Provide Quality Care for Rescued Horses in Texas

Easy R Equine Rescue doesn't receive many calls from the local sheriff's department, but when we do, we automatically know that the situation is dire.  Three weeks ago a sheriff's deputy from Lubbock County called Easy R late one evening. He described a situation in which the owners of two horses were basically letting two horses starve to death. The Department had been trying to work with the couple for a few months to remedy the situation, but to no avail.  The deputy explained to us that they were seizing the two horses the next day and wanted to know if we would take them after they were assessed by a veterinarian.  And even though we are pretty much at our limit of horses, we said yes.  Of course.  We cannot bring ourselves to ever say no to horses that will surely die one way or another.  Either they will die of neglect at the hands of their owners, or they will be taken to the auction barn, bought by a kill buyer, and then crammed into a trailer packed with other unfortunate horses bound for slaughter in Mexico.

But not these two.  Easy R placed one horse at the main facility and the other at a foster home.  Even though they came with names, we changed them to symbolize the new life they will start at Easy R.  Eli and Echo.  Eli is a 7 year old stud that will be castrated when he gains enough weight to safely undergo anesthesia.  Echo is a 6 year old mare that has lost the light in her eyes because she is extremely malnourished, lethargic, and depressed.  

Eli and Echo were started on a specialized re-feeding regimen that will allow them to safely gain weight on a gradual basis.  Overfeeding a starving horse is the quickest way to kill it, so we are very careful and systematic about the way we approach the feeding plan.  They both received de-wormer, but will have to wait to be vaccinated until they are at a healthier weight.  They will also be seen by the farrier soon to tend to their neglected hooves. The equine dentist will also work on their teeth when it is determined they can safely be sedated without any negative effects.

And of course we do all of this without a second thought.  Because that is what rescue and rehabilitation is about.  But it is also very costly.  Maintenance care of a healthy horse is expensive, but the rehabilitation of horses like Eli and Echo is extremely time and cost intensive.  

If we don't have donors that believe in what we do and want to be a part of saving horses just like Eli and Echo, we would have to decline to take them, knowing their destination would surely be the brutal death at a slaughterhouse.   We cannot put into words how valuable donors are and how very much we appreciate you.  Even a $25 donation makes a difference.  That $25 can pay a farrier visit for one horse, or buy two bales of hay, or a bag of specialized feed for a starving horse.  THANK YOU for being a part of Eli and Echo's road to recovery and restoration.

Links:

• website
• Facebook page
• Twitter page