HEREFORD – It’s a pleasant Wednesday morning at Single Star Ranch in Hereford. Huge clouds cast welcome shadows across the landscape, creating a picturesque backdrop against the rugged Huachuca Mountains in the distance. Horses are nibbling grass in a nearby pasture, while another group dozes in a corral. A ranch dog streaks after a rabbit, his excited yapping piercing the morning stillness. As volunteers start arriving, they wander into the tack room for halters, lead ropes, brushes and an assortment of equipment they’ll be using through the morning. They exchange friendly greetings and head off in different directions to start working with horses. The animals belong to Horse’n Around Rescue Ranch and Foundation, an equine rescue operation established in 2010 by Theresa Warrell and Steve Boice. Headquartered out of Single Star Ranch, the nonprofit organization leases the ranch from the Strom family, along with an additional 500 acres of pastureland for a combined 1,500 acres. “When Steve and I started this rescue venture four years ago, we had 11 horses,” Warrell says with a smile. “We’ve since grown into the organized chaos you see here today.” Volunteers are the rescue’s backbone Now, with a herd of 49 horses and a team of 35 volunteers, Horse’n Around has become one of the state’s premiere large-scale rescue operations for horses, ponies, donkeys and mules. While co-founders Warrell and Boice are pleased Equine rescue credits volunteers for its success _ there’s always room for more Story by Dana Cole [email protected]Photos by Beatrice Richardson [email protected]See RESCUE, Page C5 Steve Boice and Theresa Warrell co- founded Horse’n Around Rescue Ranch and Foundation in 2010, a non-profit organization dedicat- ed to helping abused, neglected and unwanted equines. Headquartered out of Single Star Ranch in Hereford, the rescue operation currently has 49 horses under its care and leases nearly 1,500 acres of pasture. Manuela Curtis, a Horse’n Around volunteer, rides Lady through an obstacle course Wednesday as part of the mare’s training program. Steve Boice of Horse’n Around, an equine rescue out of Hereford, moves a herd of mares to a pas- ture on Single Star Ranch Wednesday following a morning training session. Rescued horses, ponies, mules and donkeys are nurtured back to health and provided with a natural environment at Horse’n Around, before they can be adopted. St b D C l S St b D C l Horse’n Around rescue efforts are focused on helping abused, neglected, abandoned and homeless equines. While Warrell and Boice make every attempt to keep the herd size limited to 50 animals, mostly because of the expense and time it takes to care for them, there have been times when they have gone over that number, said Warrell. “Since we are a nonprofit, we are heavily dependent on grants, donations and fundraisers and there is only so much money to work with,” she said. “And there are only so many hours in the day.” Even with 35 volunteers, the rescue could always use more help. While most volunteers enjoy the hands-on work with the horses, Warrell says they could use help with such projects as fundraising, manning booths at functions, updating the website, press releases and other forms of public relations, all types of ranch work, and the list goes on and on. “What makes our rescue such a wonderful program is there is tremendous satisfaction in giving the horses a safe haven and offering them a second chance for a comfortable life where they are loved and cared for,” Warrell said. “An added bonus comes through the volunteers that we work with. They have brought fullness to our lives.” ABOUT THE PROGRAM Lifestyle What’s this? OUT & ABOUT, C6 C Features Editor: Janet LaValley 515-4616 [email protected]Sunday October 5, 2014
Transcript
HEREFORD – It’s a pleasant Wednesday morning at Single Star Ranch in Hereford.
Huge clouds cast welcome shadows across the landscape, creating a picturesque backdrop against the rugged Huachuca Mountains in the distance. Horses are nibbling grass in a nearby pasture, while another group dozes in a corral. A ranch dog streaks after a rabbit, his excited yapping piercing the morning stillness.
As volunteers start arriving, they wander into the tack room for halters, lead ropes, brushes and an assortment of equipment they’ll be using through the morning. They exchange friendly greetings and head off in different directions to start working with horses.
The animals belong to Horse’n Around Rescue Ranch and Foundation, an
equine rescue operation established in 2010 by Theresa Warrell and Steve Boice. Headquartered out of Single Star Ranch, the nonprofit organization leases the ranch from the Strom family, along with an additional 500 acres of pastureland for a combined 1,500 acres.
“When Steve and I started this rescue venture four years ago, we had 11 horses,” Warrell says with a smile. “We’ve since grown into the organized chaos you see here today.”
Volunteers are the rescue’s backbone
Now, with a herd of 49 horses and a team of 35 volunteers, Horse’n Around has become one of the state’s premiere large-scale rescue operations for horses, ponies, donkeys and mules. While co-founders Warrell and Boice are pleased
Steve Boice and Theresa Warrell co-founded Horse’n Around Rescue Ranch and Foundation in 2010, a non-profit organization dedicat-ed to helping abused, neglected and unwanted equines. Headquartered out of Single Star Ranch in Hereford, the rescue operation currently has 49 horses under its care and leases nearly 1,500 acres of pasture.
Manuela Curtis, a Horse’n Around volunteer, rides Lady through an obstacle course Wednesday as part of the mare’s training program.
Steve Boice of Horse’n Around, an equine rescue out of Hereford, moves a herd of mares to a pas-ture on Single Star Ranch Wednesday following a morning training session. Rescued horses, ponies, mules and donkeys are nurtured back to health and provided with a natural environment at Horse’n Around, before they can be adopted.
St b D C lSSt b D C l
Horse’n Around rescue efforts are focused on helping abused, neglected, abandoned and homeless equines.
