Blue Rider Stables

Blue Rider Stables

413-528-5299
info@bluerider.org
15 Farm Lane, South Egremont, MA 01230

Giving Tuesday 2024

Join the global Giving Tuesday movement and make this season one of radical generosity to support our amazing, loving equines with their daily needs.

In the spirit of GivingTuesday, we are asking for your donations so that we can continue our mission to put people and horses together in a holistic, educational environment where, through their mutual therapeutic experiences, they can broaden the scope of their lives.

Our cost to feed and provide medical, dental, and hoof care for our hard working horses and donkeys can be as much as $90,000 per year! They are worth every penny of that, but as we all know, money doesn’t grow on trees – or in our pastures – so on behalf of our equines we are asking our community to toss something in the feed bucket for Bella, Fritz, Zora, Mystery, Tonka, Mia, Marcy, Hekla, Rico, Sprite, Billy Boy, Taquito, Arlo, Svadi, and Garuda.

Our goal is to raise $7,500 by Giving Tuesday on December 3rd. Please pitch in any amount you can.

If you are unable to give monetarily, please help out by spreading the word and encouraging your friends, family, and community members to give whatever they can. Every bit helps to support the important and joyful work we do here at Blue Rider Stables.

To learn more about the history and mission of the global Giving Tuesday movement, click here.

2024 Circus Raffle Tickets on Sale Now

As part of our fundraising efforts during this year’s circus, we are selling raffle tickets:
$10 each or 6 for $50, with 50 PRIZES TO WIN from local businesses – see the list below.

Drawing to be held on June 1st at our Blue Rider Stables Circus.

We are truly grateful to all the local businesses who are donating goods and services to this year’s circus raffle in support of the work we do at Blue Rider Stables.

Prizes:

SoCO Creamery$20
Pawsh Buddies$25
Manhatten Pizza$10
Applebees$25
Masseo’s Meat & Seafood$50
The Shoppe$25
Wards Nursery$25
SoCO Creamery$20
Berkshire Bass$25
No 10$50
Green Branch Urban$25
Mom’s Country Cafe$50
Prairie Whale$25
Applebees$25
Big Y$25
Tom’s Toys$40
Barrington Outfitters$50
SoCo Creamery$20
Bookloft$30
Manhatten Pizza$10
Carr Hardware$20
Roberto’s Pizza$25
Clark’s Nursery$50
Guido’s$100
SoCo Creamery$20
Carlson Heating & AC$50
Eagle Shoe & Boot$25
Agway$50
SoCo Creamery$20
Marshall’s$25
Pizza House$25
The Shoppe$25
SoCo Creamery$20
Wards Nursery$25
Applebees$25
Rubiner’s Cheesemonger$50
GB Eats$25
Tractor Supply$25
Agway$50
SoCo Creamery$20
SoCo Creamery$20
Shire Glass$35
Manhatten Pizza$10
Carr Hardware$20
SoCo Creamery$20
Home Depot$25
SoCo Creamery$20
Applebees$25
Trotta’s$25
Bistro Box$25

Announcing our 2024 Blue Rider Circus!

Saturday, June 1st from 10:30 to 12:30 – Rain or Shine

Please join us for our 2024 Blue Rider Stables Circus, where our students, instructors, and horses will showcase the work that we do here at Blue Rider Stables. Come and enjoy the festive atmosphere, our bake sale, and RAFFLE PRIZES.

No admission fee. Parking $20.00

All proceeds help to support our mission.

As part of our fundraising efforts during this year’s circus, we are selling raffle tickets:
$10 each with 50 chances to win a prize. Drawing to be held on June 1st at our Blue Rider Stables Circus.

Click HERE to see raffle prizes and purchase tickets!

An Update on Taquito

Taquito was diagnosed with arthritis in his neck and shoulders a few months ago. Sadly, this is taking a toll on him, and we have decided to retire him from active duty. He is happily spending his time at the gate with Billy Boy, waiting for hugs and cuddles.

Keep an eye out for our two traveling donkeys now! Billy and Taquito both look forward to their futures as our mascots of Blue Rider.

