BraveHearts Equine Center

08/29/2024

Leo’s Road to Recovery 💪

Rescue horse Leo came to us emaciated, with a horrible coat, lice, scared, and weak. He struggled to pick himself up because the muscle atrophy was so bad. That was then...

This is now...

Our gentle, forgiving 20 y.o. is entering month two of his Water Treadmill therapy at Spy Coast. He’s gained 50 Ibs in one month, making slow and steady progress thanks to his VILLAGE of supporters! ❤️

Not only has his BEC team worked on his nutrition and exercising at home, we’ve teamed up with Spy Coast to add in aqua therapy. The transformation since his April 30th arrival at our farm has been remarkable. 🤩

Leo’s recovery journey is a testament to the power of resilience, where every setback becomes a stepping stone toward reclaiming his true self. 💫

We’re so proud of you Leo and love you! 🥰

Spy Coast Farm

08/20/2024

TAKE ME HOME TUESDAY: Meet Henry 🐎

This sweet boy is easy to pick out in our vast pastures, with his floppy ear. We rescued Henry from a kill pen in Arkansas. He arrived at our farm in Sept. 2023. Our vet determined he had facial nerve paralysis on his left side that caused the single droopy ear (but we think it makes him more endearing, don’t you?). 😊

Henry is a 3 y.o. Belgian gelding. He came in very thin but otherwise healthy. It’s heartbreaking to think someone would discard this sweet soul to slaughter. But he’s received so much love and the best of care from our BEC team and he’s now ready for his forever home! 🥰

If you’re interested in adopting Henry, you *must* submit an adoption form on our website: https://braveheartsequinecenter.com/adopt-a-horse/

We thoroughly vet all potential homes to ensure our horses NEVER end up back in these kinds of situations. We want happy, forever homes for our friends! ♥️

Can you provide a home for Henry? 🏡🫶

08/18/2024

Every baby - even baby Haflingers - need a stuffed animal for safety and protection.

Here is baby Travis sleeping with his stuffed bear.

Cuteness overload.

08/18/2024

💫SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT💫

Our heartfelt thanks to Lisa Van Hoever and Equine Living in the Bluegrass for taking an interest in our nonprofit and publishing this informative piece about our work. 🐴 BraveHearts Equine Center was featured in their Charity Spotlight segment of their August edition.

Thank you for sharing our mission with your followers. 🫶 We are grateful to have such amazing equine supporters. ❤️

Best Version Media UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

08/16/2024

Hi friends! 👋 For those of you on TikTok, give us a follow! ⬇️🫶❤️

11 Followers, 2 Following, 205 Likes - Watch awesome short videos created by braveheartsequine

08/16/2024

🌟Special Guest!🌟

We were honored to welcome Stephen Marks, the Veterans Outreach Director from Congressman Andy Barr’s office, to BraveHearts Equine Center, recently! 🐎

It was a pleasure to share more about our mission, along with details about our Equine Facilitated Mentoring Program, a partnership with Veterans Club Inc., that we host at the farm once a month with For Hanks Sake. ((And, getting to love on new baby donkey Auggie! 😊📸))

Rep. Barr is a big supporter of equine therapy and is an advocate for Veterans in our community, as well as resources available. We appreciate your interest in our nonprofit and work with Veterans. 🇺🇸

Don’t miss the next session… Saturday, Aug. 31st at 11 a.m. at 961 Russell Cave Road in Paris, KY. It’s open to Veterans, Service Members, First Responders, and their families. It’s 🆓 and includes lunch from Lil's Coffee House 💫 RSVP via email: [email protected] ((➡️ SWIPE to see the flyer and more info on Veterans Club ➡️)) Also, mark Sept. 28th and Oct. 12th for our fall sessions! 🗓️

No horse experience is necessary. Just come see what we do. ❤️ It’s always a beautiful day seeing our service men and women connect with our rescue horses. 🐴 Together, we’re making a difference for horses *and* humans! 🫶

For Hank's Sake Congressman Andy Barr Veteran's Club

08/07/2024

🗓️SAVE THE DATE!

Join us for our next Equine Facilitated Mentoring Program!🐴

Designed for Service Members, Veterans, First Responders, and their families — this unique Veterans Club program harnesses the healing power of horses to foster resilience, trust, and personal growth. 🇺🇸♥️

Connect with fellow heroes, build strong bonds, and find solace in the serene presence of our gentle equine partners.🌟

Whether you’re seeking support, personal development, or just a moment of peace, our program is here for you! No horse experience needed.💫

It’s 🆓 to attend and includes lunch. RSVP via email (so we can get a head count for food) ➡️ [email protected]

👉Saturday, Aug. 31st at 11 a.m.
👉961 Russell Cave Road, Paris, KY 40361

Future dates: Sept. 28th & Oct. 12th

For Hank's Sake Veteran's Club

07/31/2024

📣IVY ADOPTION UPDATE📣

Our sweet Ivy has been adopted! Fellow equine rescue advocate and BEC friend, Shana, has adopted our beautiful 18 y.o. Percheron. Shana actually helped rehab Ivy before coming to our farm, so the two already have a special bond. 💕

“We were able to secure temporary boarding for Ivy at a barn about two hours from my house. I drove four hours a day to go up there and help rehab her,” explained Shana.

