Equi-librium

12/09/2025

GEORGE UPDATE 12/9, 4:00 PM

George continues to do well at The Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center and has had food slowly reintroduced throughout the day. He will continue to be monitored tonight at the clinic and assessed tomorrow to see how he tolerates breakfast and to ensure his comfort and gut motility are sustained. Currently, our goal is for him to come home on Thursday rather than in snowy and icy conditions tomorrow.

George’s colon is back where it needs to be, and he had an ultrasound this afternoon to check his spleen. It’s currently believed that while his symptoms were acute, chronic returning colic episodes may be likely due to his age and anatomy. However, the team at Mid-Atlantic reports that his overall condition and bloodwork are excellent, and that the best course of action is to continue the feeding and exercise routine he’s been on.

We will share another update tomorrow. For now, thank you so much to all who have donated to George’s care. If you’d like to contribute, please visit https://square.link/u/pD4aKArX

Since we are still under 24 hours out from his admission last night, we still face many unknowns as far as total cost. A lot will depend on when he comes home, which we just don’t know at this point. We’re committed to full transparency once we have an idea of these expenses, but we just don’t have an estimate at this point. Currently, we know that our total is at least $3,000. We will monitor George’s donation page and will suspend donations if they begin to surpass a reasonable ballpark for expenses; anything that does get donated in excess of our final bill will go to George’s ongoing care.

Thank you so much ❤️

Your donation will help Equi-librium maintain George's feed and care throughout the year. Please see our website for more details!

12/09/2025

Last night, our sweet George was admitted to The Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center for colic symptoms and discomfort that couldn't be adequately managed on the farm. We are relieved to report that he's doing well, but we are still awaiting additional results and developing a plan of care for when he can come home.

Yesterday began as a normal day for George, but he suddenly became uncomfortable midday; thanks to Kim and Brett's quick actions, he was assessed by our vet very quickly. However, by evening, his condition was still variable, and it was decided that he needed to be referred out and trailered to Mid-Atlantic to receive around-the-clock care.

At Mid-Atlantic, it was determined that his colon was displaced. However, the team quickly began treatment to resolve the issue without surgery, and George is doing much better today! He is still undergoing additional testing to cover all bases and develop a plan of care, and we are hopeful that he will be able to come home to Equi-librium soon.

As many know, George is not just a tremendous therapy horse who means the world to many of our participants, but is also a local celebrity and a former public servant, having retired from the Bethlehem Mounted Police after a decade of service in our community. We will continue to do all that we can to aid in the recovery and care of this special boy going forward.

Many have already asked about a GoFundMe for George's expenses, which we truly appreciate. At this time, we are simply unsure of the total expenses we will incur, and are hesitant to set up a fundraiser without the ability to have that transparency. What we do know is that between his initial vet visits and his admission to Mid-Atlantic, our starting point is over $2,000. Additional testing, time spent at Mid-Atlantic, and recovery care will significantly add to that number.

As a non-profit organization, donations drastically help with unforeseen emergencies such as this one, and help us to continue to provide the best care possible without having to worry about the cost to our programs. If you feel inclined to make a donation to help us cover George's care, please visit his sponsorship page at https://square.link/u/pD4aKArX and feel free to share this link. All donations are tax-deductible and any donation received in excess of his final bill(s) will go towards his care going forward, including special feed, supplements, and medication needs. We will share more specific updates when we have them.

Thank you so much in advance for your support, thoughts, and prayers for George!

12/08/2025

❄️ Cold Weather Tips and Tricks with Opie and Eclipse! ❄️

As we begin our December/January program session, here are some tips, tricks, and general information to help you weather the cold when you're on the farm!

❄️ Dress in layers that are easy to put on or remove without removing your helmet. Quarter and full-zip sweatshirts, fleeces, and jackets are great! Tight fitting base layers - in a wool or synthetic material - can help you retain heat while wicking away any sweat.

❄️ Wear gloves! As long as you can move your fingers and grip the reins, any glove is fine.

❄️ Use hand and foot warmers inside your gloves and boots. These come in single use and reusable options. Heated vests are a great (but more expensive) option if you are spending a lot of time outdoors.

❄️ Remove layers when you're in the warm classroom, or in the car driving to your lesson, and put them on right before you enter the arena or barn.

❄️ Avoid loose items like scarves that could get caught or tangled in tack and equipment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Per our Participant Handbook, lessons will take place above 20 degrees (actual NWS temperature) except when winter storm / weather advisories are in effect. Equi-librium will cancel lessons up to two hours prior to the lesson time when significant winter weather (snow, ice) is expected. Lessons may be modified in length and/or activities based on the weather and the individual cold tolerance of each participant and the horses.

12/08/2025

Today is our first day of our December/January program session, and Faith is here with the weather! It's going to be a cold one today, but all lesson times are forecasted to stay above our 20 degree cutoff. We'll be sharing some tips and tricks later today on how to stay warm and comfortable when the temperatures drop.

As for the horses....

Horses self-regulate their temperature well. You may notice that trotting is limited in programs during cold weather days. This is partially because horses lose heat through their respiratory system, and cardio increases their respiratory rate. Are you familiar with the burning feeling in your lungs if you run outdoors in the cold? We want to avoid that in our horses and humans!

