Retirement to Mitchell Farms

Why is the need so great for equine retirement sanctuaries?

Equine rescue organizations do their best to relocate and/or retrain neglected, abused or just plain unwanted horses. The job is overwhelming! Retirement Farms fill a critical need by giving safe permanent homes to older horses thus allowing rescue networks to concentrate on the younger horse that has a more useful lifespan.

Our Philosophy

Retired horses are given the time and space to remember or learn how to be a horse again.

Once retired to Mitchell Farm, horses are truly retired. Although each horse has a stall to return to in the evening or during bad weather, they spend as much time as possible grazing in pastures in the beautiful Salem Valley. Our equine retirees have earned their retirement and therefore will not ever be ridden again. Without the pressures of competition or bearing human weight, they are free to remember (or learn) what it means to be a horse. Volunteers each horse on a regular basis; medical and dietary needs are handled by the staff, and routine health check are performed by a Veterinarian.

There are few alternatives for aging horses that have been long and faithful servants. Mitchell Farm is one of only a handful of farms in the United States dedicated to providing a safe comfortable permanent home for the final years of our senior equine friends.

Splash 1975 -2005

Splash passed away in February, 2005 at the ripe old age of 30. He is the cornerstone of Mitchell Farm Equine Retirement, Inc. He belonged to Founder/Executive Director Dee Doolittle for 20 years. He was her great friend and companion. Splash was loved by all who knew him, and was known for his sense of humor and sweet temperament. In his prime he was a wonderful pleasure/ show horse. In middle age, Splash and Dee enjoyed hunter paces and trail riding together. In retirement, Splash was lucky enough to spend quiet happy days grazing in big beautiful pastures. He had a good life!

Click on the names below to view our retirees.

Current Residents			Memorial Field
Beauty Bonnie Bonz Buddy Chaussette Chill Classy Dove Duke  Easy Express Filly Gryphon Josie Maddie	Metis Nevada Poncho R2 Raye Remi Shy Anne Simon Sporty Spottie Tommy Toto Walter Wick		Abby Ben Betz Black Jack Brass Buzz Capri Copper Dan	Dandy Fino Greco Harmony Julianna Lady Millie P.G. Phoebe Wiggy
			Somewhere in time's own space There must be some sweet pastured place Where creeks sing on and tall trees grow Some paradise where horses go, For by the love that guides my pen I know great horses live again. ~Stanley Harrison