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A private organization that works hard to save our equine friends
by Ted Twietmeyer (reprinted w/permission from author)
originally posted at Data4Science.net
There are some people in our world quietly trying to make a difference on their own to protect helpless animals. They create and self-fund a non-profit organization from their own pockets to help animals, but operating costs quickly increase in difficult economic times. A good, honest friend of mine started one such organization about 20 years ago to rescue and help horses. Now his non-profit organization needs your help. Here is the story of his work.
In Arizona, many people have owned horses that they can no longer take care of. Perhaps they bought a horse or took one in, not fully realizing the considerable care these animals require on an on-going basis.
Sadly, when some of these same people have sudden problems in their lives such as losing their income, they are forced to move or the initial excitement of having a horse is over, they release these horses out into the desert to fend for themselves. Like any domesticated animal that has been taken care of all their lives by humans, they hardly know what to do in order to survive.
Wild horses are a different issue. Attempts are made to rescue them, but it is very difficult and expensive to try and chase them down. Rescuers have to wait for them to partially starve or get hurt before they can rescue them. Rescue requires specialized equipment and rugged vehicles.
There is a non-profit horse rescue organization in Arizona outside Phoenix that has rescued dozens of horses known as Hopeful Hooves. They provide hope for unwanted or abused horses. The ability of this organization to provide rescue services to unwanted, abandoned, neglected, unmanageable horses in need of resettlement is now in peril. One of the on-going missions of the organization is to prevent the cruel and needless neglect and death of otherwise perfectly good horses. These animals are abandoned and/or mistreated by owners whose life circumstances have left them unable to, incapable of, or disinterested in the welfare of their horses.
The organization picks up horses and has them evaluated by a respected equine Veterinarian. Sustained care is provided for each horse surrendered to Hopeful Hooves. Each animal is legally signed over to the organization. The Veterinarian helps the Hopeful Hooves decide what's needed to return the animals to optimal health. Animals found to be beyond recovery are humanely euthanized.
The facility is designed to provide daily care and maintenance to make recovery an eventual likelihood. Without this service, horse owners and horses have few choices for rapid resettlement.
Hopeful Hooves Inc., a non-profit organization was founded more than ten years ago by John and Joyce Edmonds who are avid horse lovers. Shortly after 1990, John began finding horses in the desert, abandoned by previous owners and left to fend for themselves. He began buying feed and soon he had acquired several animals. After a serious accident in the 1990's, John found that caring for the animals helped accelerate his recovery.
The organization's goal is to utilize abandoned and abused horses to help others to heal emotionally and even regain some improvement of their physical health.
The organization is working hard to keep Hopeful Hooves alive and save horses. They continue to save, rehabilitate, and train horses to eventually be utilized in therapeutic riding.
Donations will allow the work of Hopeful Hooves to continue and here's how:
* Horses will be rescued, nursed back to health, and rehabilitated and fed. At the moment this is the primary focus for Hopeful Hooves.
* Further plans to build one indoor and two outdoor therapeutic riding arenas
* Better training for our horses and therapeutic riding
* Hiring of qualified equine therapists can begin
* Hopeful Hooves, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) organization. Donations are tax deductible.
John has been paying for the cost of caring for these animals out of his own pocket for many years, but increased costs for hay and other services require your help.
Donations help pay for a plethora of services required to maintain horses such as:
* Hay and grain
* Ferrier service, floating of teeth
* Vet appointments and worming
* Purchase of grooming supplies, tack, and exercise equipment
* Training and retraining
* Special insurance to pay for colic surgery should one of the horses need it
* Wood shavings for horse stalls
* Salt and mineral blocks
* Vaccines, updated electronic health certificate for each horse once a year
* Fly mist, fly masks, and mist system to prevent fly infestation
EQUINE THERAPY:
* Builds self-esteem
* Builds positive goal attainments skills
* Develops a sense of personal responsibility and self-discipline
* Creates a sense of accomplishment
* Enhances social skills
* Builds groups/teams
* Redirects a child's behavior in a positive, peaceful environment
Adopt a Horse and become a horse Angel! With your donation, you will be able to name your adoptive horse and provide food for one year. In the event all horses are adopted, they will inform you when a new horse is saved.
* Make a donation by mailing a check to Hopeful Hooves, Inc.
* Go to any Wells Fargo Bank branch office using the Hopeful Hooves, Inc. name, and send it to account number 3597155245.
* If you sell items on eBay, you can donate a portion of what the item sells for to Hopeful Hooves, Inc. (eBay ID: mission fish charity 16683 Hopeful Hooves Inc.)
As a non-profit operation all donations are applied toward running the organization. Contact them if you have any other ideas or can donate items to be sold on eBay.
My wife and I also have some friends in a remote area of Utah, that save Mustangs. I have known John for a considerable time and he puts in demanding, hard work 7 days a week. As I researched and wrote this article, I had no idea what a complex, expensive and difficult undertaking it is to save horses from certain death. My hat's off to John for his dedicated work and to all those who support it in any way they can.
Ted Twietmeyer
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Hopeful Hooves, Inc.
Phone: 623.386.3624