Equi-librium

12/12/2025

Some happy horses enjoying snowy daytime turnout ❄️ Plus, George is on the mend and reunited with friends!

12/11/2025

GEORGE UPDATE 12/11, 10:00 AM

Home sweet home, and no worse for the wear! George took a stroll with his buddy Kaelyn, and is ready to see some of his favorite participants again later today!

Thanks to online donations and a recent extremely generous pledge, we have hit our fundraising goal for George’s veterinary care. Any additional funds raised will go towards his ongoing care, keeping, and let’s be honest…pampering! Thank you all so much for your love and support ❤️

12/10/2025

Lessons from 2:00 pm on are CANCELED today, 12/10 due to a winter weather advisory and mixed precipitation in the forecast.

We expect potentially slippery conditions - depending on whether we get snow, rain, ice, or all three! - and will be erring on the side of caution.

12/10/2025

GEORGE UPDATE 12/10, 9:00 AM

George is coming home!!!

He has had food back for 24 hours, and everything is moving the way it should with no signs of discomfort. George’s vet at The Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center has talked with his vet here from All Points Equine, and it’s been determined that the best course of action for George is to not make any significant changes to his feed, supplements, or exercise at this time. Essentially…don’t tell him he was ever sick! The sooner he can return to his normal routine, the better, and since he did not require surgical intervention, he has no restrictions.

Thanks to the generosity of all who love George, we have raised $2,795 as of this morning. We will have a better idea of his total bill at the end of the day, but will refrain from re-sharing his fundraising link for now until we know how much more we’re looking at. Anything that arrives in excess of his total amount will go towards his care here at home.

Wishing safe travels to Kim, Brett, and George as they work quickly today to beat the winter weather!

12/09/2025

GEORGE UPDATE 12/9, 4:00 PM

George continues to do well at The Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center and has had food slowly reintroduced throughout the day. He will continue to be monitored tonight at the clinic and assessed tomorrow to see how he tolerates breakfast and to ensure his comfort and gut motility are sustained. Currently, our goal is for him to come home on Thursday rather than in snowy and icy conditions tomorrow.

George’s colon is back where it needs to be, and he had an ultrasound this afternoon to check his spleen. It’s currently believed that while his symptoms were acute, chronic returning colic episodes may be likely due to his age and anatomy. However, the team at Mid-Atlantic reports that his overall condition and bloodwork are excellent, and that the best course of action is to continue the feeding and exercise routine he’s been on.

We will share another update tomorrow. For now, thank you so much to all who have donated to George’s care. If you’d like to contribute, please visit https://square.link/u/pD4aKArX

Since we are still under 24 hours out from his admission last night, we still face many unknowns as far as total cost. A lot will depend on when he comes home, which we just don’t know at this point. We’re committed to full transparency once we have an idea of these expenses, but we just don’t have an estimate at this point. Currently, we know that our total is at least $3,000. We will monitor George’s donation page and will suspend donations if they begin to surpass a reasonable ballpark for expenses; anything that does get donated in excess of our final bill will go to George’s ongoing care.

Thank you so much ❤️

Your donation will help Equi-librium maintain George's feed and care throughout the year. Please see our website for more details!

12/09/2025

Last night, our sweet George was admitted to The Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center for colic symptoms and discomfort that couldn't be adequately managed on the farm. We are relieved to report that he's doing well, but we are still awaiting additional results and developing a plan of care for when he can come home.

Yesterday began as a normal day for George, but he suddenly became uncomfortable midday; thanks to Kim and Brett's quick actions, he was assessed by our vet very quickly. However, by evening, his condition was still variable, and it was decided that he needed to be referred out and trailered to Mid-Atlantic to receive around-the-clock care.

At Mid-Atlantic, it was determined that his colon was displaced. However, the team quickly began treatment to resolve the issue without surgery, and George is doing much better today! He is still undergoing additional testing to cover all bases and develop a plan of care, and we are hopeful that he will be able to come home to Equi-librium soon.

As many know, George is not just a tremendous therapy horse who means the world to many of our participants, but is also a local celebrity and a former public servant, having retired from the Bethlehem Mounted Police after a decade of service in our community. We will continue to do all that we can to aid in the recovery and care of this special boy going forward.

