Oregon Horsemanship

Loving horses means knowing that one day your heart will break for them. Today was that day for us as we said goodbye to our sweet Lucy.

Our beloved Lucy crossed the Rainbow Bridge after a long battle with severe arthritis. We had hoped she would give us a few more weeks, but in the end, loving her meant making the hardest decision and choosing her comfort over our hearts.

Lucy came to us years ago after a journey I will never forget. I drove over the mountain to pick her up, excited and hopeful, only to end up with a tire blowout at the top of the pass. What a ride home and she was such a good girl. Looking back now, it seems fitting that even getting Lucy home came with an adventure. She was worth every mile, every challenge, and every moment.

From the day she arrived, Lucy became so much more than a horse. She became a teacher, a friend, a safe place, and a partner to countless people. She carried beginners with patience, comforted nervous hearts, and somehow always knew when someone needed her most. Lucy loved her humans deeply, and her humans loved her right back. Even when retired from riding one special person would come out and groom her and spend time with lots of love and treats every week. We were committed to her just like she was committed to us. Her soft knickers will be missed especially by Letitia who loves her soft whispers.

One of the greatest gifts we were able to give Lucy was time. When many horses become unrideable, their future becomes uncertain. Because of your support, Lucy was able to spend years simply being loved, cared for, and appreciated. She enjoyed friendships, sunshine, treats, and the dignity every horse deserves. We gave her the best life we knew how, and she gave us so much more in return.
Her best friend, Tahlia, is already feeling the loss. Horses grieve too, and we will be helping Tahlia navigate life without the companion she has known for so long.

Lucy also leaves us with an important lesson. Her severe arthritis reminds us why education matters—why understanding horses, listening to them, preventing overuse, and advocating for their well-being is so important. We hope her story continues to help people learn how to make life better for the horses they love.
Today our hearts are heavy, but they are also full of gratitude.
Thank you to every volunteer, student, donor, sponsor, and friend who helped make Lucy's life possible. Because of you, she was cherished. Because of you, she was safe. Because of you, she knew love.

Run free, sweet Lucy. You were loved beyond measure, and you will be missed more than words can say. Your spirit will surround us and the
Work we do. We will always feel your love!

Look in the comments to find out you can help with her final day vet bills.

If Lucy touched your life, we would love for you to share a favorite memory or photo in the comments.

Reminder the the Sound Bath event is this Sunday! Sign up today! It's only $45 and you will find peace and joy during your time.

So true!

One of the most advanced lessons we’ve had lately was mostly done at a walk… and sometimes standing completely still.

No speed. No big patterns. No flashy stuff.

We spent the lesson working on things like moving one specific foot at a time, straddling poles, and asking the horse to shift their weight without taking a step.

And I bet a lot of riders would’ve been thinking “this is boring and useless”. In fact- we had some novice riders there that day, and I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what was going through their head.

But this is the stuff that separates okay riders from really good ones.

Advanced riders are often going pretty slow.

Like if you’re loping fast, doing big circles, running patterns, or moving all over the arena, that must mean you’re riding at a higher level? No. Most of my lessons as a professional are done at a walk. Sometimes trot.

Some of the hardest things to teach a horse, and some of the hardest things to ride well, happen at a standstill.

Can you move exactly the foot you’re asking for?

Can your horse shift their body without getting frustrated or guessing?

Can the rider be clear enough in their cues to ask for something that precise?

That takes way more feel than just going faster.

The truth is, all the big impressive stuff people want to rush toward gets built in these little details.

The clean stops. The smooth turns. The body control. The softness.

That all starts here.

In the slow, detailed, nitty gritty work most people want to skip.

🚨 Urgent Dental Care for our Aged Herd 🚨
One of the hardest parts of running a sanctuary is that so many of the horses who come to us arrive after years of inconsistent care, being passed from home to home, or simply going without the maintenance they desperately needed. Dental care is one of those things that often gets overlooked… but for horses, it is absolutely essential to their health, comfort, weight, and overall well-being.
Right now, several of our horses are urgently needing dental work — and we are asking for help.

