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If your social media algorithm is anything like mine, it serves up videos of animals doing ridiculous things–horses sliding uncontrollably down hills, geese with buckets stuck on their heads, goats fainting when the UPS truck drives by–and the most perfect audio track is an exasperated owner yelling “you don’t pay your own vet bills!!!” And it’s true. We spend so much time trying to keep our animals safe and healthy, and somehow they manage to astonish us regularly with their not-so-brilliant antics. We try to stay a few steps ahead of them and think of all of the possible ways they could damage themselves, and still find ourselves scratching our heads at some of the scrapes they get into. And it doesn’t even have to be stupidity; sometimes things just go wrong, and you need an expert’s help. I happen to have seen a lot of our local vets in the last couple weeks, so vet care is definitely on my mind, and I wanted to share a bit of what it looks like to safeguard so many critters on our farm.

Original Blog Post:

https://www.laughlinhighlandsfarm.com/blogs/farmer-marys-field-notes/your-dont-own-your-own-vet-bills-farmer-mary-field-notes-week-50

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🔥 This podcast is supported by tryourfarm.com! ➡️ tryourfarm.com

🔥 Order a sampler box from us for 50% off the regular price!! Frozen meat from our farm to your doorstep, shipped Next Day Air.

In this episode, I share how our kids found their sport—not on a field, but in the barn—and how horseback riding has shaped their resilience, confidence, and emotional strength far more than traditional team sports ever could. From weekly lessons to a whirlwind local jumper show, we talk about the skills they’re building, the nerves they pushed through, and the joy of watching them grow as riders and humans. I also reflect on my own decision to sit out the competition this time, what it means to choose between stretching yourself and stepping back, and why saying yes to the horse—literally and metaphorically—might be worth it more often than we think.

Original Blog Post:

https://www.laughlinhighlandsfarm.com/blogs/farmer-marys-field-notes/horses-kids-and-courage-farmer-mary-field-notes-week-2-2026

Buy Meat Raised on Our Farm -> Laughlin Highlands Farm

Our YouTube Channel

Facebook

Instagram

🔥 This podcast is supported by tryourfarm.com! ➡️ tryourfarm.com
🔥 Order a sampler box from us for 50% off the regular price!! Frozen meat from our farm to your doorstep, shipped Next Day Air.

A week on the farm turned into a lesson in humility, patience, and why meat costs what it does. From a routine trip to the processor that spiraled into escaped sheep, fading daylight, and a community-wide rescue, to a solo, hours-long chess match of loading stubborn bulls with nothing but fencing, grit, and slow pressure—this story is all about learning the hard way that livestock always exploit your smallest mistake. Pride took a hit, strangers showed up when it mattered, and in the end, everyone (human and animal) made it home safe. Slow and steady wins, check your parking twice, and maybe don’t underestimate a four-inch gap.

📝 Original Blog Post: https://www.laughlinhighlandsfarm.com/blogs/farmer-marys-field-notes/pride-goes-before-the-fall-farmer-mary-field-notes-week-51

Buy Meat Raised on Our Farm -> Laughlin Highlands Farm

Our YouTube Channel

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