SOUTHWEST RANCHES, Fla. – In the heart of Southwest Ranches sits a special ranch, but it is not just home to horses.
This little hideaway is also the residence of a community of cats, and one horse trainer with a heart of gold is saving felines while combating one of South Florida’s biggest pet problems.
“It’s my whole life – every day, seven days a week, horses and cats!” Michelle Herrmann, of Herrmann Stables, said.
Herrmann Stables is complete with 16 horses on six acres with six paddocks and two arenas.
Her love for animals is palpable and she wants everyone to experience the majestic nature of horses.
“They feel your heartbeat, OK? It’s an exchange of energy from the handler, the rider, to the horse. They feel everything,” Herrmann explained.
These big boys can weigh upwards of 1,000 pounds and that can be intimidating to many, but Herrmann teaches people to experience that sense instead of being scared of it.
This professional rider and trainer doesn’t just care for fillies and foals though.
“I love cats. I love, love cats. And when I took this farm over three years ago, I inherited 25 cats!” Herrmann said.
Now, more than two dozen of these furballs are her responsibility.
And in the case of community cats, spay and neuter is paramount to controlling the population.
The Humane Society of Broward County came out to the barns and spent two days sterilizing each and every feline.
“And now we have a pretty nice colony of cats. They are healthy and it stays the same because nobody is breeding,” Herrmann said.
Sounds simple enough, but the over-breeding of feral cats is a South Florida concern that pops up in nearly every single city.
And as Herrmann trains riders in the ring, she is a hero in the cat world, saving these little lives and preventing more kittens in the future.
To find out more about Herrmann Stables or spaying and neutering feral cats, visit Humanebroward.com and Micheleherrmann.net.
