Robin Howie all the time wished to rescue a horse. When her internship at Days Finish Farm Horse Rescue wrapped up, she ended up with two. As instructed to Alice Collins/Leap Media.
I began volunteering with horses after I was 13 and commenced engaged on farms in school at 18, after I began driving.
I’ve all the time been within the rescue and rehabilitation facet of issues, and I knew Days Finish Farm Horse Rescue, situated in Woodbine, MD, could be an incredible place to get this expertise. I used to be accepted into their internship program proper after school, however COVID-19 upturned these plans. I used to be so excited to lastly get the prospect to intern there within the fall of 2023.
I lived on the property, which enabled me to have a really immersive expertise. I completely liked it, and it solidified that this was the profession I wished to pursue.
I had a lot enjoyable and actually appreciated serving to with a number of the impounds—regardless that they may very well be fairly unhappy—the place legislation enforcement works with Days Finish Farm when a horse must be faraway from its present scenario. Virtually all of the Days Finish Farm horses are available from a lot of these seizure instances.
As a result of horses are legally thought-about extra like property than companion animals like cats and canine, eradicating them from dangerous conditions can contain many extra steps. I had just lately graduated with a level in animal science and accomplished a course in equine legislation. I used to be lucky that my time with Days Finish Farm included experiencing the impoundment course of after which attending to see the primary courtroom session for that case. This was actually fortunate as a result of the courtroom case not often occurs in the identical internship timeframe because the seizure.
I additionally did a whole lot of hands-on medical stuff, frolicked with the horses, and had the chance to tour different services. In truth, I acquired my present job after we toured a close-by equine veterinary hospital in Leesburg, VA. After the go to, they invited me to use for an accessible place. I give a whole lot of credit score to Days Finish Farm for my present function as a medical veterinary assistant on the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Heart—I wouldn’t have utilized if we hadn’t gone on that tour.
Throughout my Days Finish Farm internship, one of many horses I helped look after was an off-the-track Thoroughbred gelding named Trevor, who raced till he was 9. A few month into the internship, I actually fell for him. He wanted day by day medical remedy for mud rot, so I frolicked with him almost each day to deal with his legs.
He had a whole lot of opinions, so he was not for everybody.
For instance, if he didn’t just like the grooming instrument you had been utilizing, he’d take it out of your hand. He was very communicative and when he was completely satisfied, he’d nuzzle your chest and ask for ear rubs, making it clear he was having the most effective day. He even started operating as much as me within the area or ready on the gate for an additional head scratch earlier than heading to his buddies.
Towards the tip of my internship, I talked to one of many trainers, Sara Strauss, about how Thoroughbreds are completely my vibe. I’d been planning to lease a driving horse after my internship, however I started to appreciate that adopting Trevor felt inevitable.
After my internship wrapped up, I continued to go to Trevor, who had entered their coaching program by then. After I began my job, I used to be on name each different evening and each different weekend for 3 months. Each time I used to be up previous midnight, I’d get the following day without work, so I’d use that point to go to Trevor and the staff at Days Finish Farm.
In the summertime of 2024, coach Leigha Schrader started driving him, and I began working with Trevor, too. At first, we did groundwork classes, after which she started inviting me to experience him. I had been doing small issues in his stall, like asking him to again up, flip other ways, and stretch, however getting the prospect to work with Leigha within the enviornment was eye-opening.
Every little thing was going rather well, and I began looking for barns the place I may board him. However, in October 2024, with an adoption date all set, Leigha and I every acquired on Trevor throughout certainly one of our driving classes, and one thing felt off.
He had chronically dangerous ft resulting from his neglect, however there have been no seen points. A couple of days later, he grew to become noticeably lame on the stroll, limping as much as his feed station. The vet examined him, however couldn’t discover a trigger. We paused the adoption and his coaching whereas Days Finish Farm investigated and tried remedies.
I knew I nonetheless wished to undertake Trevor, whether or not he was rideable or not. I didn’t know if it was a query of retirement, stall relaxation, or six months in a area adopted by euthanasia. No one knew at that time.
Given all of the uncertainty, my love for Trevor, and my entry to medical diagnostics at work, Days Finish Farm supplied him to me as a part of their Guardian Program—the place the group retains possession—slightly than an outright adoption. I jumped on the probability, and on December 20, 2024, Trevor got here to his new residence.
Across the identical time, Hobbit, one other goofy chestnut Thoroughbred, got here again from an adoption that didn’t work out. He had first arrived at Days Finish Farm as a foal along with his dam, and returned from the preliminary adoption when he was round two years outdated by no fault of his personal. Throughout my internship, I remembered seeing Trevor and Hobbit collectively within the area, and Trevor had taken him below his wing and taught him methods to be a horse. He’d been his babysitter.
I knew Trevor may by no means be ridden once more, so I assumed Hobbit may very well be my challenge horse and, ultimately, my driving horse.
At the start of 2025, I made a decision to undertake Hobbit. Earlier than he left Days Finish Farm, I had the superb alternative to journey to the World Horse Expo in Pennsylvania with him and the Days Finish Farm staff. Hobbit is a really social horse, and the journey was an incredible alternative for him to expertise a number of new issues.
Getting two horses inside three months of one another was not initially within the playing cards, however seeing how good Hobbit was on the Expo solidified all of it for me. I formally adopted him on March 10, 2025.
Trevor has continued to point out large enhancements because of cautious shoeing by a superb farrier, help from coworkers, and an incredible vet staff. We’re slowly placing him again into work, constructing muscle, and I’ve even begun driving him on the stroll.
I really like my goofy chestnuts—they’re my infants. Trevor, now 12 years outdated, took a minute to remind Hobbit who’s in cost, however is as soon as once more serving to him combine into the herd at their barn in Purcellville, VA, by following him round and ensuring he stays secure. They actually benefit from the place, and so they each nonetheless run as much as greet me.
I’m so excited for the longer term with them. I’m not dedicated to needing to point out, however I wish to experience, join with the horses, and be round them. I take pleasure in studying them and studying from them, particularly provided that Trevor is so expressive. The entire expertise of adopting them has allowed me to satisfy new individuals and develop my information base.
I’d like to coach them each for low-level eventing, which entails a little bit of all the things. Hobbit is studying the fundamentals now, like bathing and standing on cross-ties. Hopefully, I’ll be capable of begin him below saddle within the fall with a coach—I’m in no hurry.
My finish purpose is to have my very own farm and rescue middle. I’m so grateful to everybody at Days Finish Farm for the insights they’ve given me. Their neighborhood outreach additionally actually touched me—some children that come out to Days Finish Farm on faculty journeys have by no means seen a farm, not to mention a horse, after which they get to see a mule or hear a donkey bray, and so they’re in awe.
Days Finish Farm works with all their equines to get them to the purpose the place they are often adopted. They goal to ensure each horse that comes by their gates can discover a loving perpetually residence, and that’s enormous. I’ve been capable of ask a ton of questions and learn to make choices that maintain every horse’s long-term welfare on the forefront, even when these choices aren’t simple.
The entire expertise has made me very completely satisfied. I’ve my two cats and my two horses, and I really feel like I’ve a really full household.