HOWELL – Acres at Magnolia, a family-owned farm and equine sanctuary off West Farms Road in Farmingdale hosted its annual Easter on the farm event and Easter egg hunt.
The event featured several activities for young families, including several games that were set up in the main field, a meet and greet with Paw Patrol characters as well as the Easter Bunny, and of course, an Easter Egg Hunt. Various vendors and several local food trucks also came out to sponsor the event. Booter Beer Brewing Company, a local brewery out of New Egypt, had a stand for those over 21 who were trying to get their fill.
According to barn manager Stephanie Hueston, the event was put on to build a sense of community, raise funds for the Acres at Magnolia Animal Sanctuary, and inspire the public to take action on behalf of abused farm animals.
During the event, several of the younger barn staff members, such as Seraphina Paden, Lilly Paden, and Eli McDaniel, did a demonstration/lesson on horses in general and the various forms of abuse that horses can face. The event attendees were allowed to get up close to one of the farm’s horses, Brody, during the presentation.
A majority of the animals at Acres at Magnolia are horses that have suffered cruelty in one way or another, such as starvation, neglect, or being used for purposes that affected their physical and mental health.
According to Hueston, there is a slaughter pipeline for older horses and racehorses. The slaughter pipeline involves horses that are no longer making money for their owners being sent to countries like Mexico or Canada to be killed, according to Hueston.
One of the horses on the farm, Willow, is a former racehorse that was abandoned by her owner due to poor race performances. She was found in a barn by herself with no food and no water, and, according to Hueston, would have likely ended up dead or in the slaughter pipeline if they had not been able to rescue her.
“The slaughter pipeline is a very real reality for horses that are not producing money. Racehorses, lesson ponies, lesson horses, show (horses), they are just a feed bill at that point, if they can’t make the owner money. And they ship them off like they are garbage,” she said.
The goal of the sanctuary is to rescue as many animals as they can, but that requires funding, which is why they host events such as Easter on the farm, Fall festival, and Christmas on the farm, etc. Hueston has her sights on another horse she wants to rescue named Skip, as well as adding more paddocks and a big open barn so that they can expand their capacity to rescue horses.
“When the community comes together, it allows us not only to continue our day-to-day care, but also to grow; expanding paddocks and, one day, building a new barn so we can say ‘yes’ to even more equines in need of a second chance. For a bit of perspective, our hay bill alone is a staggering $4,000 each month, so events like this directly support the heart of our all-volunteer organization,” she said.
“Education is also a huge part of what we do,” she said. “Fundraisers give us a platform to connect with our community and shed light on the realities of horse rescue, why it’s needed, and how people can help. Through our Truth About Horse Rescue demonstrations, led by our incredible Youth Board members, guests get an eye-opening look into what many horses face before arriving at the sanctuary.”
While horses are the main focus of the sanctuary, it also includes donkeys, cows, and goats.
Those that are looking to find out about future events or donate to the sanctuary can do so via the sanctuary’s website, acresatmagnolia.com.