Tonight, Norm reminded us just how important this care is. He was eating treats strangely, ate his grain dinner, than laid down in his stall when there was hay in his paddock. Showing sign of colic Alyssa jumped into action and got in front of it to try to prevent it from getting worse. Dental pain and difficulty chewing can quickly become more than just discomfort for horses. When they cannot properly chew hay and feed, it impacts digestion, weight, and overall health. While he wasn’t going to be on this first visit of the year, we might need to move him up.

Rose being a miniature with s small, tight mouth that packs food needs hers done as we've noticed issues chewing coarser hay. Minis notoriously have small mouths and issues due to the fact they've been miniaturized

Jazzy, another mini, has not had her teeth floated in over two years and is overdue for care simply due to time and the challenges of keeping up with the overwhelming needs of a sanctuary herd.
Dental work for horses averages approximately $300 per horse, and with a large herd, these routine but critical expenses add up quickly. We could use your help by sponsoring a horse today, even $25 or $50 helps ($50 x 5 people = $300)

We are incredibly grateful that several horses already have sponsors stepping in for this visit:
❤️ Faelin — Covered by her prior owner’s family
❤️ Lucy — Covered by anonymous sponsors
❤️ Tahlia — Covered by anonymous sponsors
❤️ Val — Covered by Nova’s Family
❤️ Cat — Covered thanks to Sheila’s family, who generously donated for her long overdue dental care

Lucy especially needs this care right now. She has struggled with maintaining weight, and while we are finally getting a better handle on managing her arthritis and comfort, her weight remains a concern. We are hopeful that proper dental care will help her chew more effectively and begin gaining again.

Tahlia is also long overdue and very much in need of this care, and we are thankful she is covered for this visit as well.
And unfortunately… the needs do not stop there.

Our next dental visit will also need to include:
• Kiwi — We are closely monitoring a tooth with a hole in it. Thankfully she is not currently showing pain, but we are trying to stay ahead of it before it becomes a larger issue.
• Ty — Overdue for dental care and known to grind her teeth due to anxiety and stress, a habit she came with.
• Elena — Long overdue for her dental work.
• Britta — Needs a follow-up from her last dental visit, which was so overdue when we got her that she still had a retained wolf tooth that needed to be pulled.
• Jewel — As she works into the program, we need to make sure her teeth are maintained as we are not so sure they were before she arrived.
• Lilly — with genetic issues with her mouth including ramps and a definate need to have dental work more often she will be on the list
• Bobbi — being the oldest Herd member we've got to make sure to keep up on her teeth. While it's been amazing to see what great health she's in their teeth do expire and we need to make sure that we catch anything that could be a potential issue ahead of time as well as keeping up with your regular maintenance.

Every dollar donated toward dental care helps relieve pain, improve digestion, prevent colic, help these horses maintain healthy weight, and give them a better quality of life. These horses have already been through enough. They deserve comfort. They deserve to eat without pain. They deserve the best rest of their lives.
If you would like to help sponsor a dental visit for one of our horses, please message us or donate today. Even small donations make a difference when a community comes together. We have a QR code for each horse you can use to donate.
Because at Melody’s Haven of Hope at Oregon Horsemanship… healing happens on both ends of the lead rope. ❤️
And because the veterinarian can only safely and properly see so many horses in one day, we already have a third list started for upcoming visits as we continue trying to catch up on years of overdue care across our sanctuary herd.
The next group needing dental care includes:
• Luna
• Carmen
• Chewy
• Freda
• Red
• Solid
For many horses, routine dental care is not optional — it directly impacts their comfort, ability to eat, digestion, weight maintenance, reduces risk of colic, and overall quality of life. Sanctuary horses often come to us after years of inconsistent care, and catching up on these needs takes time, planning, and community support.
We are doing everything we can to make sure every horse receives the care they deserve… one horse at a time. ❤️