Horse Haven
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Just outside of Beto Junction and up a peaceful winding road is a haven for horses — a place for rescued, abused or unwanted horses to be rehabilitated and for older horses to retire.
Winding Road Equine Rescue & Retirement Inc., is the home to about 40 horses that were grazing lazily Thursday afternoon on lush green grass. The organization is non-profit and is run by volunteers, said Kristin Chambers, who runs Winding Road. The mission statement of Winding Road is the “rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing of abused, neglected and unwanted horses, as well as providing a safe sanctuary for those who are too old, infirm or injured to be re-homed.”
Chambers said Winding Road has rescued numerous horses from slaughter and from abusive and neglectful homes. About three weeks ago she received several horses seized by law enforcement from two counties. One horse was found with her baby, who Chambers and her 9-year-old son Blaise call Surprise.
The owners of the Char, the mother, said they didn’t know the horse was pregnant and the baby was found laying in the field.
Today Char lives at Winding Road. She is gaunt, with nearly every bone in her body visible. Even though she is thin, she has lots of energy and warmly greets visitors to her stall. Chambers said it will be hard for her to gain weight until the baby is weaned. The mother is being fed grain. Surprise is about 4 weeks old.
The other horses seized by law enforcement are gaining weight steadily.
Most of them still have bones visible but are gaining weight with ample grazing land and hay, and the horses are grain-fed three times a day. They eagerly trotted up to the barn for lunch Thursday afternoon — each going straight to their assigned stalls.
“They know which stall is theirs,” Chambers said as she closed each horse’s stall door after they entered. The barn was filled with the smell of hay, fresh grain and the sound of horses crunching on the grains.
A white pony, Ripley, roamed up and down the barn eager for attention. As the larger horses were being fed, Ripley munched on hay bales, snuck into the grain bin until he was shooed out and then settled with interacting with the cat and dogs. Chambers said she wants to train Ripley, who stands less than waist high, to pull a cart.
Nearby, Blaise was interacting with Surprise, who stayed close to its mother’s side in a stall. Blaise had Surprise laying down. The young horse had his head in Blaise’s lap as Blaise stroked his mane.
“I really have fun with them,” Blaise said. “It’s really hard to give them away. They are just all my friends.”
Blaise helps keep the stalls clean and helps feed and brush the horses. He said that sometimes he and his mother even sleep in the barn with the horses when one of the horses is ill.
Chambers said she needs all the help she can get at Winding Road.
The organization is in need of volunteers to help with stall cleaning and care of the horses such as brushing. Monetary donations are also needed. The cost of feed, medications, insurance, fuel and related expenses such as care of horses’ teeth and hooves gets expensive, Chambers said. The organization also will take donations of feed, quality hay, wormers, brushes, horse blankets and bedding.
Horses also can be sponsored. Sponsorships start at $10 a month. Memberships also are available. A membership includes a quarterly newsletter, a starfish pin, advance notice of upcoming events and discounted admission to events. Family memberships are $35; individual is $25; and students are $15.
Chambers said volunteering with the horses is rewarding.
“I do know that we heal horses,” she said. “And horses heal people.”
ksfarmer (anonymous) says...
Are the healed horses available for adoption?
August 9, 2008 at 10:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )