06/08/2026
It's hard to believe we're already a week into June. We owe all of our followers a little update on what's been happening here at the farm.
Unfortunately, May was an incredibly difficult month as we said unexpected goodbyes to two of our biggest personalities.
On Mother's Day morning, our barn staff noticed that Pepper, our beloved barn cat, was suddenly having trouble with his balance and appeared to be experiencing vision issues. We rushed him to the emergency clinic, where several hours of diagnostics and testing revealed no obvious cause for concern. He was discharged, and we brought him home with plans to monitor him closely and return immediately if needed.
Shortly after arriving home, Pepper's condition rapidly declined. He began suffering multiple seizures, and we rushed him to Tufts. Sadly, he passed away before we arrived.
We had only known Pepper for a year, but in that time he became a farm favorite. He never saw an empty lap he didn't want to curl up in. More often than not, he'd jump up, immediately start making biscuits, and settle in while sucking on his tail. He was healthy, energetic, full of personality, and always where the action was. We elected to have a necropsy performed in hopes of finding answers, but at this time we are still waiting for results and have far more questions than answers.
Just a week later, we faced another heartbreaking loss.
Many of you knew and loved Alfie, our sweet senior mini horse. Alfie came in from the field experiencing a severe choke episode. Because of his age and ongoing dental challenges, his care had become increasingly complicated over the past year. Earlier this year, he underwent multiple tooth extractions, which led to several choke episodes. To keep him comfortable and safe, we transitioned him to a mash-only diet and removed hay from his menu entirely.
When spring arrived, we cautiously began introducing grass. After months without any issues, Alfie did remarkably well, and we were thrilled to see him enjoying turnout again.
This choke episode, however, was different. In the past, Alfie had always been able to clear the obstruction on his own before our veterinarian arrived. This time, even with veterinary intervention, the choke could not be resolved. He was transported to Tufts for advanced care, stronger antibiotics, and further diagnostics.
Once there, it became clear that Alfie was much sicker than he had been letting on. Despite everyone's best efforts, his pain could not be adequately managed, and multiple underlying health concerns came to light. The kindest gift we could give him was a peaceful goodbye.
Alfie was one of those horses who was impossible not to love. He was always looking for someone to play with, whether that meant helping remove fly masks from his field mates, nipping at their ankles to convince them to run around with him, or tearing laps around the field just because he could. He was sweet with just a little bit of spice, and the farm feels much quieter without him.
Like Pepper, we elected to have a necropsy performed on Alfie. We are still awaiting those results and hope they may provide some insight into the health challenges he was quietly carrying.
While we’ve had a great deal of sadness, it also brought a bright spot.
At the end of April, we welcomed Zippy to our herd. Zippy is an 18-year-old Paint mare who has been settling in beautifully and quickly making herself at home.
Due to an old injury and navicular disease, a degenerative condition affecting the structures within the hoof that can cause chronic pain and lameness, Zippy is no longer sound enough for riding. Our hope is that she has many, many happy years ahead of her simply getting to enjoy life as a horse.
She is incredibly sweet, an absolute joy to handle, and has already become good friends with Mulligan. She's loving the freedom of coming and going from her stall as she pleases, and if there's one thing we've learned about Zippy so far, it's that she is a very big fan of hay.
Thank you all for continuing to follow along, support us, and love these animals alongside us. We will share updates on both Pepper and Alfie if and when we receive answers.
