Northstar Horse Rescue

06/06/2024

Dotty says thank you to everyone for helping get her EPM medicine. And Lizzy threw her a birthday party and even baked horse cake! The big thirteen. My two fave teenagers:-)

06/01/2024

We have raised $280 of the $950 needed for Dotty’s EPM medicine. The medicine arrives on Monday- Time is of the essence. If you can help, please donate through Paypal to [email protected]
A little about Dotty. I rescued her with my good friend Deb - she had been at a place called Star Barn in Pennsylvania and part of a horrible situation in which she had been left to starve with dozens of other weanlings, most of which were seized by the ASPCA. Three fillies of the group were missing, and we were able to locate them and bring them into the rescue. Dotty got lucky- her mama didn’t, and is presumed to have died in a field with a group of other broodmares. A pile of bones was found upon a search of the farm. The Jockey Club did DNA tests on the bones but would never release the results to us so that we had closure or knew what happened. Dotty’s mama was called Minstrel’s Gold. For this reason, I named her Bold Minstrel. It’s sort of a silly name, since she’s kind of a good ball, but she does have a lot of fire and determination. She already came through way too much as a youngster, survived it, and then I was told she’d never really amount to anything by other trainers and that she was too crazy. Well I did start her to ride and I rode her a lot, and she was always brave and yes she was very forward and often took all I had. But when she went to Lizzy and I saw how she just jumped into things, going to the beach for gallops, being Lizzy’s best pal, I knew that my work was done and I had trained a very fine filly and she was going to do great things with Lizzy.
Lizzy has been through so much trying to find out what was wrong with Dotty, this crazy lameness that sprang up suddenly and now there is a diagnosis. These two girls are tough and all I want is for this to be an easy process for them, and for the healing to happen. And it will! If you can help please donate through Paypal, all donations are tax deductible and our paypal email is [email protected]

05/05/2024

The Kentucky Derby is always a toss up. 20 horses, chaos, insanity, traffic. You can go through the pedigrees and try to get the right triangulation of speed, guts, and stamina, pick your horse, but then there’s this one more factor: the jockey. The human horse relationship that becomes horsemanship. Brian Hernandez exemplified that moment yesterday. He spoke and Mystik Dan listened. They almost didn’t make it, because they had two much bigger and more powerful hard chargers at their back. But Brian kept encouraging: just a little bit more buddy. We got this. And by a nose, they did it.
This morning, my life as a guardian of a small bad of retired racehorses really needs that last little bit: 12 years ago, I made a decision that wasn’t really even a decision- it was just what I had to do. I couldn’t watch horses go to slaughter and stand by and do nothing because I thought I could do nothing. So I just did it. I wrote all the legal documents to form a non-profit. I became friends with Deb Barry and we based out of her barn until I could get my first little barns built. We have had many programs for children and adults, I’ve traveled with the horses to Colorado and back to Maine, Lizzy has been with us since about the beginning and now has one of our rescues of her own- Rodger and Lisa, Kathleen, Mom- so many amazing people have helped.
And this morning, we do need some help with hay and shavings. We are working on raising 29.98 for hay and 28 for shavings. We are the ones who raced and maybe didn’t win, but we campaigned hard. Your donation goes to support horses that got to have a life. Our rescue paypal is [email protected]

03/06/2024

Do any of my goat grazing clients want to reserve their week or weeks this summer by prepaying and getting a discount? Like maybe 10% off? I'm contemplating doing this for those who do since the high summer months are going to go fast- I have someone who lent us equipment last year who gets a couple of the spring and/or fall weeks but given July and Aug will probably be hotly contested (sorry about the pun) thought I'd put it out there, since grazing will be here soon!

03/01/2024

PUBLIC NOTICE: Yes, we are a 501c3. Yes, we welcome donations and visitors. Always welcome people stopping in and visiting. Always appreciate help. However, you may not walk on to shared farm land to feed animals or onto my lot to feed animals without me here. Please know that the cameras and signs are going up this weekend. If you have a concern that the horses or goats or chickens need to be fed, which means you go into the barn, if you fall through the part of the floor that needs repairing, I am not liable for your injury. VISITORS TO THE RESCUE MUST NOT ENTER THE BARN OR WALK ONTO THE LAND WITHOUT RESCUE STAFF PRESENT. VISITORS MAY NOT FEED THE HORSES OR GOATS OR CHICKENS WITHOUT CONSULTING STAFF. Northstar Horse Rescue is not liable for your injury. Failure to adhere to this request will be considered trespass, which it is legally without me making the request. Just because this is a non-profit, you are not by default an invitee. Thank you. - Lizzie

01/18/2024

If anyone in the Northstar community would like to help with hay costs, which are soaring this year, we are looking at a $125 deficit currently. Donations are tax-deductible and help us to make great things happen: and oh yes we have news coming up for this summer! Therapeutic workshops, leadership summits, horse-assisted education- it’s all coming! And it’s going to help us create new levels of awesome abundance!! But first…the hay… any help always appreciated, our paypal is [email protected]

