What We Do
REFUGE
REHABILITATE
REHABILITATE
We help horses that need it the most. The ones that no one else wants. They all deserve a dignified ending.
Travellers Rest Farm Sanctuary accepts any horse (space permitting) from any source and does not discriminate against horses from any background. We accept horses from kill pens, broker lots, shelter surrenders, "free to good home" ads, and direct owner surrenders.
REHABILITATE
REHABILITATE
REHABILITATE
We offer a quiet retirement to horses that have served their humans until their bodies can no longer hold up.
Many horses come to us in poor shape after they are no longer considered "useful." Horses are amazing animals gifted with abilities we can't understand. We don't ask anything of them. They are healers while healing themselves.
RETIRE
REHABILITATE
RETIRE
All our horses have permanent sanctuary with us; they are family and remain with us until their passing.
Travellers Rest Farm Sanctuary is a "sanctuary" for all that reside there. We believe they all have a purpose, and we give them every opportunity to live long, happy lives. "Sanctuary for all" - We provide sanctuary to horses and any animal that comes our way.
Who We Are
ANIMAL CARE
ANIMAL CARE
ANIMAL CARE
Beth is the Founder of Travellers Rest Farm Sanctuary and takes care of all our nonprofit pursuits.
Beth started riding when she was eight (8), reaching her C3 rating in the Greenwich (CT) Pony Club (USPC), and then went on to be a working student for both Kerry Milliken and Olympian Phyllis Dawson. She is a graduate of Goucher College, and works full-time in the government contracting information technology sector while running the sanctuary.
FACILITIES
ANIMAL CARE
ANIMAL CARE
Jake is the OIC of all things facilities. We break it, and he fixes it.
Jake is not a horse person, but he understands and appreciates who they are and what value they bring. He spends endless hours fixing fences, mowing fields, feeding, watering, building, and repairing everything our residents have spent their day breaking.
He is a 1992 United States Naval Academy graduate with 23 years of active duty to his credit. The Commander tries to keep our residents in line, but complying with orders isn't their thing. They take their retirement seriously.
By day, Jake is the senior Naval Officer of the NJROTC unit at Patuxent High School. He also volunteers at Hughesville Fire Department and is a licensed EMT. In his spare time, he trains for ultras (having completed HURT six times). He still finds a passion for running and helping the community.
FAMILY
ANIMAL CARE
FAMILY
Regan is the heart, and drill sergeant of the sanctuary. She lives by the motto if you can help then do it - don't just talk about it.
She has a soft spot for the older beagles and frequents the local shelter pages watching for any seniors that might need a soft landing.
She is a 2024 graduate of Patuxent High School and is now at Roanoke College playing D3 lacrosse while we hold down the fort at home.
FAMILY
ANIMAL CARE
FAMILY
David and Molly purchased the farm in 2004 as a retirement sanctuary for them and Traveller.
At the time, no farms catered to older horses as they reached retirement age. Traveller needed a quiet, safe place to spend his golden years, so Travellers Rest Farm was created to meet that need.
Travellers passed in 2009, but our mission remains the same - help those horses that need a safe landing until their very last day. Once they arrive, they stay with us until they pass.
David J Kokoruda sadly passed on March 24, 2023, and Molly Kokoruda now lives on the farm with her daughter Beth and granddaughter Regan. Despite our devastation, we carry on in Dave's memory and honor his memory by helping those who can't help themselves.
Why We Do It
TRAVELLER
[RIP 31 OCT 2009] This steel grey horse was three at the time of his purchase in the late 80's. He didn't fit the mold of what a three-day eventing horse should look like a pigeon-toed, long-backed Percheron Morgan cross that was green under saddle and had a presence all his own. It was love at first sight. He warranted a name to resemble his strength and courage, so he was named after the beautiful war horse Traveller - yes, with two "Ls."
We navigated the eventing world with our interpretation of how it should be done. He went to college with me and got my mom back in the saddle until his ringbone became too much, and he needed to retire - Travellers Rest Farm was purchased with his retirement in mind.
