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 Kokoruda 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 obtained her B.A. in English and Political Science from Goucher College, her M.S. in Information Technology, and her Chief Information Officer and Management certification from the University of Maryland, University College. Beth works full-time in the government contracting information technology sector while running the sanctuary.
We firmly believe that every horse has a purpose, no matter its limitations, and none deserves an uncertain fate in their golden years. We take in as many senior, blind, disabled, unwanted, and slaughter-bound horses as we can. They are all retired, live in small groups, and spend their days eating us out of house and home. When they pass, we bury them here.
FACILITIES
ANIMAL CARE
ANIMAL CARE
Jake Hinz 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 a 9th-grade Earth Systems teacher at Thomas Stone 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 Kokoruda 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 specially 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 over-crowding or competition for food. They form life-long bonds and remain with us until they pass.
TRI TOWERS - "My Songbird"
Sire: Belek
Dam: True Carier
Foal date: March 27, 1993
Earnings: $119,448 in 78 starts
"He gave and they took."
Tri Towers retired from racing in 2003 after 78 starts and $119,448 in earnings. Once his earning career was over, he was sold and ended up at an auction and eventually a kill pen in Shippensburg, PA. Sadly, this was the fate of many. Luckily for Tri the University of Maryland Equine Studies program was seeking to develop best practices in the feeding of emaciated horses and purchased Tri for their study. At the time of his purchase, it was determined his Body Score was between 1 and 2 on a scale of 1 - 10. After weeks of feeding he recovered, but the years of racing left him physically broken down and incapable of being ridden. He had ankles the size of large navel oranges, and a body and spirit so worn and tired he was incapable of fending off the herd for a simple bite of the hay bale.
Tri Towers needed salvation. Travellers Rest Farm's founder, Beth Kokoruda, first learned about Tri from reading his biography on the University of Maryland’s website. She learned that despite the best intentions of the University and the students who worked so hard to rehabilitate him, his poor body could no longer be counted on to carry the weight of a rider. “I’m a sucker for a horse with a story, and when I saw his picture, he’s just a plain brown horse with a small white star, there’s nothing flashy about him at all and I read his story, I looked up his race record, and thought, man, this horse just needs a break.” So, in August 2004 Tri Towers was brought home to be Traveller's companion.
"Every morning when I left my house he greeted me at the fence line with a beautiful melodious sound that was part whinny and part nicker. I call him my songbird,” she says. “He has this beautiful little whiny, which is a quiet song. And in the morning when I come out to my car to head to work, he’ll sing to me when he sees me - it makes it all worth it.”
Since agreeing to give a home to Tri Towers, Kokoruda has offered a retirement home to other aging horses. It is her second full-time job, supported by her full-time career at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. “I feel obligated to help Tri, and others like him, complete their journey. Tri was a horse who has given, given, given, and people have taken, taken, taken,” she says. “This is my way to give something to a horse who didn’t have it as good as some other horses.”
Today, Travellers Rest Farm Sanctuary has been established as a not-for-profit dedicated to providing permanent sanctuary to senior, blind, retired, permanently disabled, and other unwanted horses and ponies. We rely on donations to support the horses in our care. We are 100% volunteer-run and take in as many horses as space and funding allow. Each horse that arrives remains with us until they pass.
Sadly, Traveller passed on October 31, 2009, with Tri following him to Rainbow Bridge on October 21, 2016. We carry on in their memory...
Our Impact - Transparancy Matters
