Donate

Become a “PONDER”…

On this page you will get the chance to make a difference in the life of a draft horse in need…whether its on a one-time or ongoing basis.  Funds are used for saving horses from auction or private homes via Craigslist, feeding, farrier care, vetting, regularly needed supplies such as sawdust/supplements/medical items, operational expenses such as electric/water/fuel.

They say it takes a village to raise a child….the same can be said about the horses we take in.  We couldn’t save the lives we do without the support of the PONDERS….every dollar makes a difference in the life of a horse that has no future without us.

Join our herd…and make your presence known!

Make a Single Donation to Frog Pond

Make a Recurring Donation to Frog Pond

Sponsorship levels:

Mini : $1.00USD – weekly Pony : $5.00USD – weekly Cob : $10.00USD – weekly Lightbreed : $25.00USD – weekly Draft : $50.00USD – weekly Mini : $1.00USD – monthly Pony : $5.00USD – monthly Cob : $25.00USD – monthly Lightbreed : $100.00USD – monthly Draft : $500.00USD – monthly

Karen Heselton, Secretary

Karen, a horse lover since she was little, was given a present from her husband 10 years ago: Ms. Kitty, a paint quarter horse. Since that time, their herd has grown. Along with Ms. Kitty is her best friend Austin (Appy) and Mr. Bill (Belgian). Although it was Karen always bringing home rescued dogs & cats, her husband himself rescued a starved and neglected Thoroughbred named Razzy. At that time, Karen made it her goal to educate others about starved and abused horses. She created a product called Razzy’s Oat Swirls to generate additional income to assist in the costly expense to bring Razzy back to health. Donations from the sale of these treats have ALWAYS been given to assist in various rescue attempts.

Karen lives in New Hampshire and is a realtor for country and farm properties. When she’s not busy making Razzy’z Oat Swirls, she also volunteers for our marketing/fundraising and serves as a Forum Moderator in her spare time.

Bethany Gordon, Treasurer

Bethany is the oldest of Lisa’s 3 daughters. She’s had horses in her life since she was 5 when she had a pony under free lease to ride. She got her first “real” horse when she was about 12 or so. Brandy was a real nut, a sale barn purchase in Virginia, and is now Bethany’s absolute pride. Bethany showed at 4H and local open shows since moving to Ohio in 2002. She has ridden barrel horses and western pleasure horses., and she is currently campaigning an 11 year old QH mare named Lark’s First Leaguer. This mare has incredible bloodlines with such horses as Rugged Lark and Shy’s Prescription. Bethany has put 110% into caring for the rescue horses. She does evaluations and training on our incoming drafts. Thanks Bethy!

Jeff Gordon, Vice President

Jeff grew up in Moundsville, WV as a city boy with a country attitude. His loves are trucks, 4-wheelers, heavy equipment and naturally, anything outdoors. Now his love has grown to include horses as Lisa has proudly converted him. Since moving to our farm, he has decided it’s much more fun to watch deer than hunt them… which is great until they tear down the temporary fencing! Jeff is the handy man around here – Lisa wouldn’t be able to keep up with the “grass cutting, fence fixing, darn the fence chargers broke AGAIN, hay moving, look at the weeds under that fence line” kind of stuff without him. He’s also her voice of reason. When Lisa thinks she should be able to take all the horses, he brings her back to reality. Well, sometimes. He works his butt off both in a full time job and on the farm to make sure everyone is taken care of. What can I say…I trained him well! Thanks Hun!

Lisa Gordon, President/Founder

I have had the horse bug all my life but didn’t have my first horse until age 9. My parents didn’t have a clue about horses, but after watching me spend hours on end down the road grooming and riding 2 Shetland ponies, they decided it was time for me to have my own. On my 9th birthday I received a 20 something lesson horse named Dean. Let me tell you, that horse had seen his better days and wanted nothing to do with ring work – or leaving the barn for that matter! He was the typical barn sour horse who would spend most of his under-saddle time rearing and fighting to go back to the barn.

After a year of this, my parents decided, after much coaxing, that another horse was needed. I had gone with a friend to look at a pony named Trinket and had decided immediately that this should be my pony. I went straight home and got Dad to take a look at him and soon he was mine. Trinket was a 13.2 hand Chincoteague pony and was my best friend for many years. We rode the gravel pits and local streets in town, and you could find us jumping the wood blockades and chain link fences in the local county ball park. After about 4 years, I decided it was time for a bigger horse, as Trinket had gotten too small and couldn’t keep up with the show schedule I wanted to do. Being that boarding was the only option, only 1 horse could be owned at a time. Trinket was sold to a family friend, and Red was purchased.

Red was a 15.1 hand red dun gelding of an unknown background. He was purchased from a broker who had him in the field. Red had spunk that appealed to me. Red and I spent a lot of years riding and showing on the local show circuit, judged trail rides, and in 4H activities. We carried the flag in the 4th of July parade in Washington, DC one year, which was a huge honor as you had to be invited to attend. Red was an all around horse and excelled in Showmanship, Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, Trail and Speed Events. I also spent a lot of time breaking and training local horses for friends and neighbors. We moved from just outside Washington DC to a suburb called Manassas, and Red was one of 3 horses I had there. We had a small farmette and I lived not far from both Manassas Battlefields and Clifton for trail riding.

