BraveHearts Equine Center

11/18/2024

Rest in peace, Kate 🕊️

We’re saddened to announce that Kate has crossed the rainbow bridge. 🐴🌈

Our 21 y.o. Belgian mare started having severe issues walking and wasn’t able to put any weight on one of her hind legs. Our BEC team had been providing ongoing care for her leg for the past two years. We had our vet x-ray the area and the news was not good. Her x-rays showed a lot of mineralization around her fetlocks. While there was no joint infection, the mineralization was concerning, along with the escalation of her pain.
Because of her age and it being a high mobility area, she was not a good candidate for the debridement surgery. Unfortunately, over time it’s been a slow degradation of that area. We kept her at the vet for a few days to see if there might be some improvement, but were told her pain became worse and that they recommended euthanasia. 💔

Kate was a loving gal who was closely bonded to our sweet Jaclyn, who has since passed as well. We know they’ve been reunited and are running fast and free together again. 💕 We were honored tocare for you sweet Kate. May you rest in peace. ❤️‍🩹💫

11/15/2024

Know a Vet? Tell a Vet! 🇺🇸 We can’t wait to see our Veterans tomorrow at 11 a.m. at BraveHearts Equine Center. It’s free to attend. Come spend the day with us and our rescue horses. 🐴

RSVP via email: [email protected]

11/10/2024

Meet our Intern: Richard Daly

Daly is a senior at the University of Kentucky studying Equine Science and Management. He’s interning with us during his fall semester. He’s met many of our rescues, shadowed tours, attended events, helped with our social media platforms, assisted in planning our holiday events, and got hands-on experience with our farrier Oscar! Daly’s also working on a special final semester project. We’ll share more details soon!

Fun fact: Daly says he makes the best cheeseburgers around! It sounds like we need to put that to the test! 🍔

11/08/2024

We sure love our horses.

This is one of our six Clydesdales. Her name is Harleigh, she and her sister Hannah have lived on our property for just over two years.

Harleigh is by far one of the most popular, gentle and loving Angels you could ever meet. Here she is getting hugs and kisses from one of her best friends Tatyana. (As you can see Harleigh is so huge her giant head is over half the size of Tatyana’s body)!!!

Our horses love attention and you are welcome to tour our farm and meet all 140 members of our equine family. If you wish to make a single or group tour please visit: https://visithorsecountry.com/upcoming-tours/ =visit-bravehearts-equine-center

Yes we sure love our horses……and they love us right back.
- Dave

11/07/2024

SAVE THE DATE: Christmas on the Farm at BraveHearts Equine Center is set for Thursday, Dec. 5th through Sunday, Dec. 8th. 🎄🎅🏻🐴

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:
- Meet-and-greet with our rescue draft horses and donkeys 🐴
- Photoshoot with Santa 🎅🏻
- Hot cider bar and festive treats 🍪
- Hayride tours around the farm 🚜
- Activities for kids 🖍️
- Live music 🎶

EVENT DETAILS:
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 5th to Sunday, Dec. 8th
- Times:
Thursday, Dec. 5th: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 6th: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 7th: 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 8th: 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

NOTE: gates open 30 minutes prior to event start time.

A ticket is REQUIRED, 🎟️ but is FREE courtesy of Leonard Johnson, Esq. and Johnson Pope Bokor Ruppel & Burns, LLP. Link to tickets in bio ⬆️ or online here: https://visithorsecountry.com/special-events-and-experiences/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGaChxleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHUbtiq7y_DojKZ4f982SpkZIX_uaiP0NWPAIZN3c3ZecZHHQ59J9YRsF5w_aem_r__fIlFXNg8albwKBbuO3Q =xmas-on-the-farm-at-bravehearts-equine-center

We will also be accepting new, unwrapped toys and winter wear for children 0-5 who might not otherwise receive a present under the tree this holiday season. The toy drive will benefit The Nest - Center for Women, Children and Families during their upcoming Reindeer Express gift-giving event. Dolls, trucks, books, puzzles, sports items, and arts and crafts are encouraged. New winter wear like coats, hats, scarves, and gloves are needed.

This merry event will take place rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Photos with Santa will take place in our cozy, festive barn. We are honored to have Kappa Delta - Epsilon Omega Chapter joining us throughout the event as volunteers!

NOTE: We will move inside the barns in inclement weather. We will not operate the hayride if lightning is present. Please note, all walkways are gravel and may not be wheelchair friendly so access may be limited.

We are still looking for sponsors to help make this a memorable experience for all! Thanks to generous donors, we’re able to provide our rescues with medical care, feed, shelter, farrier care, and most importantly - a second chance in life! Donations of any size will help us spread cheer at this holiday event, assist in ongoing rescue care, and give us the ability to continue to save more lives. For more info on donating and sponsorship opportunities, email: [email protected]

11/04/2024

11/04/2024

Thank you ABC 36! We are so grateful to all the students who volunteered their time at BraveHearts Equine Center on Sunday. A big thank you to UK Ag Equine Programs for including us, as well. 🫶

University of Kentucky students help horses in “Weekend of Service”. More here:

At BraveHearts, students helped with grooming and socializing the animals, contributing hands-on support that helps both the horses and the organization.