Many have already asked about a GoFundMe for George's expenses, which we truly appreciate. At this time, we are simply unsure of the total expenses we will incur, and are hesitant to set up a fundraiser without the ability to have that transparency. What we do know is that between his initial vet visits and his admission to Mid-Atlantic, our starting point is over $2,000. Additional testing, time spent at Mid-Atlantic, and recovery care will significantly add to that number.

As a non-profit organization, donations drastically help with unforeseen emergencies such as this one, and help us to continue to provide the best care possible without having to worry about the cost to our programs. If you feel inclined to make a donation to help us cover George's care, please visit his sponsorship page at https://square.link/u/pD4aKArX and feel free to share this link. All donations are tax-deductible and any donation received in excess of his final bill(s) will go towards his care going forward, including special feed, supplements, and medication needs. We will share more specific updates when we have them.

Thank you so much in advance for your support, thoughts, and prayers for George!

12/08/2025

❄️ Cold Weather Tips and Tricks with Opie and Eclipse! ❄️

As we begin our December/January program session, here are some tips, tricks, and general information to help you weather the cold when you're on the farm!

❄️ Dress in layers that are easy to put on or remove without removing your helmet. Quarter and full-zip sweatshirts, fleeces, and jackets are great! Tight fitting base layers - in a wool or synthetic material - can help you retain heat while wicking away any sweat.

❄️ Wear gloves! As long as you can move your fingers and grip the reins, any glove is fine.

❄️ Use hand and foot warmers inside your gloves and boots. These come in single use and reusable options. Heated vests are a great (but more expensive) option if you are spending a lot of time outdoors.

❄️ Remove layers when you're in the warm classroom, or in the car driving to your lesson, and put them on right before you enter the arena or barn.

❄️ Avoid loose items like scarves that could get caught or tangled in tack and equipment.

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Per our Participant Handbook, lessons will take place above 20 degrees (actual NWS temperature) except when winter storm / weather advisories are in effect. Equi-librium will cancel lessons up to two hours prior to the lesson time when significant winter weather (snow, ice) is expected. Lessons may be modified in length and/or activities based on the weather and the individual cold tolerance of each participant and the horses.

12/08/2025

Today is our first day of our December/January program session, and Faith is here with the weather! It's going to be a cold one today, but all lesson times are forecasted to stay above our 20 degree cutoff. We'll be sharing some tips and tricks later today on how to stay warm and comfortable when the temperatures drop.

As for the horses....

Horses self-regulate their temperature well. You may notice that trotting is limited in programs during cold weather days. This is partially because horses lose heat through their respiratory system, and cardio increases their respiratory rate. Are you familiar with the burning feeling in your lungs if you run outdoors in the cold? We want to avoid that in our horses and humans!

Harder arena footing is also a byproduct of cold weather. Our footing is uniquely wax-based, which keeps it completely dust-free. However, these properties that help with dust also make it colder and firmer in below-freezing temperatures. Lastly, many of our horses require more time to warm up in colder weather due to stiff joints and the fact that turnout is limited when the ground is frozen.

Our wonderful instructors and program staff modify for safety both in advance and on-the-go to ensure that both horses and participants are as comfortable as possible. We're grateful for all of the volunteers, instructors, and participants who weather the cold with us - especially the horse care team who are here 365 days a year regardless of weather conditions!

12/07/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual Twelve Neighs of Christmas event! We’re grateful to have had such a great turnout despite the cold weather, with attendees including Equi-librium participants, over 100 community members, and dozens of foster families and children served by The Kindness Project. Thanks to the generosity of our event supporters throughout the year, we were able to offer activity wristbands completely free of charge for families registering through The Kindness Project, helping to make the season bright!

12/07/2025

Twelve Neighs of Christmas

12/05/2025

Join us this Sunday for festive fun at the Equi-librium farm! Admission is free, but certain activities require tickets or wristbands. You can get your wristband online for just $10, or at the event for $15. We hope to see you there!

https://whennow.com/event/the-twelve-neighs-of-christmas-at-equi-librium-1

12/04/2025

This November, we partnered with Wildlands Conservancy to host a Hike with the Minis event at Black River Sanctuary. Guests got to experience a tranquil and healing hike through the beautiful trails, benefiting both humans and horses alike! We are grateful to the Wildlands Conservancy for their commitment to creating lasting connections in nature, and for collaborating with us this year!

📸: Skip Cook Photos