Watching Over the Homestead: Why Compassion & Care Matter in Farm Sitting

For a few years now, Texas Equine has quietly offered farm‑sitting alongside our horsemanship lessons and equine services. What began as helping a few friends check buckets and feed goats, cows & horses whenever they traveled has grown—entirely by word of mouth—into caring for dozens of small homesteads across Hunt and Collin County. We love every minute of it: sunrise greetings from dairy cows, hand‑collecting rainbow‑speckled eggs, and the wagging tails that meet us at every gate.

But sometimes the job delivers tough lessons too—lessons worth sharing in hopes of sparking kinder choices and safer neighborhoods.

A Cat’s Silent Cry

Last week, while making our rounds, I spotted one of our clients’ cats—usually a plucky escort on my egg runs—dragging herself toward the porch, meowing frantically. When I scooped her up, her hind legs hung limp and a dark stain spread across her hip. Shelby rushed over, and we realized what no animal‑lover ever wants to see: a bullet wound with a second hole on the opposite flank.

We rushed her to the owner's vet; the bills are high and her prognosis uncertain. She couldn't walk, couldn't relieve herself without help, and the people who loved her most were heartsick. She passed June 25, 2025, and

she will absolutely be missed.

We live in Texas. We respect the Second Amendment. We own firearms ourselves. But bullets don’t recognize property lines. Please, talk with your kids—and remind yourselves—about safe backstops, proper supervision, and accounting for every shot. Today it was a cat; tomorrow it could be a child chasing fireflies along a fence line.

Three Tiny Strangers

The very next morning, another surprise waited at the same homestead. Someone had lifted three young puppies over the fence, abandoning them in the scorching sun. By the time we arrived, the farm’s loyal female guardian dog was sprawled by the gate, almost as if she’d appointed herself nanny. The pups were dehydrated, rooting for food, their tiny muzzles pressed against our necks as we carried them to water and our car's air conditioning.

Abandonment is heartbreak in slow motion. Out here, it happens too often—but it doesn’t have to. If life takes a turn and you can’t care for an animal, reach out: rescues, shelters, neighbors, even social media groups are kinder options than leaving helpless lives to chance.

Thanks to Shelby’s relentless phone calls (and the magic of community Facebook groups), all three puppies found loving homes by sundown. A happy ending—yet one that relied on luck and a kind stranger’s vigilance.

What Farm Sitting Teaches Us

Farm sitting isn’t merely topping off troughs; it’s guardianship—watching for the subtle, the unexpected, and sometimes the heartbreaking. We:

1. Check every animal nose‑to‑tail, because the littlest limp can speak volumes.

2. Communicate instantly with owners, vets, and farriers so no minute is wasted in an emergency.

3. Advocate for humane choices—whether that means encouraging safe firearm practices or guiding an overwhelmed neighbor toward responsible rehoming.

If you leave town and entrust your farm to someone, choose sitters who treat the place like their own—and who believe every creature deserves respect and vigilance.

How We Can Help

Whether you keep a backyard flock, a pair of barn cats, or an entire menagerie, we’d be honored to stand in for you. From daily feedings to overnight medical watch, our team adapts to each homestead’s rhythm with the same love we show our own herd.

Learn more or request a personalized quote: www.texaseeh.com/petsitting

Every visit, every feed pan, every unexpected crisis reminds us that compassion is a chore we should never skip—and mindfulness is the strongest fence we can build around our community.