While Warrell and Boice make every attempt to keep the herd size limited to 50 animals, mostly because of the expense and time it takes to care for them, there have been times when they have gone over that number, said Warrell.
“Since we are a nonprofit, we are heavily
dependent on grants, donations and fundraisers and there is only so much money to work with,” she said. “And there are only so many hours in the day.”
Even with 35 volunteers, the rescue could always use more help.
While most volunteers enjoy the hands-on work with the horses, Warrell says they could use help with such projects as fundraising, manning booths at functions, updating the website, press releases
and other forms of public relations, all types of ranch work, and the list goes on and on.
“What makes our rescue such a wonderful program is there is tremendous satisfaction in giving the horses a safe haven and offering them a second chance for a comfortable life where they are loved and cared for,” Warrell said. “An added bonus comes through the volunteers that we work with. They have brought fullness to our lives.”
M A H A R A J A I M A R E T S H T T PA N A B O L I C C A L O R I E O H H IS A M E T I M E N E X T Y E A R L E O NS C A L I A R E F I C R I E D O U TE T S N S A G A L L T A N E Y
T I E S O L L I E L O I N SS A N E S A L T L A K E C I T Y U T A HA R E A S M I I E R O D E R O S EC O U R T I S A A C O P E N S H O T SH O R D E S A T L A S E N S U ES M O O T H S E G G O N T E N A C R E
W H O M E A E S O P R O D H A MJ O A N O F A R C R O G E T C H I V EA B U T A R G O T O R E O I L E RW I T H A R M S W I D E O P E N G E N YS T O I C S P E N D T E S H
S T R E P S P A N H U H F R AI N A W H I L E R B I S T I T L E SH E R A L E S S T A L K M O R E R O C KO R A L E N C L A V E E V A L A R U EP O L L D A I R I E S W I L D C A R D
with the rescue’s success, both are quick to credit the vital role volunteers have had in making the program what it is today. Since its inception, more than 80 equines have been helped by Horse’n Around, with a goal of finding homes for as many of the animals as possible. The countless hours invested by volunteers help to make that goal a reality.
“When we started this, we didn’t anticipate the dynamics of all the volunteers that come together to help these horses,” said Warrell. “Every volunteer is here for a reason. I believe the horses are as important to the people as the people are to the horses. Our volunteers never cease to amaze us with their love for the animals and dedication to the cause.”
As horses find new homes through adoption, more can be accepted into the program.
Newcomers are assessed for health and training issues and volunteers are assigned horses they will be working with. Depending on the individual horse and what the assessment reveals, volunteers do ground work using
natural horsemanship methods and in some cases, the training involves riding. Horses are worked under saddle by experienced riders capable of determining the animal’s reliability, with safety as a key factor.
The trainers watch for problems areas and work to resolve issues as they come up. Horses are adopted for different purposes. Some are intended for pleasure riding, while others — such as older animals or those with lameness problems — are destined as companion horses only. From start to finish, it’s the volunteers who make the whole package work.
“Our volunteers are the reason we’re able to do operate with this many horses,” said Boice. “At the time we started this, we knew there was a need for a rescue program in this area, but we had no idea there was this much need. We get calls constantly from people who want us to take their horses. If it weren’t for the volunteers, we would be forced to turn a lot of horses away.”
Meet the volunteersAs one of the
program’s regular volunteers, Tim Hubacek, has been
with Horse’n Around for three years.
He learned his horse handling skills through the organization’s training program. On this particular morning, he gathers a mare named Bella Luna and leads her into a round pen for a light workout, followed by a brisk brushing. He’s soon joined by Mayra Moreno, another volunteer, and the two spoil Bella with a pampering any horse would envy.
“I have PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) from my time in the military and working with these horses has been the best possible therapy for me,” said Hubacek. “Horses are well-grounded and sense your feelings. They have a way of bringing you in the moment
with them. I had no experience working around horses prior to volunteering here. I love the gentle natural horsemanship methods they use and the way the horses respond to what we’re asking them to do.”
Off to one side of a corral, Greg Chouinard is working with a horse named Kansas, teaching him to respond to the lightest possible touch. Watching Chouinard’s ground work, it seems the training has paid off.
Kansas responds to subtle pressure when asked to back, side-pass, stop and move forward.
Lady, a 10-year-old mare, came to Horse’n Around as part of a seizure by state livestock officers, along with 13 other horses.
Manuela Curtis is
riding her through an obstacle course of cones, onto a bridge and over a tarp. Though a professional trainer, Curtis says she chooses to volunteer her time for the rescue because she ‘believes in what they’re doing.” As she turns Lady away from the obstacles, she pushes the mare into a reluctant canter, circling her first to the right, then left.
“She has come a long way from when I first started working with her,” said Curtis. “She can be really lazy, though, so getting her to move at a canter is tough sometimes.
She’s getting there.” Along with the arena work, Curtis has ridden Lady on trail rides as well.
Then there’s Chris Kondek working with 13-year-old Peaches in a round pen, while Lee Placho handles Amigo, a leopard appaloosa. Described by Kondek as “very steady under saddle,” Peaches is ready for adoption.
Amigo, who was rescued from a ranch in the Elgin area after it was sold by the owner, has an injury and is currently going through rehabilitation.
All 49 horses come with a story. Several are looking for homes.
RESCUE: Horses looking for homesFROM PAGE C1
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Bella Luna gets pampered by volunteers Mayra Moreno and Tim Hubacek. Eighty horses have been rescued through the organization since its inception in 2010, with volunteers a big part of the program’s success.
