Harris Heights: What's New Archives

What's New

Recent Show Pics...

Congratulations to all the Harris Heights students, youths and adults, on a job well done at recent shows!

Harris Heights voted Best Day Camp!

What an honor! For the category of Best Day Camp, Harris Heights received this award from the readers of Parents & Kids magazine. Thank you for voting and don't forget to sign up for day camp! : )

2007 Summer Day Camps pics...

Summer at Harris Heights is too short for this much fun! More pics to come...

The barn is open for business! Take a look inside and out...

We love the new barn and the residents do, too! Please let us know if you'd like a tour or more information about boarding services:
tele. 601.906.6883 email: info@harrisheights.com

Horse and Pony Rescue Stories from Harris Heights

Ashley Harris, owner of Harris Heights, on her commitment to the rescue and rehabilitation of neglected and abused horses:

"I find them and bring them back to health. Then, I train them for hunters so they will have a skill, find good homes, and never end up back where they were.

Here's a letter from my dear friend and co-hort in rescue efforts:

'What we are doing is a good thing. There are too many good ponies and horses out there who need to find their way to someone who will not only save their lives, but work with them. I am happy to be able to try to find the ones with the right temperament and soundness, but it is your dedication and skill that give these ponies the credentials to have a life long job in a good home. For those ponies, it is a win-win situation. They have won the pony lottery!' --Cindy, Fox Run Farm, Kentucky

The poem below is about rescued horses and it melted my heart! Thank you again for your interest in all the good things happening here at Harris Heights."

Baggage
by Evelyn Colbath

Now that I'm home, bathed, settled and fed,
All nicely tucked into my warm new bed,
I would like to open my baggage,
Lest I forget
There is so much to carry -
So much to forget.

Hmm, Yes, here it is, right on the top -
Let's unpack Loneliness, Heartache and Loss,
And there by my halter hides Fear & Shame
As I look on these things I have tried so hard to leave-
I still have to unpack my baggage called Pain.

I loved them, the others, the ones who left me,
But I wasn't good enough - for they didn't want me.
Will you add to my baggage?
Will you help me unpack?
Or will you just look at my things
And take me right back?

Do you have the time to help me unpack?
To put away my baggage,
To never re-pack?
I pray that you do - I'm so tired you see,
But I do come with baggage -
Will you still want me?

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We are passionate about saving abused and neglected horses and ponies. We've had so many success stories and below are a few.
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Taylor was a skinny bug-eyed pony when we first got her. Putting weight and training into her turned her into a lovely hunter pony with a successful show career.

This is after a little bit of weight gain and training:

This is her now:

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Go With The Flow was an ill-mannered neglected and abused TB. She had a hatred for people and was very distrusting. Here she is after a month, still very skinny:

At her first show, she took 1st in the hack class:

Here she is fat and happy:

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Got Milk has an especially sad story. She was covered in crusty old manure when my friend found her in Kentucky. She took Millie home and began picking the caked on feces off, but as she pulled it off she was pulling Millie's hair along with it. It was a very painful process. I took her home and as she gained weight and got healthier she turned into a beautiful milky white color. She is now a wonderful show pony who knows her job well and has many champions to prove it.
Before:

Pretty little show pony today:

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Joy was another skinny bug-eyed pony. She was truly a joy while I had her. As soon as she was healthy, though, someone in Ocala FL scooped her up! She is now at a top show barn there.

At her new home in FL:

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Panda Bear has one of the saddest stories I have heard. Again, my friend Cindy in KY who has made it her mission to save ponies, was looking for lost souls. Horses ran past Cindy and until a little stocking legged pony placed its head right in her chest. She looked the skeleton of a body over and the green snot running from Panda's nose and the swollen lip that the pony couldn't even hold up. She thought this one was too far gone, but the pony place her head on Cindy. Four white legs, she thought, this pony could be cute. She couldn't take the sick pony home to her farm and had to take Panda elsewhere to be quarantined until it was safe to take it to her home.When she finally brought Panda home to fatten her up, her bottom lip was in such bad shape she could hardly eat. Panda Bear is now at Harris Heights fattening up and starting her training to be a children's hunter pony.

Here is a picture of her now, we will give you an update on this pony and continue giving you updated pictures.

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We like to teach these ponies a skill and find them children to love them and make up for their early hard lives. There will be many more ponies pass through this farm to go to good home. One that will stay here and retire on 70 acres of rolling, relaxing pastures is Lucky. We got him over a year ago, 20 yrs old, skin and bones, hooves turned up from neglect, and long dull hair. A little senior feed, a good trimming and worming, and some good rubs to loose the hair and Lucky has become a barn favorite and a wonderful teacher to our young walk/trotters. When he is unable to help teach children he will retire on our place. He will never again have to worry about where his next meal will come from. Here are pictures of Lucky now:

--Ashley Harris, Harris Heights, email: info@harrisheights.com
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Field Trip: Daisy Troop 445 comes to Harris Heights for a Horse Care Workshop...

Harris Heights welcomed Daisy Girl Scout Troop 445, as they visited to learn about the care and rescue of horses and ponies. Thanks so much to Jonathan (for awesome Western barrel riding) and Nicole (for gorgeous English jumping) for their wonderful demonstrations that made a major impression on girls new to horses and riding! Each Daisy got a turn petting and grooming and being photographed with Drip Drop the minature pony. After lunch sitting on hay bales in the barn, the girls sang scout songs and ate "haystacks" and apples slices for dessert. Each girl got a Harris Heights Certificate of Participation signed by Mrs. Ashley Harris, along with coloring pages of horse scenes, different styles of tack and riding, and even a page featuring Drip Drop.

The Daisies ended their visit with some quality time with the baby goats and a meet-and-greet with little Easter Lilly the baby pony.