10/31/2024

We are so grateful to be part of the UK Ag Equine Programs Weekend of Service this year! 🫶

We look forward to having UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment students at BraveHearts Equine Center to graciously volunteer their time to spend with our herd of rescues! 🐴♥️

10/30/2024

UPDATE: The Belgians are SAFE! HOWEVER — we had to front their bail to keep them OFF the sl@ughter truck, so we’re still fundraising!!! 🚨

Their bailout + health certs came out to $3,150. We’ve secured about a third of that and fronted the rest. We did this to keep these three OFF the truck that left for sl@ughter at 5 p.m. PLEASE help us cover their remaining bail + their $2,000 transport from Texas to Kentucky! Every dollar helps!🙏

Ways to donate:
➡️Venmo/PayPal: Bluegrass Drafts Equine
Rescue Inc.
➡️Online: BraveHeartsEquineCenter.com/how-to-donate

Tag 646, 647, and 648 (who we’ll give proper names) appear to be in their late teens and were former work horses who were thrown away after they spent their lives doing hard labor. 😔 It’s a shame that instead of giving these three a retirement they deserve, they were dumped at a k!ll pen… and ALMOST taken on a one-way trip to slaughter. We only had a couple hours to act, so we did‼️

Two are geldings, one is a mare. We think they deserve a soft landing after all their years of work, don’t you? Help us give them a fitting retirement in Kentucky!🐴♥️🐴♥️🐴

If you cant give financially, please help spread the word by resharing this post! Thank you to all those who donated already! We’re grateful for your support. Let’s get these sweet souls HOME. 🏡

10/29/2024

🆘HELP SAVE 3 LIVES🚨

We just got word these 3 Belgians will be shipped to slaughter at 5 p.m. TONIGHT! Their bail is $3,000 for the group + transport. Tag 646, 647, and 648 in McLean, Texas.

They are older work horses who have been dumped at a kill pen in Texas. Two are geldings, one is a mare. They’re roughly late teens. Please help us save these three beautiful souls and give them a retirement they deserve, rather than a death sentence!

Ways to donate:
➡️Venmo/PayPal: Bluegrass Drafts Equine
Rescue Inc.
➡️Online: BraveHeartsEquineCenter.com/how-to-donate

Every dollar helps! If you cant give financially, please help spread the word by resharing this post! They have until 5 p.m. We need to act fast! Thank you for any help you may be able to provide! 🙏

10/25/2024

We’re addicted… to saving lives 🐴

BraveHearts Equine Center is primarily a draft horse rescue that works to save equines from abuse, slaughter, and neglect. We give them a second chance in life. 💫

And, who could resist this lovely bunch of Percherons?! 🤩❤️ Hello from Mr. Bojangles, Mr. T, Derby, Love, Stan 🫶

10/21/2024

Just wanted to take a moment to say thank you! 😊

We had the best day at EquiConnect, meeting with the community to talk about our mission at BraveHearts Equine Center. We made so many new friends. 💕 We are looking forward to seeing many of you at the farm soon for one of our tours!

We were also so thrilled to see Brooke! Brooke was one of the recipients of a very important scholarship, thanks to the generosity of David and Ruth Waronker. The scholarship is for eligible students enrolled in the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment who are pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Equine Science and Management. In the 2022-2023 school year, eight Equine students were supported by the generous support of the Waronker’s, including Brooke. ♥️ Thank you for stopping by to say hello! We’re so thrilled to see you thriving in your field! 🫶

And of course, a huge thank you (and hug) to the folks at Spy Coast for hosting this educational and fun day for the public! Thank you for including us! 🫶

10/18/2024

We’re excited to be part of EquiConnect at Spy Coast Farm this weekend! 🎉 Come visit our BraveHearts Equine Center booth on Saturday, Oct. 19th from 1-5 p.m.

It’s a family friendly community outreach event and is open to the public! There will be a free meal, hands-on learning activities, live horse demonstrations, and local nonprofit organizations (like BEC)! We’ll have a table setup to provide information about our mission — and some swag, of course! 🛍️👕

Hope to see you Saturday! 🐴💕

10/09/2024

Veterans, First Responders, and their family members are invited to join us *THIS* Saturday, Oct. 12th at 11 a.m.

It's free and includes lunch! Just shoot an email to: [email protected] so we have a head count for food. Tag or share with someone you think should go! Hope to see you!

10/08/2024

⭐️UPDATE: THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED US BAILOUT THIS SWEET GAL! SHE’S COMING HOME!⭐️

Tag 3746, you will no longer be a number when you land at BraveHearts Equine Center. That also means, we need a NAME! What should we call her? 🤔

Health Update:
She is currently at the vet getting checked out. We were told she had some heavy breathing and a possible upper respiratory infection. We’ll quarantine her once she arrives at our farm, as is our standard protocol. We always make sure they’re healthy enough to travel first. She also has a droopy right ear (which we think is adorable🥰 ). We’ll know more when our vet checks her out at our property.

Meanwhile, we continue to fundraise! Many people don’t understand all the expenses that come with saving even just one horse. While we were able to cover her bail and transport, we have to pay for her boarding at the vet — and of course her care once she *arrives* in Kentucky, including vet, farrier, and dental care.

We’ll of course keep you updated on her journey HOME! 🏡 We are shooting for a Thursday pickup, if the vet clears her.

Thank you to EVERYONE who has donated and continues to share our posts!!! YOU helped us save this sweet gal! 🫶

Ways to donate:
👉Venmo/PayPal: Bluegrass Drafts Equine
Rescue Inc.
👉Online: BraveHeartsEquineCenter.com