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OWINGS, Md. — Freedom Hill Horse Rescue is a quiet sanctuary in Owings and has been on that property since 2014. The rescue is beloved in Southern Maryland for its horses and its youth programs, including Read to the Horses and service learning programs.
But recently, Freedom Hill found itself mired in a different type of attention when Calvert County Public Schools canceled a Read to the Horses event following the arrest of Brandon Postow, the spouse of the property owner who leases the land to Freedom Hill.
Freedom Hill put out a statement clarifying that they had notified all schools and youth programs prior to the cancellation.
“We postponed everything out of an abundance of caution,” said Anna Darden, assistant to the development director and social media coordinator. “This is someone who had nothing to do with our organization, but we never want anyone to feel unsafe at our farm. We want all of our volunteers and participants to be safe and feel safe at all times.”
Darden added that the community rallying around the farm has helped their team feel positive about their future, and that someday soon, the youth programs can proceed.
“It’s been very difficult,” she said. “We didn’t expect it to happen, and we don’t really know what to expect going forward, but we saw all the support from our community, and it meant so much. They’re the people who make Freedom Hill possible.”
And Darden hopes to welcome those youth programs back to the farm soon — they’re still operating their adult programs for women, veterans and first responders. Working with horses is known to have incredible therapeutic benefits. Horses are sensitive and smart, and typically highly in tune with human emotion. According to Darden, horses can hear your heartbeat from 4 feet away, giving them a heads up to what you’re feeling at the time.
The large size of the horses can also help people feel safe and protected, and build confidence for people dealing with trauma. The horses on the farm are sanctuary horses, many of whom have lost their lifelong caretakers and were moved to the farm to live out their days. Others have been rescued from abuse or neglect. The horses are also retired from riding, so visitors to the rescue can focus on interaction and gentle bonding.
On The BayNet’s visit to Freedom Hill, the horses were more than happy to step out of their midmorning snack and nap routine to welcome new guests. We had the privilege of meeting Apollo, Dawson, River, Blue, Sir Magic, Molly, Mystery and Delilah. Badger preferred to stay under his blanket, which was highly understandable.
The horses each had their own personality and story, some of which Darden shared. She emphasized how much the horses love people and the programs they hold at the farm, and that interacting with people is good for them, too.
Freedom Hill has been putting people and horses together since 2004. During that time, they’ve helped countless people and numerous horses work on saving each other, one day at a time. Sometimes, that interaction can be as simple as a “gawky” teen finally letting their guard down and feeling like themselves. Sometimes, the horses help pull people out of dark periods in their lives.
As Apollo and Sir Magic followed us around the paddock like they were tailing us in an amateur buddy cop comedy, Darden shared a story of a past volunteer who came to the farm in a bad mental place and said the horses had “saved her.”
“Of course we save the horses, that’s our mission. But we also like to think we’re saving the people who come to see them and take care of them, too,” Darden said. “It’s about the horses, but it’s also about the people.”
Right now, the rescue is busy planning its open house dates in May and June and deciding how to get involved in Calvert 250 celebrations. As for the youth programs, Darden said she strongly believes that bringing them back is in the best interest of the farm and the community, and that they will reinstate the programs when everyone feels ready.
And in the meantime, there are always horses out there that need help — and, she hopes, volunteers who want to meet them.
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