Harder arena footing is also a byproduct of cold weather. Our footing is uniquely wax-based, which keeps it completely dust-free. However, these properties that help with dust also make it colder and firmer in below-freezing temperatures. Lastly, many of our horses require more time to warm up in colder weather due to stiff joints and the fact that turnout is limited when the ground is frozen.

Our wonderful instructors and program staff modify for safety both in advance and on-the-go to ensure that both horses and participants are as comfortable as possible. We're grateful for all of the volunteers, instructors, and participants who weather the cold with us - especially the horse care team who are here 365 days a year regardless of weather conditions!

12/07/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual Twelve Neighs of Christmas event! We’re grateful to have had such a great turnout despite the cold weather, with attendees including Equi-librium participants, over 100 community members, and dozens of foster families and children served by The Kindness Project. Thanks to the generosity of our event supporters throughout the year, we were able to offer activity wristbands completely free of charge for families registering through The Kindness Project, helping to make the season bright!

12/07/2025

Twelve Neighs of Christmas

12/05/2025

Join us this Sunday for festive fun at the Equi-librium farm! Admission is free, but certain activities require tickets or wristbands. You can get your wristband online for just $10, or at the event for $15. We hope to see you there!

https://whennow.com/event/the-twelve-neighs-of-christmas-at-equi-librium-1

12/04/2025

This November, we partnered with Wildlands Conservancy to host a Hike with the Minis event at Black River Sanctuary. Guests got to experience a tranquil and healing hike through the beautiful trails, benefiting both humans and horses alike! We are grateful to the Wildlands Conservancy for their commitment to creating lasting connections in nature, and for collaborating with us this year!

📸: Skip Cook Photos

12/02/2025

Today is , an international day of giving to support nonprofit organizations around the globe that are making a difference throughout the year. Giving Tuesday also kicks off our annual appeal campaign, which we can't wait to share with you soon!

You can donate today - or any day! - by visiting https://www.equi-librium.org/donate and clicking the "DONATE" button. Or, you can reach out to jessie@equi-librium.org for more information on making a lasting impact through recurring or planned giving.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Equi-librium relies heavily on grants and private donations to help subsidize every program for every participant. Currently, fees for service cover only 30% of Equi-librium operating expenses, and are not utilized for capital improvements. This means that approximately 70% of our budget comes from fundraising efforts and the support of people like you.

It's no surprise to many that horses and their upkeep are expensive, but therapeutic riding and horsemanship centers incur additional costs including:

🐴 Acquiring and maintaining a wide variety of adaptive equipment to serve participants of all ages with varying physical needs.
🐴 Maintaining accessible facilities up to exceeding PATH International standards, including mounting ramps, classroom and unmounted spaces, and more.
🐴 Caring for an aging herd of horses. Often times, the horses that are most appropriate for therapeutic riding are those who have "been there, done that," which frequently means they are older or have had a lengthy career already. Older horses require additional veterinary care to keep them comfortable and healthy.
🐴 Education and professional certifications for staff and instructors to ensure the highest degree of safety and quality within our programs. Salaries and related expenses are frequently not covered by grants, even though therapeutic riding instructors are required to maintain advanced certifications and our center must meet accreditation standards.
🐴 Increased insurance and related overhead expenses that are often not covered by grant funds.

Your support makes a substantial difference each year, and keeps our fees for service aligned with (and often lower than) traditional riding centers despite our additional expenses. Every donation helps, and sharing this post will help as well!

https://www.equi-librium.org/donate

12/01/2025

Snow will be moving in tomorrow to blanket the farm just in time for Twelve Neighs of Christmas! Join us this Sunday, December 7th from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. The event is open house style and fun for everyone!

Admission is free, but pre-registration is appreciated so we know how many guests to expect. You can also buy an activity wristband online for just $10! Wristbands will be sold for $15 at the door and are good for all ticketed activities. Ticketed activities may be accessed with individual tickets as well ( 1 🎟️ = 1 💵 ) with each activity ranging from 1-3 tickets.

Accompanying adults do *NOT* need an activity wristband or tickets. Food and baked goods will be available for purchase, along with items from local craft vendors!

Visit https://whennow.com/event/the-twelve-neighs-of-christmas-at-equi-librium-1 to pre-register and reserve your discounted wristband, and check out a list of this year’s activities here!

❄️ Please note that the event is rain or shine and may be modified to indoors in the event of inclement weather. Our property is an active farm with hills, dirt, and rocks; you assume the risk of equine activities pursuant to Pennsylvania law.
❄️ Activities are subject to change

11/27/2025

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! We are forever grateful for our dedicated volunteers and devoted staff members, our beautiful horses, our generous donors and supporters, and all of our participants and their families ❤️

Photos by Donna Bachik

11/23/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Designer Purse Bingo for Equi-librium today! Because of your generosity, we raised over $9,000 for equine-assisted services at Equi-librium - a new record!

A special thank you to Diane Albert and the folks at Plainfield Township Volunteer Fire Company, as well as our sponsors and the generous businesses and individuals who donated raffle and tricky tray items. Thank you for your kind and meaningful support, and congratulations to all of today’s winners!