Welcome to Sumner Brook Farm
Sumner Brook Farm, Inc. (SBF) is a non-profit organization located in Middletown, Connecticut. SBF works everyday to reduce the number of horses sent to auction or slaughter by accepting surrendered horses, rehabilitating and retaining them, and offering them for adoption as well as providing educational opportunities for the community. We serve the local horse community of Middletown, Connecticut and surrounding areas.
Horse Programs
Sumner Brook Farm rehabilitates, retrains, and rehomes horses that have been abandoned, neglected, or mistreated. We provide retirement and treatment care for horses unable to work due to illness, injury, or age.
SBF accepts horses surrendered due to personal hardship, on behalf of family members who need to place horses whose owners are ill, injured, or have passed away, and horse owners seeking a quiet, healthy environment for horses ready for retirement. We currently have three horses available for adoption! Check them out here.
How to Help
Every gift, no matter how small, helps us continue our mission to rescue, rehabilitate, re-train, and rehome horses who are in need. We accept donations through our website form or PayPal.
We are always looking for volunteers! To learn more, visit our volunteering page and also checkout out our SBF branded apparel here.
Events
We offer education to the community about proper equine care and management throughout the lifetime of the horse as well as fundraising and community events. Check out our events page for more information.
The Sumner Brook Farm Difference
SBF is not just another horse rescue. We stand by the belief that to help the horses, you have to help the people, too. Horses get into trouble when people get into trouble and are afraid to ask for help. SBF will make it easier for those in need to get help before the horses are neglected. Early intervention can prevent neglect, horses going to auction, and provide owners with a sense of relief that their horse is safe and will always be safe.
Follow Us
Whatās on our rescue herdās wishlist? Come back each day to find out!
Calebās #1 favorite thing is....FOOD!
Because he doesnāt chew hay well, he really looks forward to his soaked feed several times a day.
One feed we use is Blue Seal Sentinel LS. Itās high fat and fiber but low starch, making it a good choice to maintain weight and body condition.
We can really use a few bags from Meriden Feed or Tractor Supply or a gift card to help with feed costs!
#bluesealfeeds #sentinells #rescuehorses #sumnerbrookfarm #calebstrong #sbfcaleb #savealife #feedahorse
Whether purchasing or adopting, you start with certain criteria for the horse- temperament, training, management and physical ability to do the job at hand.
The thing about horses, is that they all require you to compromise somewhere on this list. You have to pick what you can live with and what you might be able to influence or improve about the horse.
The one thing you cannot change is who they are. When you find a horse like Sadie, with her temperament that is kind, quiet, forgiving, but still a little sassy and game for work, is well behaved and sweet for kids and adults, that is priceless. She has all the best qualities in terms of temperament, she has a lot of training behind her, is very well ābrokeā and will rise to the level of her rider from beginner to advanced. A horse with these special qualities on the regular market, would easily sell for more than 3 times her adoption fee.
Why then is Sadie in rescue? Her owner was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor that limited her ability to work and support Sadie. As Sadie is in her late teens, she is starting to require the things that I consider to be basic senior horse care. As horses age, their care needs change and not everyone can afford to provide that extra care. But, I also tell my training clients this, you get what you pay for and you either pay up front for the value of the horse, or you pay as you go for training and upkeep of the horse. There are no āfreeā horses, there are no inexpensive horses. There are horses who need more or less care to stay sound and able to be ridden. The question is, are you willing to do it?
When Sadie arrived, I took one look at her and pronounced her āretired.ā But as her health improved she showed an eagerness to get back to work. A rideable horse is far more adoptable than a retired horse so we got to work. We invested the resources in dental work, shoes, medications and special diet. Without these things, ethically she should not be ridden. But with her body in good condition and her pain level managed, she is having a great time with her part time training schedule.
Maintaining this horse will take some resources, and yes she needs soaked food as many seniors do, but her care in my opinion is not extraordinary. It is senior care done well which keeps her happy and healthy enough to still do some work in her golden years. We have designed a fantastic care plan for her and hope to find Sadie a wonderful family of her own. Isnāt that worth it? We think Sadie, and all of our rescues are worth the effort.
#adoptdontshop #sbfsadie #goodasgold #qhmare #ahomeforeveryhorse #sumnerbrookfarm #horserescue #rescuehorses #bpbtrainingtoadoption
Juanita Paris Amy Gardner Anderson Melissa Hill Heather Rhoades Sara-Jane Barrett
