Lemon's Hope Sanctuary

06/06/2026

Got some nice feedback from our farrier on this little guy, Angel, as well as his companion Diablo. I noted in a previous post that the farrier noticed how much better Diablo looks physically than he has in the recent past. She also was pleased with how well he did with his trimming. Not as worried about the process as at our last trim.

Our farrier has described Angel as her favorite mini. When she first met him while he was in a foster home, he was almost impossible to “catch,” nevermind work with. He was very avoidant of people and did not like being touched at all. For her to now say he’s her favorite mini is wonderful, given her earlier experience with him and since she trims a lot of minis. Yay, Angel!

06/02/2026

We've had and continue to have some extraordinary medical expenses for our animals here at the sanctuary. We are also expecting high hay and feed costs this year. Read all about it in the attached Go Fund Me. Any contributions towards the animals' care are so very appreciated.

Lemon's Hope Sanctuary is a safe haven for animals in need, including three horses… Sara Matters needs your support for Support Lemon's Hope Sanctuary Animals

06/02/2026

Got some great feedback from our wonderful farrier about little Diablo’s physical health. Diablo, the gray mini, has Cushing’s and for a bit had gotten too thin, with his belly hanging low and his spine protruding. He also has wonky conformation, with cow hocks and stifle joints that sometimes lock temporarily. This makes his gait look jerky.

For various reasons, I have only managed to get Diablo to take his medication for the Cushing’s inconsistently. There are few foods that he can have that he likes and he is very avoidant of the medication itself. Getting him to take the medication is a project for the summer.

In the meantime, I added Coco Omega fats and vitamin E to his diet and his weight, top line and joints have improved. He looks and moves so much better. And his farrier, Rachel Richardson, confirmed that with no prompting from me! Happy dance!

Top picture is of our healthier Diablo. Bottom two are messy Angel and Diablo after having a good roll.

05/10/2026

When the people come to play at our trainers' retreats, this magic happens:

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

05/03/2026

Chance says hi with his mouth full.

04/30/2026

04/30/2026

I am past due for a photo dump.

01/18/2026

We had five middle school aged kids from the Kurn Hattin Home and School for Children visit the animals last week. It was so enriching for everyone!

“The kids LOVED the visit,” their teacher wrote. “They all talked about [the animals] when they returned … and wanted to go back soon. It was amazing to see how the kids interacted with the animals.”

We can’t wait to host them again and start teaching about positive reinforcement.

Pictures by Debbie Jacobs of kids interacting with a dog, rats, a goat and a guinea pig.

10/27/2025

Fall is a time of harvest and abundance. We enjoy sharing our harvest with the critters. They appear to enjoy eating it.

I consider variety—of activities and food stuffs—to be enriching. So, here is more enrichment for the animals from our apples and cutting back the raspberry patch. Raspberry branches for the sheep and goat, and apple peels for the Guinea pigs and rats. Chance, the horse, will get some apple peels later. They’re a big sugary for the minis, who get a rotation of non-sugared and low sugar treats in their pen when they go out for the day and in the barn when they come in at night.