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Suzy I.

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1 reviews

Review for True Innocents Equine Rescue, Riverside, CA, USA

Rating: 5 stars  

True Innocents Equine Rescue is heaven on earth. Not because it is luxurious, but because it is spare. Not because there is no hardship, but because the hardship is being overcome—one day at a time, one horse at a time. When the abused mustang “Chino” finally allowed a human to touch him, that was a victory. When Annabelle the donkey was able to walk again, after the farrier trimmed off eight inches from her overgrown hooves, that was a victory too.

Volunteering at TIER, knowing the stories of unspeakable abuse and inhuman neglect that the horses suffered at the hands of their prior “caretakers,” is sometimes almost too much to bear. I walk onto the TIER property, and my first emotion is blood-boiling anger when I see a new arrival that is so emaciated, it looks like a skeleton, or I see a mare that Animal Control just rejected and carted over, who has gaping, open wounds on her back.

But there is no time for the luxury of anger. There is work to be done; manure to be shoveled, fences to be mended, and horses to be loved. When I focus on these tasks, the hours slip away and my fury fades into a sense of satisfaction. At TIER, I can do more good in the space of an afternoon than I can ever do at my salaried work.

So in the end, I benefit from my labor at TIER far more than the horses do. My perspective shifts; the petty nuisances of the daily grind become meaningless. I am better at saving my worries for things that are actual problems, and I discovered that there are far fewer “problems” in my life when I think about those horses, and about Gail’s daily struggle for the very existence of TIER.

I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...

adopting and abandoned horse. Gail arranged the adoption of an elderly thoroughbred mare who was being boarded at a stable. The owner lost her job, moved out of state, and turned the mare over to the stable owner. The stable owner contacted Gail, who thought that the mare would be a good match for my son, and she was right. They are inseparable.

If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...

Make sure that Gail had steady, reliable, daily volunteer help. Gail is solely reponsible for the daily care, feeding, and watering of about twenty-five horses. This is a Herculean daily task that she does herself. Most volunteers work on the weekends, since that is when they are available, but there are simply not enough hands on deck.

Would you volunteer for this group again?

Definitely

For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?

Life-changing

Did the organization use your time wisely?

Very Well

Would you recommend this group to a friend?

Definitely

When was your last experience with this nonprofit?

2011

Role:  Volunteer & and donor.