Save-A-Horse Stable struggles to buy feed and hay for horses
Every fall, Save-A-Horse Stable in Greene County invites the public to visit with the horses that the nonprofit helps.
Those who attend get to see and pet the horses, take wagon rides and learn from the professionals who care for them. It’s also the organization’s biggest fundraiser, helping to offset the costs of caring for the unwanted or ill horses Darlene Moore and her husband Kevin take in on their nearly 400-acre Rogersville farm.
But the pandemic forced the couple to forego the event this year, leaving them struggling to pay for the feed and hay the horses need.
Moore said the event typically raises between $7,000 and $8,000, and is augmented by the funds they raise through bake sales, dinners and auctions – all of which were also canceled last year.
In addition to the missed fundraising opportunities, the Moores were also dealt another blow. Bad summer weather ruined about 300 bales of hay, which is essential to a horse’s diet, especially in the winter, as digesting the hay also helps keep the horses warm.
“Everybody else had the same problem … and then people that normally sell to me don’t have any to sell to me, so I have to struggle to find hay and have to pay big prices for it,” Darlene Moore said.
Other than the occasional grant, Darlene Moore said, they rely entirely on fundraisers and donations to keep the nonprofit running.
Angela Moore, Darlene’s daughter, said paying for veterinary bills is also a concern because of the number of horses they have that need medical care.
“My mom started this before anyone paid attention to where the horses were going when nobody wanted them,” Angela said. “She would go to the auctions and bid against the meat man.”
Save-A-Horse started as a riding stable in 1982. Nearly a decade ago, however, the Moores changed to a nonprofit with the mission of saving the horses people no longer want, can’t ride or are too expensive to care for.
The mission at Save-A-Horse “is to provide a forever home to (horses) that come to us over the years and provide a safe place for those that are at a crossroads,” Darlene Moore wrote on the organization’s website. “When they arrive here, they are home. We provide each with the care and space to recover, for however long they need. If a horse cannot recover, they live while they are comfortable, and ‘cross the rainbow bridge’ with dignity and friends by their side.”
The sanctuary’s website also details the stories of many of the farm’s horses, including the maladies they have.
Those who wish to donate to Save-A-Horse Stable can go to saveahorsestable.com and scroll down to the “Donate Now” button. Donations can be paid through the website with card or through PayPal.
The stable is also one of the charities listed through AmazonSmile.com, the charity side of the retailer’s website. Amazon donates .5% of all eligible purchases made through AmazonSmile back to the user’s chosen charity. A link to do this can be found on the Save-A-Horse Stable Facebook page.