When I reached my 20s it was time to move on, since Red had passed and I had a family now. I moved several times, having a QH colt while living in West Virginia for a short time. We eventually relocated to Cambridge, OH in August, 2002. I had always wanted a draft horse to ride, so I started attending local livestock sales hoping to find one. We did our first rescue in late 2002 with a Belgian mare named Babe. She is still living here in our local area being used for wagon rides at local festivals. I continue to be actively involved in local 4H and shows by assisting my girls with their horses. Makes me wish I had a horse show mom when I was showing. On second thought….NAW!!

Directions

Frog Pond Farms
64385 Larrick Ridge Road
Cambridge, OH 43725
Phone: (740) 255-0853

We are located on 40 acres in Guernsey County, Ohio, just minutes from Interstate 70 & 77.

All farm visits are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. You must call and have a verification of your appointment before coming. We do not allow drop in visits due to being on personal property and other obligations. As much as we would like to show you around, if you show up without an appointment you will be asked to leave. We are very strict about this policy due to liabilities. All visitors MUST have on appropriate shoes (boots required), all children must be on their best behavior, and NO DOGS ALLOWED. If you don’t have the proper shoes, you will not be allowed accessibility to the horses.

Contact us

The best way to reach the Frog Pond Farms staff is via email at info@frogpondfarmdrafts.com

In emergency situations ONLY, you may email Lisa or call 740-255-0853

Our hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm

All farm visits are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. You must call and have a verification of your appointment before coming. We do not allow drop in visits due to being on personal property and other obligations. As much as we would like to show you around, if you show up without an appointment you will be asked to leave. We are very strict about this policy due to liabilities. All visitors MUST have on appropriate shoes (boots required), all children must be on their best behavior, and NO DOGS ALLOWED. If you don’t have the proper shoes, you will not be allowed accessibility to the horses.

Staff

(Staff Index)

Our Facility

Our farm consists of 40 acres, half of which is pasture and half is wooded. We also have several natural springs we hope to develop very soon. We have 3 smaller fields of a few acres each, 1 small holding pen consisting of safety fencing with a hot wire, and 1 large field. Also on the property is our old barn which now serves several purposes. There are 4 stalls available for quarantine, a large 30X40 area for round bale storage, an indoor sawdust bin, and tractor and equipment storage. Our minis are also housed in and around this barn. Approximately 100 yards from the QT barn is the main barn consisting of 10 stalls, a feed storage area and extra mini stall (when needed), a concrete tack room, a concrete hot/cold wash stall, and a smaller indoor arena. Stalls range is size from 8x12ft to 16x12ft, depending on what type of horse needs housing. The barn is heated by two 100,000 BTU forced air gas Reznor heaters to keep the older guys and girls warm in the winter. Our future hopes are to complete another wing to our barn, adding another 15 stalls and a larger indoor arena so we are able to use the one we currently have for supplies storage.

About Frog Pond Farm Drafts

Frog Pond Farm is managed and operated by the Gordon Family.  We have been in operation since 2002 and registered and incorporated by the State of Ohio since May 2003. Frog Pond Farm, Inc. is a State of Ohio registered non-profit charitable organization. We are NOT 501(c)(3). You can access our state registration by going to Ohio Secretary of State website and searching for us under not-for-profit charitable organizations.

Our Board of Directors consists of 4 individuals as well as 3 At-Large members for voting issues.  We also carry an Advisory Board consisting of 7 separate individuals consisting of Attorneys, Vets and private persons.  Meetings are held each month and new ideas voted on.

We are located on 40 acres in Guernsey County, Ohio just minutes from Interstate 70 & 77. We specialize in draft horse and pony breeds due to being located in a hugely Amish community and the overwhelming number of needy drafts in our area.

Our Mission Statement:

The current goal of our organization is to Rescue, Rehabilitate and Rehome the needy draft horses and ponies of our area; educate the community in the plight of “unwanted horse” syndrome, personal responsibility and required care of their equine companions.

About Draft Horses

A draft horse (US), draught horse (UK) or dray horse (from the Anglo-Saxon dragan meaning to draw or haul; compare Dutch dragen meaning to carry), less often called a heavy horse, is a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and farm labour. There are a number of different breeds, with varying characteristics but all share common traits of strength, patience and a docile temperament which made them indispensable to generations of pre-industrial farmers. Draft horses and draft crossbreds are versatile breeds used today for a multitude of purposes, including farming, show, logging, recreation, and other uses. They are also commonly used for crossbreeding, especially to light riding breeds such as the Thoroughbred for the purpose of creating sport horses. While most draft horses are used for driving, they can be ridden and some of the lighter draft breeds are capable performers under saddle.