Creekside Farm and Equine Rescue

Some days at the rescue feel a lot like this pond on a rainy day.

The storm shows up whether you’re ready for it or not. The water gets rougher, the sky gets heavier, and all you can really do is keep floating and hope you make it through it.

That’s kind of where we are right now.

I almost didn’t post this because I know everybody is struggling too. Everything feels expensive lately, and I hate even asking for help when I know so many people are already stretched thin. But I also promised myself I’d always be honest about where things stand here — even when things aren’t going great.

Truthfully, we’re stressed.

We’ve had to close intake because we can’t responsibly take on more animals right now. Feed prices keep climbing, hay is disappearing faster than we planned, and we’ve cut back to only the vet visits that absolutely cannot wait.

The latest hay load has been frustrating. It looked fine at first, but it’s loosely baled and we’re going through it way faster than normal. What should’ve lasted much longer… hasn’t.

Earlier this year, people donated toward pasture and fence repairs, and I want everyone to know that money absolutely went where it was supposed to. Supplies were bought, repairs were made, and work got done. We just couldn’t fully finish everything before regular rescue expenses started piling back up again.

Usually we somehow figure it out quietly behind the scenes.

This month has just been harder.

The same few people keep stepping in again and again to help keep this place going, and I honestly don’t know what we’d do without them. They’ve carried more of this than they should have to, and I’ll always be grateful for them.

We’ve been covering the gaps ourselves however we can, but savings only stretch so far. And if I’m being real, it’s getting scary.

One thing we’ve never really figured out is grants. A lot of bigger rescues survive because they have grant funding helping with feed, medical care, and day-to-day costs. We don’t have that. So if anyone has experience writing grants, knows organizations that support equine rescues, or even just knows where to start, we’d truly appreciate the help.

Nobody opens a rescue because it’s easy.

You do it because the animals still need care when it rains. They still need full feed buckets, dry shelter, safe fencing, and somebody willing to keep showing up for them no matter what things look like financially.

And we are still showing up.

But if you’ve ever wanted to help Creekside, now would mean more than I can explain.

A donation. A bag of feed. Hay connections. Sharing our posts. Helping us find grant opportunities. It all matters.

And honestly, thank you for sticking with us through the hard posts too — not just the happy ones. ❤️

If you'd like to help: Linktr.ee/CreeksideFER