It’s not easy to accept that all things must eventually come to an end. We often go into denial in the face of the inevitable and airbrush away the aftermath when it does occur. So it probably shouldn’t have surprised me to read about a gardener who glossed over the demise of an entire tree with...

At Black Beauty Ranch, titles like “caregiver” and “maintenance technician” don’t do the people who hold them justice, and they don’t capture the dozens of unique tasks the team carries out every day: figuring out how to get pine sap off a goat’s horn (rub it with peanut oil), learning how to “drag”...

This list is provided as a resource for horse owners and is for informational purposes only. Please contact specific vendors for more information on their services. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of all listings. This list is not exhaustive and is subject to change over time. The...

Follow these tips to keep animals safe and comfortable in the cold.

MURCHISON, Texas—The wild Assateague Island horse who was removed from the Maryland tourist attraction by the National Park Service last month, is settling in seamlessly at Black Beauty Ranch, part of the Humane Society of the United States. The 13-year-old horse named Delegate’s Pride—also known as...

As a new homeowner susceptible to sales pitches from the garden industrial complex, I spent my early planting years salivating over glossy magazine spreads exploding with color and texture and promises of endless summers. “Flower porn” was how my husband described those lushly photographed...

Contents Is it possible to conduct commercial horse slaughter in a humane manner? Does horse slaughter have a negative financial impact on American taxpayers? Is horsemeat safe for human consumption? Can the federal government ensure the safety of horsemeat? Has ending domestic horse slaughter...

Black Beauty Ranch offers a fresh start to the domestic and exotic animals who roam its 1,400 acres. Whether they were rescued from roadside zoos, research laboratories or the exotic pet trade, some struggle to acclimate to life as wild animals. While providing the necessities that support their...

Every morning, the teams at Black Beauty Ranch spread out across 1,400 acres to care for the nearly 650 animals who call the sanctuary home. It’s not an easy task. The sanctuary is home to around 40 species, meaning caregivers need a high level of knowledge about all sorts of animals. Insights into...

What does it take to keep the nearly 650 animals at Black Beauty Ranch satiated, medicated and hydrated? A whole lotta produce, plus a dash of creativity. Here’s how sanctuary staff provide balanced diets, guided by the veterinary team.

Sharing your life with a horse can be a rewarding experience, but it includes the responsibility of caring for your equine companion for life. Your horse depends on your love, care and commitment, which you can show through grooming, petting, riding and the occasional treat. With good care, your...

You’d think it would be easy to persuade people to protect prairie dogs: Not only are they a keystone species, with nine other species directly dependent on them for survival, but they’re also irresistibly cute, with big eyes and big personalities. Yet the personable little rodents often find...

On summer evenings, my husband and I head to the darkest spot of our property to look for the light—in the form of fireflies rising from meadow grasses and twinkling their way into the trees. As the tulip poplars behind this spectacular display settle in for slumber, white yucca flowers open their...

They inhabit the ruins of a 14th-century empire in Africa, cling to 800-year-ol cliffside dwellings in Arizona, forage in old Indian temples and European churches and occupy the decidedly less grand crawl spaces of our modern homes. As the world’s only true flying mammals, bats know how to get...

Contents Plan for your equines Evacuating without your equines Equines and floodwater Equines and barn fires

Many Marches ago, as I mindlessly contorted myself to pull a deep-rooted weed from the garden patch, my thoughts turned longingly to the smell of fresh basil that would eventually grace what I saw as a still-barren vegetable graveyard. This spot was not so lifeless as it appeared, I would soon learn...

My husband and I were contemplating whether to hike the 3-mile trail in Utah’s Zion National Park that September day. I’d read that this trail was our best chance to spot bighorn sheep, but after a week of exploring the five national parks in the state, our bodies were tired—and it was already late...