"Lucky Thing!"

One crisp morning this early winter, I was walking out to wake up the horses and feed them breakfast when I was struck with the warmest of feelings! It was as if the sun had just come out from behind a cloud and every thing looked brighter although it was a cloudless day. The valley had never looked more serene. The horses, all snug in their stalls seemed to radiate happiness too. Maybe it was the same pre-feeding excitement they always show but somehow they reflected my new found mood. As I moved among the furry warm fellows, I was struck with "Lucky Thing". How lucky for me that I get to do this job that I love. How lucky that we were able to start the retirement farm in this beautiful valley. How lucky for these wonderful horses that they have found their way to such a respite.
In reality such epiphanies happen on a regular basis at Mitchell Farm and the truth is it has nothing to do with Luck! It is with the hard work of all involved and the dedication of our supporters that it all happens. Mitchell Farm helps to fill a need that is giant in the horse world. If there were only one hundred-fold as many retirement farms like ours!
Our volunteers are the strength of our organization. We are fortunate to have many hands to make the work load lighter. Many of these wonderful people tell me that their week would not be complete with out the time they spend with these great old horses, . It has become a weekend tradition at the farm for work to stop around 9:00 and for everyone to pile into the farm kitchen for a sumptuous breakfast cooked by Hank Horn, master chef and husband extrodinaire!!
2007 promises to be exciting for the Farm. Mitchell Farm was featured in an article about horse retirement in the February issue of Practical Horseman. This not only gave the organization some lime-lite but more importantly, gave the subject of horse retirement a much needed boost. Also in order to further the cause of the elder horse, I have made myself available to speak at seminars such as the UConn Horse Symposium last March.
How lucky am I! I get to do what I love, in a valley I love, with people who care and horses that quietly and warmly give back!