Ivy was diagnosed with a terrible case of heaves and could barely stand. She also had some nasty wounds on her feet and legs. Shana says she nursed her back to health everyday for weeks until transport came and picked her up, “I cried like a baby when she left but I knew she was going to the best place possible.”

Ivy landed at BEC in Sept. 2023. But Shana never forgot about her. “I often thought of asking Dave and Ruth if I could adopt her but I knew she had settled in with her friends at BEC. So as soon as I saw her posted for adoption, I instantly messaged Dave,” said Shana. “I had a special bond with her from the first moment I laid eyes on her.”

While Shana has adopted Ivy, the Percheron will remain on our farm as one of our sanctuary horses - living out her life with her friends!

“It took one full year for Ivy to come back into my life and that’s the circle of Love ❤️ I love her dearly and never forgot about her,” shared Shana.

Shana plans to visit Ivy and her herd of friends as often as she can ☺️

07/16/2024

Testimonial Tuesday 💫

BraveHearts Equine Center is located in Paris, Ky. Started by David and Ruth Waronker, their nonprofit - Bluegrass Drafts Equine Rescue Inc - saves equines from abuse, slaughter and neglect.

Many of our draft rescues are former work horses that have been dumped — simply because they’ve become too old/sick/injured to continue that work. We save them, sometimes in dire condition, and our staff works incredibly hard to rehabilitate them and find them a forever home. Some will spend the rest of their lives with us living in sanctuary. 🏡

We had a beautiful example of rehoming last year when we drove 7 horses across the country to California! 🎉 BEC worked with the rescued horses for a year and a half, getting them ready to be part of Saddles In Service — a Veterans program in San Diego. Dave and Ruth donated the horses to the program, so these horses will now spend their lives helping Vets! Talk about a full circle moment. ❤️ You’ll hear why our work is important in their own words in this video.

Together with For Hank's Sake and Veteran's Club — we’re also proud to host a monthly Equine Facilitated Mentoring Program at the farm helping Veterans, First Responders and their family members - all FREE of charge. Listen to these Vets talk about the impact it’s made on their lives. 🇺🇸

This is just a small facet of what we do. For us, it’s incredibly important to give these horses a second chance but we also think it’s important to show how these horses can help others.

You can support our mission and find more info online at: braveheartsequinecenter.com

07/04/2024

Hot dogs 🌭 may be the food of choice this Fourth of July, but for baby Kenna it’s MILK 🥛😋

Have a safe and Happy July 4th! 🇺🇸

07/04/2024

Wishing all our friends, family and followers a Happy 4th of July.

07/03/2024

Our baby Kenna is thriving. She should be discharged from the vet early next week.

Thanks Tammi Regan and our friends at Rood and Riddle for saving her life.

Oh, and expect to be bombarded by photos as Kenna starts her adventures at the BraveHearts Equine Center.

- Dave

07/01/2024

We wish Tammi Jo Regan (our Director of Equine Well Being, Farm Administrator as well the mama to Hank the Horse) a speedy recovery.

Yesterday Tammi was badly injured while attending to needs of a horse. She broke her hip and had to have hip replacement surgery last night.

Get well soon Tammi, your BraveHearts Equine Center family misses you and needs you badly!

Let’s all send positive wishes for a quick recovery and healing to Tammi.

06/29/2024

UPDATE: Our next session is Saturday, Aug. 31!

ORIGINAL POST: At BraveHearts Equine Center, alongside For Hank’s Sake and Veterans Club Inc., our equine facilitated mentoring program brought veterans and horses together for an unforgettable day of healing, growth, and newfound bonds. ♥️🇺🇸🐴

Thank you to everyone who attended today. We hope to see you at our next gathering. Stay tuned for dates!

06/27/2024

A couple of recent news clips we wanted to share with you from our public Open House at BraveHearts Equine Center on June 9th. 🎥

Our mission is incredibly important to us and we’re working hard to spread that awareness with the local community and on a global level. 💕

Thank you FOX 56 News ABC 36 and LEX 18 for the coverage of our event and helping us spread awareness about our mission! 🐴♥️

06/27/2024

Meet Kenna! 🥺💕

Our vets gave us an update on baby girl this morning. Yesterday, they slowly started weaning her off the sedatives. She’s more awake this morning, but still very sleepy. They’re back to getting her up every two hours. Remember, the goal is to help her get stronger and work those lungs. 💪

Right now, she’s still very wobbly but that’s to be expected as the sedatives wear off. Her vitals are normal which is great! And doctors say she’s right where they expect her to be in her recovery! We’re cautiously optimistic but know she’s still not out of the woods yet. We expect blood panel results this afternoon. We’ll update this post above when we hear back.

