Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation, Inc.

09/02/2026

*UPDATE 9/2/2026 - we have an update on Adelia and Nevada from her mom available to read on the campaign, along with a few photos of Nevada.
(Previous information regarding the life-changing tragedy: Many of you may have heard of the tragedy that occurred on the night of 8/12/2026 with the devastating crash near Kellner, WI that left one person dead and three still hospitalized. So many lives changed forever, one horse deceased and one survived but the surviving horse needing extensive medical care and rehabilitation. This is a nightmare for everyone involved, and I started this campaign to try and help give some relief to those directly involved. Being a part of the horse community, I know what great people are out there are who are always willing to lend a hand, whether directly in the horse community or not. They are a part of our direct horse community here at MHWF. Thank you for any help you can give, whether that be a donation or a share. -Karen Bayerl, Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation)

09/01/2026

The gosh darn humidity! (spoken like a true Wisconsinite) But seriously, temps in the 90s and high humidity make for a rough farrier day. Giving huge thanks to farrier Mike and volunteer extraordinaire Christine for making the best of the weather we were handed yesterday and getting it done! You guys are awesome! Cowboy is pictured getting trimmed, with Lace on deck. Wow, that was a steamy one!

08/25/2026

Hawkeye has great news to share! He not only found himself a great home, but he'll also be living with two MHWF alumni named Gatyr and Storm (Stormqueller)! Danielle spent a good amount of time with Hawkeye and learned about some of his quirks that include that he is 7 years old, but acts more like he's 3 😉 Hawkeye is a good boy, and we're very happy for him and Danielle and family! A big congratulations to all, and thank you for choosing adoption again!

A special thank-you to Hawkeye's previous owner for entrusting us with his care and placement.

08/20/2026

We're so happy to announce that Sunny found himself a great home today! He is going to be the buddy to an amazing pony who is 35 or 36 years old. Not only that, he's going to have young kids loving on him again too. This sounds like the perfect family affair Sunny has been waiting for! Thank you so much to Jane and her beautiful family for choosing adoption, and a big congratulations to all!
A special thank-you to Sunny's previous family for entrusting MHWF with his care and placement.

08/19/2026

*Update 8/19/2026: We have an update on Adelia from her mom - you can read the update posted in the campaign, linked below*
(previous information regarding the life-changing accident: Many of you may have heard of the tragedy that occurred on the night of 8/12/2026 with the devastating crash near Kellner, WI that left one person dead and three still hospitalized. So many lives changed forever, one horse deceased and one survived but the surviving horse needing extensive medical care and rehabilitation. This is a nightmare for everyone involved, and I started this campaign to try and help give some relief to those directly involved. Being a part of the horse community, I know what great people are out there are who are always willing to lend a hand, whether directly in the horse community or not. They are a part of our direct horse community here at MHWF. Thank you for any help you can give, whether that be a donation or a share.
-Karen Bayerl, Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation)

A Joyful Day Turned Into a Nightmare Adelia and two close friends were d… Karen Bayerl needs your support for Help Adelia and Nevada Recover from Tragedy

08/15/2026

Many of you may have heard of the tragedy that occurred on the night of 8/12/2026 with the devastating crash near Kellner, WI that left one person dead and three still hospitalized. So many lives changed forever, one horse deceased and one survived but the surviving horse needing extensive medical care and rehabilitation. This is a nightmare for everyone involved, and I started this campaign to try and help give some relief to those directly involved. Being a part of the horse community, I know what great people are out there are who are always willing to lend a hand, whether directly in the horse community or not. They are a part of our direct horse community here at MHWF. Thank you for any help you can give, whether that be a donation or a share.
-Karen Bayerl, Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation

A Joyful Day Turned Into a Nightmare Adelia and two close friends were d… Karen Bayerl needs your support for Help Adelia and Nevada Recover from Tragedy

08/15/2026

Sassy was all smiles today… the kind of smile that says, “I have notes.” I offered him a new treat, and he reacted like I’d handed him a lemon dipped in betrayal. One sniff, one dramatic pause, and then he hit me with the full upper‑lip curl. The equine equivalent of “ma’am… absolutely not.”
He didn’t just reject the treat. He reviewed it. He rated it. He sent it back to the kitchen.
That glorious lip curl is called the flehmen response. Horses lift their upper lip to pull scents into a special organ that helps them analyze what they’re smelling. In Sassy’s case, he analyzed those treats and filed a complaint with management. Truly though, while it may look like a reaction to a bad smell, it is actually a sophisticated chemical analysis mechanism rather than a sign of disgust. Sassy did file the complaint anyway about the new treats.

08/14/2026

If Ringo could speak in human words, he'd be saying "more mash please!", or maybe something even a little more demanding.

Older horses who lose their ability to properly chew due to loss of teeth or expired teeth loss of grinding power need to make up for that with very soft foods including soaked alfalfa pellets and/or beet pulp and a good quality senior type feed soaked so they don't choke and can enjoy it thoroughly. Ringo is a big guy (Belgian gelding), aged, and has little to no grinding power left. He gets a nice big diet to meet his needs, and oh boy, he looks forward to every meal! He does pretty well eating pasture and the grasses, but regular hay he can't do much with.

08/12/2026

Ever wonder how much a horse knows? Honestly, it really depends. Horses learn many things from life itself, many learn a lot from the people in their lives, and some seem to have earned a PhD in “Human Management” without ever leaving the pasture. But there is one universal truth: every horse knows exactly how much you know.
If you’re not confident, he knows. If you’re clueless, he knows. If you’re confident, he knows. If you’re faking it… oh, he definitely knows.
Here is the thing - sometimes the horse knows more than the handler. It happens. Horses are polite enough not to brag about it (most of the time), but they’re absolutely aware. Some will quietly carry on like, “It’s fine, I’ve got this.” Others will take full advantage, like, “Oh, you don’t know what you’re doing? Great. I’ll just go over here and eat this plant you specifically told me not to touch.” 😆
Most of the time, when things go sideways in the horse/human relationship because the horse has the edge on the knowledge in the partnership, it’s fixable. Usually, the human just needs to learn a bit more, preferably before the horse starts offering unsolicited life advice. That usually works, if the human is okay with realizing they need to learn a bit more and working on the relationship.
Just some thoughts to chew on.
Oh yeah, he also definitely knows if you're late with dinner or if you have treats! 😋

07/17/2026

Very helpful information