Welcome

 

Here at Strawberry Fields Equestrian Center, we strive to offer the very best for our equine companions. We are a small, private owned training facility located in Apollo, Pennsylvania, focusing on breaking and training horses. Our specialty is rehabbing horses that come from auctions and abuse cases.

Our farm began as nothing more than a dream, a dream that came true in late 2008. SFEC was opened in January of 2009, after nearly a month of repairs to both the barn and the property itself. We began with only 7 horses, Candy, Mike, Vie, Moon, Sugar, Summer, and Buddy. It wasn't long before we had expanded to owning a total of 9 horses. We'd managed to pick up a gelding I'd almost purchased a few years before for nearly $14,000, for a measly $100 for his saddle. Captain, previously known as Brendan, became a lovely addition to our herd, with his flamboyant personality and kind heart. In late summer of 2009, we had just shipped in Floyd (who at the time was named Twister) for three weeks of training before he was to be shipped up to Cook Forest, PA. This plan was soon faulted as on his third day on the property he was turned out with the herd, and Buddy made it clear he did not like Floyd. That day Floyd tried to jump the pasture fence and ended up getting hug in it, and injuring not only himself but me as well in his struggle. After that, we opted to keep the paint, as recovery from his injuries was guestimated at over 6 months and at least $1000. He would not have recovered if he's ended up at Pinecrest, he would've died of Gang Green as he had to have surgery on his legs roughly 3 months into the healing process.

To make our farm truely unique, we purchased two Fainting Goats from a lady several miles away. These two four-legged critters were soon to be known as Tabitha and Woodstock. Woodstock grew up and another youngster was born, properly given the name Jude. We sold the buckling at roughly 6 months of age. Woodstock is still stinky as ever in his pen.

Our happy family remained as such until April 25, 2010. That morning, we found Captain cast in his stall, unable to move. Upon getting the gelding to his feet, we realized there was no hope for him as he's shattered his front right shoulder completely. At the ripe old age of 26, Captain was laid to rest in the paddock behind the barn.

In mid-May, we came across a nice filly at an auction. Cupids Mountain Dream was her name, Dreamer for short. We brought her home with every intention of keeping her, but she proved to be more of a handful than we'd figured.

Sadly all good things must come to an end. Mid-October, Summer became critically ill after choking on a treat. We called out the vet and while tubbing the mare, the woman managed to tear Summer's trachea. This led into a two week struggle of Summer running a 105.1 degree fever. She'd nearly withered away to nothing before we could get her into our personal vet's clinic. An hour after being transported, things had been looking up. As the vet went to give her IV fluids, Summer began to seize and collapsed dead. This was October 25, 2010, exactly five months to the day after Captain's untimely death. Summer and Captain were truely in love. As much as I know its not the truth, I still like to believe Summer just couldnt live without her lover and died of heartbreak. Either way, she was laid to rest beside her beloved, in the paddock where the pair first met.

Mini was the next one to join our increasingly strange "funny farm". She came to us from an older couple who couldnt handle her. She'd been abandoned by her mother as a filly and bottle fed until a year old. Once she'd outgrown the house, Misty (as they called her) was put out in a stall and left to rot for four long years. Her feet were so overgrown she'd become pigeon toed in the back. She'd had absolutely no socialization, and was deathly afraid of men. We brought her home for $75 and now several months later, she's healthy as can be.

Last but not least, Gatsby came to us in January 2011. He traveled clear from Phillidelphia to our tiny town of Apollo.

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