Summer Horsemanship Program

Summer has begun! We are hosting our summer horsemanship program. Please email info@bluerider.org if you would like to sign your child up for a week (or many!)

Our Circus was a Success!

Our Inner Child Circus of 2023 was a roaring success. We had amazing weather, spectacular riders and participants, and a supportive audience. We could not of done it without all of you.

To see photos of the event, go to https://caitlinvongraf.zenfolio.com/2023circus. If you would like to purchase any of the photos of your child, please email info@bluerider.org to do so.

Goodbye Desmond

Desmond is our resident barn cat at Blue Rider. He is so much more than a barn cat and a mouse hunter. Almost everyone who has ever been to Blue Rider has had the chance to be greeted by Desi, who is our barn greeter, emotional support animal(to staff, clients, parents and anyone who needs him), our biggest cuddler and just an overall sweet loving cat. Desi will let you hold him all day long and loves riding on your shoulders. He does not ask for much but gives so much to everyone. He has been the rock the staff has held on to during the loss of four horses in the past six months.

On Tuesday morning, Desi was showing signs of distress. He made it clear to staff that he was having issues going to the bathroom. The staff decided that it was time to bring him to the vet. The vets were able to help him go to the bathroom. He stayed at the vet hospital for a couple hours on pain medication while the vets tried to figure out what was going on. The vets did an urine analysis and were unable to find anything significant in what was causing Desmond’s inability to pee. With the hopes that the pain medication, antibiotics and muscle relaxers would help him, he was sent home for the night.

He seemed to be more comfortable and in good spirits as staff left for the night.

On Wednesday morning, Desi was in the same boat as Tuesday but with major signs of discomfort.

We rushed him to the vet again and a staff member stayed with him for hours while the vets tried to figure out what can be done to help him. Blood work was done showing he was perfectly healthy besides this issue. An x-ray was done showing he was impacted but no crystals or stones blocking his urine output. It was decided that he should stay overnight with a catheter to see if that helped. He stayed until 4:00 this afternoon. There have been almost no signs of anything getting better for him since he has been back home today. He still doesn’t seem to be able to pee on his own.

On Friday morning, Desi was brought to Bilmar Vet for surgery. We thought that this would help him and solve the urinary problems. The staff at Blue Rider made the decision hoping this would be in Desi’s best interests and in hopes he would live the long life he was told he would never have when we found him. The reconstructive surgery itself was a success. Desmond came out of surgery around 130. Dr. Caine called Julia N. letting her know that there was a mass further up in the upper neck of his bladder. He was unaware of it until the surgery. Dr. Caine wanted to keep him overnight with a catheter to see if the surgery was helpful.

Unfortunately around 4:30, Julia N. got another phone call from Dr. Caine stating that Desi still had not been able to urinate and that for Desmond’s sake that he should be let go. Julia N. went back to Bilmar to be there with Desmond as he was put to sleep. He was very peaceful and surrounded with lots of love and care.

Desi joined our Ghost Herd around 5 o’clock tonight.

Unfortunately this was not the outcome any of us wanted or expected to have. We did everything we could for him and in the end he knew that all we did was love him and do whatever we could to help him. Desmond fought to the very end. He was the sweetest, loving, caring, and most expressive cat. There will never be any other cat like him.

Des was only 7 when we left the physical world, this was very unexpected and we will miss him dearly.

I don’t think any of us can imagine a Blue Rider world without him running up, meowing and greeting everyone.

Any little bit will help us offset the costs of taking care of our Desi.

We truly appreciate any and all donations. Thank you so much,

From the Sad Four-legged and Two-legged Staff at Blue Rider

It’s May Already!

Read below for BRS’s first week of May update:

A Sad Update

Please read below for our update on Falcur. If you would like to donate in his memory or to help financially support Blue Rider with all the expenses that we put into helping Falcur in his final days please use the donate button below.

Our 2023 Circus Is Here!

The theme this year is Inviting your Inner Child. Be prepared for lots of silly, childish fun!