01/16/2024

So many times, I have been too afraid to seize an opportunity that presented itself which would have made the work I do helping horses and helping people to learn another way to be through horses and other farm critters. I could have had the ideal facility a couple times now but somehow I couldn’t visualize myself being successful. Or, one time, I thought I wasn’t “enough of a trainer” so I went off to work for a so-called natural horsemanship trainer who ended up being a train wreck. Turns out I was enough. I’m facing a crossroads. If I’m going to do this work, I have to find an appropriate space. If I’m going to partner with other non-profits to help young people become centered and contributing members of the community, I need a safe space to work and teach. Most importantly, I need to get off my duff and figure this out, because I’m going to become too old for any of this if I keep dithering. I went to look at this spot today. It is absolutely magnificent and healing just to be there. The barn isn’t tall enough or configured for horses, but, I could put up a Clearspan arena/barn. There are 32 acres of grass fields and paths through the woods. The house is like being in Blueberries for Sal. Wouldn’t it be amazing if this could be preserved as a farm, with the benefit of being a non-profit helping the human-horse relationship, which means the humans become better humans on the planet. Wouldn’t it be amazing if just a few more teenagers figured out that taking care of horses hits that sweet spot a lot more than stealing cars.

12/30/2023

Laundry folding has been canceled.

12/29/2023

Lizzy got Dotty all snazzed up for Christmas- we need some good healing energy for our girls though, Dotty started being really sensitive to the touch and dragging her feet/having joint issues and Lizzy got her tested and sure enough, it's Lyme. Treatment is underway but a total bummer for these two ladies who are working so hard together...but they will prevail! Life does present some pretty big jumps sometimes.

12/28/2023

and a little trot to warm up on a foggy damp day

12/28/2023

Lizzy came for a visit and brought gifts for all the critters. Midgie and Kit look happy and warm in their new sheets! and Miriam loves her doggo toy. Clyde the cat currently asleep somewhere

11/25/2023

I know we have angels. Thanks to the generosity of founding member Deb Barry, and our new friend Catherine Farro, everyone is staying fed. These horses mean so much to everyone. The experience of getting kids to a farm and learning about animals to watching them grow up and pick up muck rakes and start riding- Lizzy was probably 8 when her dad brought her by the first time, and now she has a Northstar horse of her own. There are always more little ones coming, pony parties to look forward to, chickens to giggle about, friends to make. Learning about giving, about hard work, and about the rewards that come with it. We have been at this 12 years now and I am so thankful.

11/24/2023

Today, the Black Friday blitz begins. Northstar Horse Rescue asks you to consider a goal lasting longer than shopping. Can you help us with today's hay bill? It costs $30 to feed our horses one day. Your $30 donation is what can continue this important work for horses who would not have had the chance at life, and kids who wouldn't have learned so much through these horses! [email protected] is our paypal: do not donate through Facebook. We may not be able to change the world, but for one horse and one kid, we can change everything. $30 might be a muffin, tea, and some gas, but for us, it's the cost of one day's worth of hay. We are scrambling to get to December 1 and keep everyone fed. Your help keeps our mission alive! [email protected]

11/10/2023

Northstar Horse Rescue in Union has been donated a hay round bale by the MSSPA. We really need hay but the round bale is in Windham. Is there anyone with a pickup truck or trailer heading up from that area to the Rockland or Augusta or Camden area who could help out the horse rescue by transporting the round bale to us?

10/21/2023

Saturday rainy day

10/21/2023

I really didn’t want to bit up. It took Mom an hour. The saddle I don’t care. The bit? Well okay fine. I like a Myler comfort bit. Okay whatever.

08/21/2023

Friends, if anyone can kick in toward hay today it would be a miracle. Our rescue paypal is [email protected]
We need to raise 200 dollars this week to cover the hay and feed bill. Your help means that moments like the one pictured below can happen. If you can help please don’t do it through Facebook, please use the paypal, thank you.

08/17/2023

Dotty and Lizzy truly living their dream.

08/14/2023

It took me 12 years, but the right person for Dotty appeared. Lizzy Wallace is doing a great job with our Star Barn rescue, and Dotty is settling in and totally loving life.

08/04/2023

08/04/2023

UPDATED: we got a donation to help. THANK YOU!!!

Hi folks, we’ve got great news! Dotty is headed out to spend some time with one of our teen friends at the barn where she works. Dotty adores this young lady and will have so much fun and get so many horse cookies and snuggles. However, the vet bill for her immunizations and Coggins to travel to a new barn came to 300. We are fundraising to cover this cost - this is going to be such a great experience and a dream come true for a teenage girl and a horse- but we could use some help. PLEASE DO NOT DONATE THROUGH FACEBOOK. Our paypal is [email protected] Thank you for your help!

10/23/2022

How long does a guy have to wait for breakfast around here?