He taught me so much about kindness without expectation. We worked as a team even through his later years when he couldn't get up by himself, and we had to develop a process for getting him up from naps - now that was a sight, but he trusted me, and we got it done. When it was time to say goodbye, nothing was harder, but his body was failing him, and it was time.
The days pass, but his absence is still felt. He was a once-in-a-lifetime friend. Rest easy, my friend - you are missed. We carry on helping other senior horses that need a soft landing in his memory.
THE REASON WHY
THE WHY OF HORSE RETIREMENT/SANCTUARY... THIS ♡
In 2004, a 34-acre farm in Maryland was purchased specifically for Traveller's retirement. At the time, there were very few places taking in senior horses willing to deal with end-of-life issues that wouldn't break the bank. Travellers Rest Farm was established, and since that time, the farm has taken in horses of all breeds, from all backgrounds, with a range of physical and psychological issues. Every horse is treated like our own. We live right on the property. The retired horses are fed unlimited hay, given dry shelter and warm blankets, and most importantly, they are loved and treated with respect. All our horses are kept in small groups so there is no overcrowding or competition for food. They form lifelong bonds and remain with us until they pass.
Travellers Rest Farm Sanctuary TRANSPARENCY
Transforming Lives
Travellers Rest Farm Sanctuary, located in Hughesville, Maryland, has provided lifelong sanctuary to horses and other equines for over 20 years, formalizing as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2019 (determination letter dated May 2019). The organization is run entirely by uncompensated volunteers, with no paid staff.
Our mission is to provide sanctuary — including compassionate hospice and end-of-life care — to senior, blind, disabled, unwanted, physically or psychologically abused or challenged, and slaughter-bound equines, and to educate the public.
Since becoming a registered nonprofit seven years ago, Travellers Rest has helped 275 horses. We currently care for 49 equines, spanning 12 breeds including Standardbred, Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, Morgan, Warmblood, Paso Fino, Pony, and Miniature horses, along with 13 goats (spanning three breeds) and a donkey.
Unlike rescues focused on rehabilitation and adoption, Travellers Rest specializes in animals hardest to place: the blind, the elderly, the traumatized, and those bound for auctions and slaughter. For our residents, Travellers Rest is not a waystation but a permanent home — every animal who comes to us stays for life, receives hospice care in their final years, and is laid to rest here on the farm. This "forever home" commitment, through death, is central to what sets our sanctuary apart.
Beyond direct animal care, we educate horse owners and the public on properly caring for senior and blind equines, helping owners manage the unique needs of aging or vision-impaired horses so more animals can stay safely in their existing homes rather than being surrendered. As needed, we also offer owner assistance to those hoping to keep their beloved horses but who just need a little extra help, and we operate a blanket bank, providing winter blankets to owners who cannot afford them.
Our work benefits both the animals in our permanent care and the broader horse-owning public through education, sustained entirely through volunteer labor and community support — with every dollar raised going directly to animal care.
Each week, we personally pick up and stack 2,000 pounds of grain and feed out approximately 8,000 pounds of hay through a combination of round bales and square bales. Many of our residents with special dietary needs require this consistent, high-quality nutrition to remain healthy and comfortable in their permanent home with us. Donations help offset the significant, ongoing cost of hay and grain that our all-volunteer organization works to cover year-round.
2025 End of Year
Grants and similar amounts paid (list in Schedule O) $0
Benefits paid to or for members $0
Salaries, other compensation, and employee benefits $0
Professional fees and other payments to independent contractors $ 15,744
Occupancy, rent, utilities, and maintenance $ 5,573
Printing, publications, postage and shipping $ 108
Other expenses (describe in Schedule O) $ 73,694 (Bail, Banking Fees, Burial/Removal, Grain, Hauling, Hay, MD State Filing, MD State License, Supplies - Animal Care, Vet Supplies, Website)
Our Impact - Transparancy Matters