Fletcher Farms Amarillo

Some days are just heavy. I don't always know why maybe it's just life. But there's one thing that never fails to pull me back to center: walking out to the pasture and being with the herd.

There's something about leaning into a 2,000-pound draft horse who just... stands there with you. No judgment. No advice. Just quiet, steady presence. Whether it's burying my face in a horses neck or watching the horses graze like nothing in the world could rattle them, the horses have this way of reminding me that everything is going to be okay.

They don't know they're doing it. They're just being horses. But for me, it's therapy I can't get anywhere else.
If you've ever had an animal pull you out of a dark moment, you know exactly what I mean.

Come meet the herd that keeps saving me right back → www.bighooffoundation.org

There's a feeling that hits me every single time I walk out into the herd, and I don't think I'll ever get used to it nor do I want to.

It's the quiet. Not silence, exactly. There's always a nicker somewhere, a tail swishing, hooves shifting in the dirt. But it's a quiet in the chest. A settling. Whatever I was carrying when I walked out there just … doesn't feel as heavy anymore.

It's looking out and seeing 200+ horses and donkeys who were each, at some point, somebody's "too much trouble," "too old," "too sick," "not worth it" and watching them graze in the sun like they have all the time in the world now. Because they do.

It's the ones who still flinch when you reach for them, and the ones who now lean their whole head into your hands like they've finally figured out no one's going to hurt them again.

It's knowing every single one of their names. Their stories. What they came from and what they came home to.

I've done this for five years and that feeling has never once gotten old. If anything, it gets bigger every year the herd does.

If you've ever stood in a pasture full of animals who trust you, you know exactly what I mean. And if you haven't that's what we're out here trying to give every horse and donkey that comes through our gates. A place to just exist. Safely. Slowly. Loved.
That feeling is why we do this work.

👉 www.bighooffoundation.org

My favorite place in the whole world is right here.

Every morning I walk out and I'm surrounded by them. The ones who've been overlooked, the ones who are older, slower, a little more fragile than they used to be. And every single one of them still nickers when they see me coming.

This sanctuary isn't just where I work. It's where I get to watch broken things heal. It's where a foal who lost his mother gets a second chance at life. It's where a herd of "too old, too sick, too much trouble" horses gets to just be horses again…safe, fed, and loved for exactly as long as they have left.

There's no other place I'd rather be.
If this sanctuary means something to you too, consider helping us keep it going: www.bighooffoundation.org

New arrivals settling in and finding their place in the herd. Hay season in full swing. Foals keeping everyone on their toes. And every one of our 200+ senior and medically fragile horses and donkeys needing their own kind of care, every single day.

That's the thing about running a sanctuary this size, the big stories make it to social media, but the real story is everything in between. The early mornings. The quiet moments with an animal who's still learning to trust again. The small wins nobody else gets to see.

If you want the full picture not just the highlights, but what actually happens here every day that's exactly why we started our Patreon.

Come see it all with us:
👉 www.patreon.com/fletcherfarmsamarillo817

This herd has so many stories still being written. We'd love for you to be part of them.

Happy Independence Day, from our herd to your family. 🇺🇸

Freedom looks different for every one of us. For the 200+ horses and donkeys here at Fletcher Farms Amarillo, freedom means no more auction blocks, no more kill pens, no more wondering where the next meal is coming from. It means slow mornings in the pasture, a herd that has their back, and hands that will only ever be gentle with them.

This Fourth of July, we're grateful for every donor, volunteer, and supporter who made that kind of freedom possible for our senior and medically fragile herd. You are the reason these animals get to just... be horses and donkeys again.

And if you're looking for a way to celebrate that gives back, our July hay fundraiser is in full swing. Every bale helps us keep this herd fed through the summer heat. Link in comments.


Broad reach:

🐴 A New Friendship in the Herd 🐴
We haven't picked a name for our newest girl yet but she's already found something even more important: a friend.

She's bonded with Nellie, who came to us from a kill pen not long ago herself. Two horses who know exactly what the other has been through, now grazing side by side, relaxing in the sun, figuring out this new, safe life together.

There's nothing quite like watching that happen. The wariness starts to fade. The head drops. She follows Nellie instead of watching the world from the edges. That's what healing looks like out here.

She's got a long road ahead, but she's not walking it alone anymore.

Help us care for her (and Nellie, and the rest of the herd) as they settle in 👉 www.bighooffoundation.org

🌾 July Hay Fundraiser — Help Us Feed the Herd

With over 200+ horses and donkeys in our care, keeping hay in the barn is one of our biggest ongoing needs and summer is no exception.

This July, we're raising funds to make sure every one of our seniors and medically fragile rescues has the hay they need to stay healthy and comfortable.

Every horse and donkey here depends on this. A full belly is where good care starts.

Will you help us stock up for the month? Every bit makes a difference. 🐴💛
👉 Details at www.bighooffoundation.org

💛 SHE'S HOME.
Remember the mare we told you about yesterday…the one sitting in a kill pen, possibly carrying a foal by a Brabant stallion, one of the rarest draft horse breeds left in the world?

Because of YOU, we raised the funds to save her in record time. She is officially safe at Big Hoof Foundation.

Our vet has already been out to check her over, and we've done bloodwork to find out if she's carrying that foal. We're waiting on results and we'll share the news the moment we know.

Every Brabant foal matters for keeping this breed alive, and thanks to this community, this mare and her possible baby have a real shot at a good life.

Thank you to everyone who gave, shared, and believed in her. This is what you made possible.

A PSA FROM THE FENCE LINE…

Two Belgian drafts have entered the chat, and they would like you to know that "later" is not a time they recognize.
The bigger one has mastered the slow-motion head bob….the equine equivalent of leaning in a doorway going "sooooo... anything for me?" The other one just goes straight for it and starts checking pockets like TSA at a horse-sized airport.

Neither one is hungry. We just fed them. This is not about hunger. This is about principle. In their minds, every human within a 10-foot radius is contractually obligated to be a snack dispenser, and the fence is simply the negotiating table.

One of them sighed so dramatically we're pretty sure a nearby crow filed it as a personal insult.

Verdict: 2 horses, 4,000 lbs combined, and a shared belief that eye contact is a valid form of payment.

They will accept apples, carrots, or your undivided attention. Preferably all three.