I run an organization that helps fundraise for small US equine welfare organizations, and this is one of the rescues we support. A fabulous and committed group of volunteers, willing to go the extra mile to help when an equine is in need. I strongly support this rescue!
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I work for a non profit that provides assistive services to equine rescues across the US. South Jersey Horse Rescue is one of the in-the-trenches organizations we support. The Executive Director, Ellen Strack, and the SJHR Board, are overwhelmingly passionate about their rescue and helping all equines in need. We are proud to be associated with them.
South Jersey Horse Rescue has operated tirelessly for over ten years. They not only take injured, sick and neglected horses from the SPCA and animal control, but they also help people going through tough times feed, vet or rehome their horses. No one is ever paid there and the volunteers are great !
South Jersey Horse Rescue is a bare bones rescue powered by the love and compassion of the volunteer only workforce. Helping horses in need by providing not only veterinary care and proper diet, but also emotional support to ease anxieties caused by starvation and abuse.
Horses are gently re-trained or refreshed according to their capabilities and limitations and matched with a adopter that is suitable.
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I have been volunteering for South Jersey Horse Rescue for almost five years. I have sponsored a beautiful horse named Jasper, racing name Decisively for four years. He is the son of famous Pa. bred Thoroughbred Smarty Jones, who just missed winning the triple crown in 2005. Jasper and three other race horses were dumped in a tiny holding pen in south Jersey, left to fight for food and water that was thrown to them once in a while for months.
Finally, after many complaints, the SPCA confiscated the horses and asked SJHR to care for them. The other three weren't in as bad shape as Jasper, as soon as they gained weight, they were adopted out. Jasper had and still lives with injuries that will never heal. He can not be ridden due to race horse training that permanently injured his knees and a severe spine injury due to flipping over in training. Just another casualty of the horse racing business. SJHR will do everything in it's power to keep this horse as comfortable as possible as they do with all the long time residents/ unwanted castaways with extensive medical problems. This rescue truly cares about every horse that has benefited from our services, The rescue is responsible for finding forever homes for over 150 horses, ponies, and mules. Donations are always used for the horses, volunteers do all the work. This is the most down to earth, real rescue there is.
Special Horses has helped South Jersey Horse Rescue with several online fundraisers. They try to help as many in need equines in their area, and are a wonderful resource for the community. The commitment of their volunteers is a testimony to their good work.
Lady Unicorn she was named by people on the New Holland FB page. Ellen and I worked hard to pull this beautiful girl and the baby in her belly. She was to ship to slaughter the day we pulled her.
Bella has been a wonderful, sweet mare. Ellen’s dedication to rescue and rehabilitation is like none other. She lives for the horses.
When my horse Charlie passed away, I just wanted to donate his old blankets. Then I met the horses there and I decided I could donate some other horse items and some of my time at the rescue. Then one day a group of starved miniature horses came in and they had to be kept separately from the others. I donated to their vet care and figured I could spend some time with them grooming and dusting them for lice. They were quite stand offish at first and I didn’t know if they would let me. One of them was missing an eye and when she ran off I could see she had a bad hind leg. After several visits of working with them, one of the minis decided she liked me and I would sit with her and scratch her itchy spots and work the burrs out of her coat, mane and tail. She was dirty from being locked in a barn with feces up to her shoulder and she was horribly thin from being starved. I would sit with her and talk to her and tell her how beautiful she was. You could feel every bone in her body and Ellen told me she could be pregnant. It was winter and she was in poor condition, I was so worried about her. Next time I came to the rescue she recognized me and called to me from the pen. That’s when I lost my heart completely. At first I thought I could resist her cuteness and I would just sponser her. It was useless.
After putting in my application and as soon as I was approved, I took her home. She has been an angel and I love her so much! She has been with me for 3 years now and everytime I walk into the barn she calls to me and always wants to give me kisses. She is the most loving little horse for being through so much and I am so happy she picked me to be her mommy. She runs up to me everytime I go in the field and loves to supervise me when I clean stalls.
