. They will, however, have lots of time to talk about how they’d do it better while they harass and judge you. It will be ok.

In rescue, you will have to involve animal control and the police department sometimes. The people who you take pets from will hate you - and I mean REALLY hate you. Trust me, it's ok.

In rescue, pets will be put down and pets will die at the hands of abusers. We can't save them all - and that's ok. We save the ones that we can and pray for peace for the ones we can't.

I have been in the animal rescue world since 2009. I have dealt with every problem and every situation imaginable. I used to take some things to heart, then I realized - I am doing this for the animals, not for any person in this world. I have found my joy and no person will take that. If you are in rescue, don't let anyone or anything take your joy. Find peace that you will never please everyone. Find peace that you will never save them all. Never allow something you love to turn into something that ends your life.

By: Tiffany Rebecca

10/07/2024

10/05/2024

10/05/2024

Today is a remarkable day!

Approved adopters the Hoffmans from Pennsylvania came to Willow Hope Farm this morning with plans to adopt several new family members. They initially saw photos (taken by volunteer Reina, thanks Reina!) we shared of Journey asking to find him a great adopter. They quickly applied to adopt and made plans to come to Kentucky for pickup. They didn’t want him lonely without a similar-aged friend to play with so they decided on Graley as well. Lifelong fans of Kentucky Mountain Horses, they wanted to adopt as opposed to purchasing so they could support horse rescue and give homes to horses who needed them.

As they grew anxious to come down, they asked if we had any available donkeys, and we so happened to have one scheduled for intake. Her name is Gracie just like another gray Jenny we had this year. Since she would stop over briefly we decided against renaming her and arranged for her to arrive in time to be ready for adoption today as well. They paid the adoption fees on all three and arrived this morning to take their new kids home, but while they were here they seized the day and fell in love with our most remarkable recovery story this year- Sunshine!

Because they have a lovely safe facility and plenty of experience raising young horses in the past from birth though training and riding, we were happy to entrust all these youngsters to them and round out the morning with FOUR equines happily on their way home. Thank you to the Hoffman family and we wish you many years of happiness with your new kiddos!