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sprawling Monmouth County farm is dotted with grazing horses, donkeys, and ponies. Behind this peaceful, bucolic scene are incredible, diverse back stories of each animal’s arrival. The farm is Bluemont Equine Rescue and Sanctuary in Colts Neck, founded by Lesley Luckhardt to rescue, rehabilitate, and provide a forever home for equines who, no longer considered “useful”, are destined for kill pens. There, Lesley Luckhardt and husband Carl Quaglia are raising their four sons, CJ 13, Aidan 12, Cole 2, and Greyson 7 months, along with 21 equines (and counting). Bluemont is truly a family labor of love. The days can be long and arduous, but, above-all, very rewarding.
CM: How did Bluemont come to fruition? Lesley: I always wanted to have a rescue farm; I just didn’t know it would be horses. We found an old horse farm that needed refurbishing and while we were remodeling, a neighbor reached out to us about Roxy, a Hanoverian horse that needed a home. She was our first horse and is a big sassy girl at 17.3 hands high. She struggled with lameness so no one really wanted her anymore. We quickly fell in love and decided our focus would be horses moving forward.
CM: When did you first realize that you wanted to help animals in a meaningful way? Lesley: I was a little girl growing up on a dairy farm. When I was 5 years old, my farm chore was to bottle feed the veal calves. They would cry for their mamas and I was always so sad for them. I would beg my uncle to put them back in with their moms so they could nurse. I knew from an early age I wanted to help ease their suffering. CM: What is a typical day like at Bluemont? Lesley: We wake up really early like all farmers do! Coffee, feed the littles and it’s outside for chores. Our boys are out on the farm with us every day doing morning and evening chores. Our chores can be hard especially in extreme weather, but we are also spending valuable family time together out on the farm. After chores it’s time for school. I’ll spend more time with the horses during the day: grooming, giving treats, hosing down, or, blanketing if it is winter. It’s definitely a full-time job. We do our second round of chores when the boys get out of school. Ava, our first-ever staff member who now is more like family, comes and helps us with afternoon chores. We also are building an incredible network of volunteers who do all sorts of things from PEMF therapy and reiki, to the down-
PHOTOS: Amie Retzlaff
and-dirty chores that no one really wants to do, like mucking poop! Our boys know that what we’re doing is important, that we’re helping animals in need. It teaches them selflessness and empathy along with fostering a strong work ethic. Then we come in for dinner, homework, and bed. Some days are harder than others but our whole family loves this life.
CM: What surprised you about the treatment of equines? Lesley: I came into this with a fresh set of eyes. I didn’t grow up riding and I wasn’t exposed to the equestrian world at a young and impressionable age. I really thought horses were treated like most companion animals are. I was surprised to find that many are treated like an asset or sports equipment and once they wear out their usefulness, many owners don’t want the expense of feeding them. The average horse in America has seven different homes. Once a horse has limitations or is no longer rideable, they without a doubt become an at-risk horse, facing neglect, auction, and ultimately slaughter. I’ve seen six-figure horses in kill pens, discarded without a second thought.
CommunityMagazineNJ.com SEPTEMBER 2021
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