Our animals are truly the heart of Maggie’s Farm. Each one has their own story, their own personality, and their own special place within our little sanctuary. Many of them have come to us after difficult beginnings, yet they continue to share their gentle wisdom, trust, and companionship with everyone they meet.
Spending time with them is often where the magic of Maggie’s Farm quietly begins. There is something truly special about spending time with horses. The connection that can grow between horse and human is often quiet, yet incredibly powerful. Simply being in their presence can bring a sense of calm, reflection, and gentle understanding.
Our horse family are very much at the heart of Maggie’s Farm. Each one has their own story, personality, and life journey. Many of them have come to us after experiencing difficult beginnings, yet they continue to meet people with a kindness, patience, and acceptance that is deeply moving.
Horses have an extraordinary ability to sense how we are feeling. Without judgement, they respond with honesty, presence, and a quiet wisdom that often helps people slow down, breathe, and reconnect with themselves.
Spending time getting to know these remarkable beings is often where the healing begins. Each of our horses has their own unique story, and each brings their own special presence to Maggie’s Farm.
DONAHUE
Crossed Rainbow Bridge 29/12/2020
Although Our Donahue has crossed Rainbow Bridge, he was beginning of our equine herd and my very first horse. He became my dearest friend. An amazing, gentle man who was my most patient teacher and greatest mentor of all things ‘horse’. He was my extremely wise and compassionate beloved elder who presented a very self assured Thoroughbred herd leader.
He was the catalyst for our Maggie’s Farm equine herd, and as such remains in memorial on this page. He was indeed an amazing being and is very much missed BUT his presence is still very much felt!
A true healer in every sense of the word!
ROGER
Roger is an ‘off the track’ ex racehorse and having been born to the life of racing in 2007, he has experienced much…. even winning first place in a race.
This boy is a sensitive, inquisitive and curious fellow, and he is usually the first to say hello. Always friendly, he absolutely loves to run and it is always a pleasure to watch him prancing around the paddock, cheekily pestering our Wrangler to get a move on as well. An absolute character!
FIREFLY
Like her mother, our treasure Firefly just loves up close and personal attention and will run whenever she gets the opportunity.
As Mother and daughter are very close and have never been apart, you had better be prepared to have a close and very personal attention with each of them at the same time! Both girls have never had a saddle on their back nor a bit in their mouth and their natural loving and unspoiled characters come from their genuine desire to be with you and that in itself is magical!
JOSEPH (JO JO)
Our Joseph was an active racehorse named Josephus, who had quite a successful career, but has now thankfully retired.
He is a handsome young fellow who loves to run has settled in quite beautifully with Danny’s herd.
He is a very independent fellow who is learning that nothing is expected of him here other than just being himself.
He has definitely settled in since joining in with the herd and is quite a confident fellow who has now become 3rd in charge fellow, living the quiet life of Maggie’s Farm.
GOLDIE
Goldie came to us from a ‘Riding for Disabled’ facility at a slightly advanced age and is a gorgeous lady who lives up to her name.
The sheen of her coat is indeed reminiscent of gold.
Although no longer a youngster, she is indeed full of ‘vim and vigor’ as well as just a remainder of anxiety in her temperament.
There has been a reported suspicion that she may be beginning to experience some eyesight issues, which could explain her sometime shying behaviour.
Other than this, she is a bit of a sweetie.
BUCK
Buck is a character who has definitely traveled a very difficult and highly abusive road.
As with Wrangler, we have no knowledge of his history however, we do know that he had experienced a major accident/incident early in life that left him to be diagnosed with a severe Ringbone condition in one of his forelegs
The most amazing thing is that once Buck bestows his trust upon you, he shows the capacity to be very affectionate and loving to those who win his confidence and respect.
DANNY
Standing at a rather large and impressive 16.3hh, our big boy Danny has earned an affectionate description of being a gentle giant when it comes to interacting with people.
Danny is yet another member of our equine family who is extremely kind, affectionate and very loving and he just loves attention and is generally very eager to come and say hello. He possesses a very sociable personality who is more than happy to meet new friends and give them his own special and attentive devotion.
ELLIE
Ellie started her life as a racing thoroughbred but due to an injury, that part of her life thankfully passed her by.
Her story, as related to us by her previous family, was that the beautiful Ellie was, for whatever reason, dumped and then found in the Watagan Mountains by rangers who transported her to safety.
Unfortunately due to her experiences, she became very shut down and apparently it took some time before she would trust a human again. Thankfully, the family who adopted her were kind and loved her back to the gorgeous girl and loving girl she is today.
LADY
Lady is the newest member of our Maggie’s Farm animal family.
After being left at our local Showgrounds for several weeks, she was eventually ensured of receiving the help she needed and was taken to the RSPCA Veterinary Hospital at Rutherford where she was examined and given the care needed to begin her recovery.