Thanks to south jersey all breeds rescue for saving her life... I can’t express how grateful I am she is in my life. Having one eye and a bum leg hasn’t slowed her down one bit and she loves to make me laugh when she runs around the arena. She will even jump little ground poles like a big pony all on her own! She just loves to hear me cheer and clap when she shows off! She lives with my mule and two geldings and they love her as much as I do. They are all very protective of her and the mule has made it her job to protect her from danger and she must always know where she is. The ponies that came to the rescue with her have all been adopted to good homes and many other horses have been saved since then. Thank you SJHR!
One day, I was volunteering when a big, handsome guy came to the rescue. He would follow me around the farm. I guess he didn't realize that I was married. I told my husband all about this and of course he wanted to meet this guy. Here it turned out that this guy took a liking to my husband and would follow him around helping to fix things. We decided that we needed another guy our lives so Sword Trick (OTTB) came home to live with us. Sword Trick is a 9 year old Thoroughbred who still likes to "help" fix things around the pasture.
I’ve known Ellen way before she started the rescue , she always had deep love for horses... so amazed how many horses got a second chance in life thanks to the rescue ! I am the one of the lucky ones because of Ellen , Luie aka Uncle Red her very first rescue and the love of my life from 2010! The boy Who stole my heart
I was looking for a rescue and contacted Ellen strack from south jersey horse rescue. I was informed of a horse and upon rolling up the driveway fell in love with Sweet Simon. He was well cared for so it was not like I took one from her herd to give him a better life. He gave me a better life! Sweet simon had been part of our family and was my boys first ride. I gave him a good life but sadly cancer took him from us before I'd ever repay him for all his had given our family and herd. Sweet Simon came from another heart to ours trusting we'd love him just as much. We sure did! There is something to say regarding giving people a chance to share love. One will never forget or say thanks enough. Sj horse rescue and Ellen Strack do that endlessly. I was fortunate to be in that path.
I run a teaching/training Dressage barn in Maryland but I always end up teaching basic riding to neighborhood kids because I can't resist their enthusiasm. We used to have a 10 hd. Shetland pony who passed when he was 37 ys old and he always charmed everyone. I decided it would be nice to have another "little one" around all these 18 hd. warmbloods! I contacted Ellen and told her about my situation, She directed me to Queenie. Queenie is a 32 inch mini who at first wasn't all that eager to be caught. But once she figured out that we would scratch all her itchy spots, that didn't last long, Now Queenie whom I renamed Tweenie, goes on a run with me every day around the pond, down the lane and back. Afterward she gets her grooming and now she is such a talker! My 7 yr old client is enchanted with her and so am I! I'm so grateful we found her,
It all started 4 years ago when I attended a fundraising event that SJHR was having. Once there I felt the compassion, need and hope for the horses and the volunteers. This rescue is nothing but true heart. I met my heart horse that day and adopted her not long after. ...Omega Skye
Now a Board Member and a active voice for all horses I am proud to be a part of such a beautiful rescue.
I went to the rescue two years ago looking for a safe horse. Although I'm a skilled rider I have a heart condition and needed a horse I could trust literally with my life. I went to look at a horse named mabel who's was a older draft mare. When I got there ellen explained her back story to me and told me that she was mostly blind and would be fully blind soon but trusted she was a good fit. I was nervous about it at first but after a test ride and spending time with mabel, ellen was right. She was perfect. I adopted her and have had her two years now and this horse has really changed my life. She is everything to me and is so patient. I've never had a horse bond to me as closely as mabel has. She follows me everywhere only listens to my voice and trusts me as much as I trust her. The adoption experience was easy and very in detail. They really want their horses to go to perfect homes. I loved the rescue so much that I even encouraged my mom to adopt (which she has) and even my grandmother is considering adopting in the future. Me and mabel (now known as xena) are the perfect story. Just a sick girl and her beautiful blind horse taking on the world together.