My Nonprofit Reviews

2015 began a new journey for me, when I retired following a company merger. I wanted to spend part of my retirement volunteering, so was looking for an organization where I could serve. I found Savethehorses.org on the Internet, and was impressed by their website, so signed up for their next volunteer orientation. I arrived early that morning, so wandered through the barn to see some of the 25 horses housed there. They were beautiful. Just as I got to the end of the stalls, there was a horse that literally took my breath away. She was so skinny, her ribs and hip bones stuck out. She had that look that was unmistakably one of giving up, with glazed over, so sad, eyes. Her name was Ruby Red. I started volunteering the following week and rarely miss a Wednesday at the farm. I became immediately hooked, serving these horses who came from all kinds of difficult backgrounds, injuries, neglect, with no reason to trust any human. Each week, I would gravitate toward Ruby, checking on her. Starvation and malnutrition create all kinds of physical problems with a horse, and Ruby was no exception. Patches of skin were missing, she had a pronounced limp, among many other issues. Over the next year and a half, I watched Ruby gain weight, gain confidence, and now she is a beautiful mare, who just about prances as I lead her out to her pasture. Ruby is a great example of what this organization does for horses who have gone through very tough times.