Although underweight, Lady was found to be otherwise healthy and, after some time regaining her strength, she (and we) were given the opportunity for her to thankfully join our equine family at Maggie’s Farm Sanctuary.
She is a beautiful girl who is now gently settling into her new home and learning that she is safe, cared for, and very much part of the family.
SURPRISE
Surprise’s known history has been one that was active, athletic as well as therapeutic. After sustaining a life changing accident early in life, being a valuable teaching member of a natural therapies equine teaching college, Surprise joined us to become a much beloved member of our herd and has proven to be an outstanding instructor in the ways of patience, gentle approach and being totally in the present.
Surprise continues to show that understanding, RESPECT and trust continue to be the most important conversation that anyone can have with such sentient beings.
LADYBUG
Ladybug is an absolutely stunning young lady of a heritage breed and gives the best horse hugs that you will experience. Like her daughter Firefly, she just loves to run, run, run and to watch her is to experience pure joy and love!
An exquisite and loving personality that possesses just the best of natures and always looks forward to saying hello – in fact, she will run across a paddock in order to do so!
CHEVELLE
Chevelle or more affectionately called Chevy came to us early October 2019 from a severely affected drought area near NSW Glen Innes.
Her previous family love her dearly but just couldn’t sustain what was needed to keep her healthy and so we are blessed to have her join our amazing and much loved family.
She is a Hollywood Hoges Palomino girl with the life experience of 20 years and is an absolute treasure.
She is soft, kind and extremely loving and is an absolutely beautiful addition to our Donahue’s herd and we are so very thankful.
BENTLEY
Mr Friendly Conversationalist is our Bentley and full of personality and affability. He loves to connect and say hello, even if he feels he needs to be holding you up on the drive way. A handsome stock horse, Bentley came to us, accompanied by his best friend Ellie.
Bentley’s story is that he is of good bloodline and unfortunately was caught accidentally in an electric fence overnight, consistently being zapped by the wire fence voltage. Although his injuries have left their mark on his physical body, his wonderful personality and character continue to be larger than life.
He and Ellie, cemented their friendship and hey are never too far from each other.
OUR WONDERFUL GOATS
As part of life here at Maggie’s Farm, our goats bring plenty of personality, entertainment, and the occasional lesson in goat behaviour!
Our education in the world of goats truly began when our very first goat, Bruce Almighty, joined the family some years ago, and the learning has continued ever since.
Contrary to popular belief, goats don’t actually eat just anything. In fact, they can be quite selective… particularly when it comes to plants you might be rather fond of. Roses, succulents, and many other treasured garden plants are often considered absolute delicacies!
Goats are also browsers rather than grazers. Instead of simply eating grass like lawnmowers, they prefer to nibble on bushes, shrubs, leaves, and hay. As ruminants, they have four stomach compartments and spend much of their day eating, resting, and chewing their cud, a natural process that helps them digest their food properly.
Each goat has their own unique personality, and ours are certainly full of character. They can be cheeky, curious, affectionate, and very determined, especially when food is involved! They are also surprisingly intelligent and incredibly skilled escape artists when the mood strikes.
When goats trust you, they form strong bonds. They recognise your voice, call out when they see you, and often come running across the paddock to greet you, whether or not you happen to be carrying a feed bucket.
Life with goats is never dull, and their playful spirit brings great joy to our animal family here at Maggie’s Farm.
FLIRT
Part Boer and Kalahari goat, Flirt was hand raised by a client of mine and was very kindly offered to be a young female friend to our one original goat member Bruce.
A real personality and attention seeker, she is always happy to be the centre of anyone’s attention and tends to be a real ‘piglet’ when it comes to ‘hogging’ the food. She runs from one bucket or hay pile to another, rudely pushing the others out of the way, which is probably the only real exercise that she gets.
CHILI
Chili is the oldest son of our Maggie G and is definitely a huge lover of sun baking, eating and playing. Like his mum, he tends to be a little shy of new faces and takes a little time to gather the courage to actually come and introduce himself to new comers. But curiousity take over and it is in no time that he quietly moves closer to check out any visitor to his paddock.
MAX
Our very cheeky Max is Maggie G’s youngest son and is even more shy of people he doesn’t know than Chili. However, when he does get to know you, he becomes a very curious boy who is a lover of nibbling on your hair, clothes and fingers. Very sweet natured, he also loves to play chasings around practicing his head butting with his mum, or jump from dog come goat house to goat house. However, when things calm down you will usually find him snuggling up to his mum. Two ‘peas in the a pod’!
CC-CRUZY CRAIG
When CC joined our goat family, he hadn’t been around other goats for a while so he tended to be a little shy of Flirt, who can be very bossy.
