Our Why

A group of seven people, including five children and two adults, standing outdoors on a grassy field with trees in the background. They are smiling and hugging a horse. The scene appears to be during late afternoon or early evening.

We are Amanda and James and we are animal lovers through and through. Our life and family have included a myriad of companions which means that we have faced loss first-hand. 

Loss we planned for. Loss we were not expecting.

The catalyst for our passion—support for humans and dignity for our companions—was the February 2022 death of our beloved gelding, Eddie.

Our time with him was cut suddenly short and we found ourselves facing a situation we had long-dreaded and failed to make meaningful preparations for. The lack of clear support and options for the after-death handling of our horse was startling. 

Upon his passing, the initial shock wore off to an overwhelming conundrum: what to do with the 1,100lb, lifeless body of our dear horse? The questions came fast — how do we get him out of the stall? What will we do with his body? Where can it go? It's February in Minnesota with freezing temperatures and snowpack! Furthermore, we didn't have the equipment to dig a hole large enough even if we could penetrate the frozen ground. And wait, were we allowed to bury him on our farm? What were the “rules” surrounding burial? Where could we take him? How would we get him in the trailer... and out of it? So many questions, so many emotions.

Someone had to do something… so here we are.

Stylized black cursive text reading 'Amanda James & girls' with a small heart at the end of the phrase.
Two children feeding a brown horse through a wooden fence on a sunny day.

Eddie

A black horse with a white spot on its forehead stands behind a wooden fence, with its head lowered and ears perked up, in an outdoor setting with blurred trees in the background.
Group of horses standing on grassy field with clear blue sky in the background
A domestic cat lying on an ornate patterned rug with a geometric design.

Our family acreage is located just north of rural Mantorville, Minnesota. We are a short drive from Rochester and surrounded by cropland and farms for as far as the eye can see. We have been here for many years and love the location and our neighbors.

We share the farm with our three horses; BonBon, Beauty, and Copper. BonBon has been a part of Amanda’s life for 25 years and it brings us great comfort knowing we can care for her when the time comes. Beauty and Copper joined us in 2021 and we’ve been lucky to know many special horses over the years!

In addition to the horses, we have two dogs, a few indoor cats, some beloved farm and feral kitties, a couple parakeets, a couple rats, a hamster, and a tarantula. Whew!