Po-Tato Pony, A Solstice Story

06/12/2026

You cam donate for $5 Friday!

Good morning farm family,

One of the biggest care concerns we experience each year is the annual shearing of the wool sheep, or as we like to call it, Operation Free the Sheeples! 🐑 This year, the weather and scheduling literally conspired against us giving me anxiety over this task I haven't had to experience in years!

Sheep wool continously grows and must be routinely removed once a year to prevent matting, excessive weight, skin issues and potential parasites. The wool also is increasingly hot as the summer months arrive and removing it is essential for keeping them more comfortable during the higher heat and humidity. Once the wool is sheared, we can examine their skin for cysts, injuries, parasites and other issues like follicle tumors.

Do you remember when Cooper had a tumor from his shoulder removed? We have been monitoring a tumor that was too close to remove safely and still have enough skin coverage to close the surgical site. The good news is that tumor seems to have shrunk a tiny bit! The bad news is the he has one on his neck now and it appears Ally does too. The tumor was sent for histopathology and it came back as a pilomatricoma, a benign tumor of the hair follicle. We dont need to remove them unless they get very large or cause discomfort. We will keep tracking their size and condition!

George, our redhead hair sheep was enthralled with the shearing processes as he is every year. We are convinced it's because he sheds naturally and doesn't require shearing. He also inspected everyone after their shearing to ensure quality 🤭.

We could absolutely use some help covering the shearing costs! We had 4 sheep sheared at $45 per sheep. Our winter funds are depleted and the summer programs haven't fully launched yet. We have feed purchases this week totally approximately $300, a delivery of hay coming for $800 and next week is the farrier for $600. Your support means so much to our small community based non-profit ❤️.

Here are the ways you can help!

👉 click the DONATE button on this post
📫 mail a check to The Big Purple Barn at 6407 Hillmeade Road Bowie MD 20720
🤝PayPal directly at https://www.paypal.me/bigpurplebarnbowie
💳 check out our website for alternative donation options including Google Pay, Venmo, PayPal, credit card and bank transfer (www.thebigpurplebarnbowie.org)

We also have a fundraiser for this month pinned 📌 to the top of our Facebook wall that you cma contribute to. And as always, if you cannot donate, you CAN help by simply sharing our posts, interacting and commenting on them! It helps boost our algorithm!

Thank you all for your continued support to the success of the farm and all we seek to accomplish here 💗🎉.

Yours in love ❤️ and light ✨️,
Tara

Photo 📸 of George (right) checking on Teddy 🧸 after his shearing. George and Teddy came to us together from Kinderfarm Park in 2020. Princess 👸 Ally is behind them 🥰.

06/10/2026

Wishing for just one more boop on that adorable nose.

Missing you Po ❤️.

06/08/2026

Good Morning Po-tato Family,

People have a way seeing animals in terms of a service they can provide. With horses, it's usually riding, because carrying a person on their back is a service that is enjoyable for the humans. A lot of people contact us to request pony rides, pony ride parties and other riding opportunities. We keep our riding program small not only to accommodate the abilities of our residents (many are NOT rideable), but also because service to humans in terms of riding is NOT a core objective for us.

When we first saw Po, discarded at auction, we knew he had spent a lifetime in service to humans who dramatically let him down. Our goal was to get him and help him live the remainder of his life as comfortably and as amazingly as we could. We aimed to give him love, comfort, connection and adventure. We never had a plan for him to do anything other than live his life in comfort and care. He got to choose his adventures and activities. He got to choose when and how he wanted to interact. He literally embodied the core missions of our organization. We are so thankful for his additions to our mission and the indelible mark he left on each of us. He forever enriched our capacity to care for future residents and helped our community understand the value of his life and of our mission.

We miss you and love you Po!

Yours in love ❤️ and light ✨️,
Tara
🍉🥔🌈🦄💜🎉🌈🥔🍉

06/06/2026

Good morning Po-tato Family,

It's finally gotten HOT 🔥 outside these last few days and summer ☀️ is almost upon us. We were just reminiscing over the cooler months and the time Po and Mia had matching hats and blankets 💜.

I know they have perfect weather 😌 at the rainbow 🌈 bridge each and every day. I hope they have some matching outfits again too 🥰.

Did you know that this photo summarized 30 years of rescue? Mia was my first horse, adopted in 1991, the horse who set me on this journey and guides me through it still. We rescued Po in 2020, officially bringing him home in 2021. I will always draw strength and inspiration from these two, especially on the most difficult days and even when it hurts to miss them so much.

Without them, I wouldn't be who I am and The Big Purple Barn, A Sanctuary would not exisit. We will carry on their legacy and continue to help horses in need of safety, comfort and a lifetime of care. It doesn't matter if they need 30+ years of care, as Mia did, or just a few short years packed with love and devotion, like Po. We will be that organization that strives to be the soft landing so many of these animals need.

Yours in love ❤️ and light ✨️,
Tara
🍉🥔🌈🦄💜🎉🌈🥔🍉

06/02/2026

Good morning Po-tato family,

I just wanted to share a photo collage of what is possible when we work together to make miracles ❤️. Po made such an amazing 👏 transformation 🦋 in the 4 years he was with us. He was almost unrecognizable from that sad, neglected and critically ill 🤒 pony we transported here from North Carolina. I'm so thankful 🙏 you all walked that road with us. I'm hopeful Po's story and the lessons we learned will help more horses and ponies in the future ✨️.

Yours in love ❤️ and light ✨️,
Tara
🍉🥔🌈🦄💜🎉🌈🥔🍉

06/01/2026

Good morning Po-tato family,

I never imagined such a small pony would make such a big impact on my life, the farm and through the power of social media...an army of Po-tato lovers across the globe! He may not have been with us for as long as we wanted, but he leaves an indelible mark on all of us and for that, we are the lucky🍀 ones.

Yours in love ❤️ and light ✨️,
Tara
🍉🥔🌈🦄💜🎉🌈🥔🍉

05/27/2026

Good morning Po-tato Family,

A few years ago, I was handing an emergency I could have never foreseen, and I was contemplating what it means on a personal level to live an agricultural lifestyle, especially when it involves the care of animals. Po absolutely added to the life and learning I've experienced over the past 50 years. He certainly added his own mix of medical mystery, charismatic chaos and immersive experience in creative care. I am thankful for each day, each challenge and each lesson, even if I'm not thankful IN the moment. Each animal and every challenge serves to increase our knowledge, confidence and capacity to care.

Here is what I said:

This is the life you accept when large animals are your passion. You live for them, to make sure their every need is met. You take responsibility for every incident and accident. You have sleepless nights and exhaustion filled days. You miss out on social opportunities and everyday things sometimes because the animals come first.

You ride the highs and you trudge through the lows. You cry. You scream. You laugh. You love. You adapt. You evolve. You learn. You grow. You remain dedicated and committed. Every minute can bring a life changing event for the better or worse. But you're thankful for each of those moments.

Yours in love ❤️ and light ✨️,
Tara

📸 of our magical ✨️ Unicorn 🦄 Po-tato 🥔 because not only did we help him see how magical he was, he helped unlock the magic around us as well.

05/25/2026

Good morning Po-tato Family,

It has been a rainy, dreary Memorial Day weekend here in Maryland. I thought we could all use a little cheering up, so I am sharing this photo of Po doing one of the things he did best...

🎊🪅🎉🥳PARTYING 🥳 🎉 🪅 🎊

Po loved a reason to celebrate 🥳, especially when that included cupcakes 🧁 or watermelon 🍉! He was absolutely our favorite party animal 💜.

Yours in love 💜 and light ✨️,
Tara