However, after only a little time, he has managed to cement his place in the herd as the head honcho! Even bosses Flirt around with great ease.
He is also very much a conversationalist and will happily come up for a pat, tickle between the horns and a chat!
A very friendly and loving young fellow with very long horns..
OUR TREASURED DOGS
All of the dogs who have shared our lives over the years, and those who are with us now, have come to us through rescue. It has always been our intention to adopt those who may have been overlooked for one reason or another… perhaps they were a little older, a little too energetic, or simply waiting longer than they deserved for a loving home.
Every member of our wonderful canine family has brought enormous joy, companionship, and unconditional love into our lives. Because of this, we remain committed to offering a home to those who need one most, doing everything we can to ensure they live happy, healthy lives filled with care and affection.
In return, we receive their boundless enthusiasm, loyal companionship, and the kind of wholehearted love that dogs share so freely. And of course, they are always more than happy to extend that same welcome to anyone who ventures within their immediate licking range!
MADDIE
Maddie is one of our most full of energy and cheeky young ladies who was adopted through Wally’s Dog Rescue.
Although so ready to get into whatever mischief whenever she can, our part Staffie, part Whippet rascal very easily melts your heart with the sweetness of her face and cheeky character.
She is a sweet natured, carefree and very enthusiastic young lady, and we are always amazed at the antics that she can get up to.
Maddie is also another easily made friend who will always be more than happy to make any new visitor feel extremely welcome and loved!
GEMIMA
Gemima is the most beautiful as well as soft and loving girl who is always happy to give you all of her licks and attention.
Her main mission in life is to please and she is always ready to give you every inch of her attention.
She is the young mum to Belle and was rescued as a very pregnant street dog in a country town.
Now she is our gorgeous girl who is also happy to continually be by your side. A very welcome addition to our family!
BELLE/PUP PUP
Belle is our gorgeous, very mischievous and full of fun young daughter to Gemima and we are blessed have adopted mother and daughter together through TIkki Rescue.
Both are very close and are constantly entangled in rumbles, games and chewing!
Such a sweet little lady and she loves snuggling and being in your face with that long tongue of hers.
There is nothing for her to greet you in the morning with her face in your face.
Full of life, Belle is always in to whatever mischief she can find.
GRACE
Grace came to us as a young stray housed at the Taree pound facility, after being found playing with the children at a local primary school.
Her history is unknown, but her character and temperament is a definite joy to this household.
No sooner had she been introduced to the other members of our canine family, than there was much joy in playtime. Noisy and boisterous but definitely fun to be had by all.
OUR FABULOUS FELINE FAMILY
Our cats, past and present, have always held a very special place in our hearts here at Maggie’s Farm. They bring with them a beautiful, inquisitive energy, and we have been truly blessed by their cheeky, playful nature and the quiet joy they add to our days. Independent, intuitive, and gently affectionate, they share their presence in their own time and in their own way. Cats have a way of choosing their moments… and when they do, the connection is something truly special, soft, subtle, and deeply felt.
JONESY
Crossed Rainbow Bridge 25/09/2023
Although Our Jonesy has crossed Rainbow Bridge, he remains forever in our hearts as our longest living fur baby.
Jonesy was the most mellow fellow who was always just happy to just sit on the couch with you and share your space…. but never expect him to be a lap sitter …. this was just not his style.
He lived to 24 years – a long life for a cat and was definitely the most amazing personality and gentle soul.
A huge part of our lives was shared with this outstanding boy and he remains forever a part of Maggie’s Farm Sancuary
LUCY LU
Lucy’s origins remain a mystery to this day, as does most of our adoptions. She came to us as a lone kitten through a friend, and is one who will run and hide.
She’s tiny is size but makes up for it in her attitude. A true feline and when it is in her tolerance, she will condescend to allow you to give her attention and affection.
Never an outside cat, she luxuriates on whatever soft bedding attracts her at the time.
Really, who wouldn’t want to be a cat in this household?
NOT TO FORGET OUR CHICKEN FAMILY
Many people think of chickens simply as wonderful providers of eggs or helpful contributors to the garden, and while they certainly play their part, here at Maggie’s Farm they are valued and much-loved members of our extended animal family.
Our chicken family has happily grown since we first moved into our farm environment, and getting to know their individual personalities has been a delightful surprise. Each one has their own little character, and watching them go about their day never fails to bring a smile.
They are curious, cheeky, and full of life, often providing moments of laughter as they bustle around the farmyard with great determination.
And yes… that does include the enthusiastic early morning announcements from the roosters, proudly greeting the new day at rather “ungodly” hours!
We truly love every one of them and are constantly reminded that even the smallest members of the farm bring their own special joy and lessons into our lives.