And you’ll notice the baby has a name… after her beloved mama Kendal. 🫶 We knew we needed to pay tribute to her great sacrifice. Kenna now lives on in her memory. Keep fighting sweet Kenna! We all just want to bring you home and love on you! 🏡 💕

You can read more about their story in our previous posts. ⬇️

06/27/2024

Louie and Leo…..looking so much better after just a month on the farm. Two Angels left for dead in an Oklahoma Kill Pen and rescued by Erica, Tammi and the entire BEC team.

Louie refused to leave without his best friend Leo. Leo gave up and laid down in the mud to die. But Erica noticed their bond and refused to leave either behind so rescued them……and eight others.

Fast forward 30 days.

Each hour they grow stronger, happier,heavier and more confident that they are truly loved and safe…..they love all their handlers and boy do we love them!

- Dave

06/26/2024

BraveHearts Equine Center in the news 🎙️

Philanthropy Director and Public Relations Specialist for BraveHearts Equine Center, Erica Bivens, joined Mandy Williamson on HITS 1063 this week. She talked about the mission and how people can get involved.

We're always thankful for the opportunity to share what we do and raise awareness about this important mission. Thank you Mandy and Hits 106.3 for the opportunity! 🫶

If you're new to us, you can find more into on our website ➡️ www.BraveHeartsEquineCenter.com

06/19/2024

We’re turning heads this summer with our new hat collection! 🧢

You asked, we answered! Hats have been a popular request. The best part… you can now proudly wear our logo AND support our mission, with every purchase! 🎉

Shop BEC hats ➡️ https://www.bonfire.com/bec-hats

We’ve got Classic Baseball Caps, Printed Trucker Hats, and Bucket Hats — oh my! We’ve got a range of colors and styles!

Don’t forget, you can also pickup other BEC apparel for summer with our Tank Tops, V-Neck Tee’s, and more! Click the link in our bio, then tap “Shop BEC logo wear” 🛍️

Bonfire

06/17/2024

🗓️ Our next Equine Facilitated Mentoring Program for Veterans, First Responders, and their family members is… Saturday, June 29th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

BraveHearts Equine Center, For Hank’s Sake and Veterans Club Inc partner once a month to host the nationally recognized equine program at our farm in Paris, KY. It’s beneficial for the participants as well as our rescue horses. ♥️

You don’t need to have horse experience. Lunch is provided. It’s all free of charge! Just drop by to see what it’s all about. If you know a Vet or First Responder, share this event with them! 🇺🇸

Hope to see you there! Please RSVP by sending an email to: [email protected]

06/16/2024

06/09/2024

Today’s the day! 🎉 Bring the family out for a fun day! 🐴

Come meet our herd of rescues and shop from several equine-themed vendors! Plus, enjoy live music! And… checkout several food trucks!

Sunday 12-4 p.m.
961 Russell Cave Road
Paris, KY

FREE admission!!!!!

Some of our fabulous vendors: Fish's Designs El Gato Azul, LLC Scorpio Creations HillBilly Jams & Jellies 🛍️

06/07/2024

Meet your food & drink vendors for our Open House Sunday, June 9th! 🎉

🌭Katie's Happy Hot Dogs
🌮Olmeda's Mexican Grill
🍪Beverly Ann's Cookies
☕️Travelin' Tom's Coffee

Bring the family and spend the day with us at BraveHearts Equine Center this Sunday from 12-4 p.m. It's FREE admission! Plus, you'll get to meet our herd of rescues🐴, enjoy live music from Scott Collins & Ron Cox 🎶, and shop from local vendors! 🛍️ Tag a friend who should come!

Join us! 🙌

06/06/2024

UPDATE: We're so excited to share Travelin' Tom's Coffee and Beverly Ann's Cookies will be joining us on Sunday! So if you need an afternoon pick-me-up or tasty treat after lunch, we've got you covered!

They're joining our line-up with the delicious Olmeda's Mexican Grill on Wheels and Katie’s Happy Hot Dogs! Come spend your Sunday with us at the farm!

961 Russell Cave Road in Paris. 12-4 p.m. Sunday. FREE admission.

06/05/2024

Thank you Tyler Melito FOX 56 News for having us on FOX 56 News this morning to talk about our Public Open House!

WHEN: Sunday 12 - 4 p.m.
WHERE: 961 Russell Cave Road in Paris, KY

Meet our herd of rescues, take photo's, enjoy live music, checkout local food trucks, and shop equine-themed vendors! Join us for the family-friendly event rain or shine! We'll have a massive tent and barns, so rain won't stop the fun!

06/04/2024

📣 Harleigh says to bring the family and come meet our herd of rescues! 🐴 Don’t forget… our Public Open House is *THIS* Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m.

It’s 🆓 admission!

- Live music by Collins & Cox🎶
- Food from Katie’s Happy Hot Dogs and Olmeda's Mexican Grill on Wheels 🌭🌮
- Photo opportunities! 📸
- Shop equine-themed vendors 🛍️

We’ll see you for on the farm!

📍961 Russell Cave Rd, Paris, KY

Note: BraveHearts Equine Center is a 100% smoke-free and vape-free property.