BROOKVILLE — Hoping to find a forever home, four rescued animals and their trainers visited the Jefferson County Fairgrounds last weekend. An equine evaluation challenge, hosted by Mending Hope Equine Rescue (MHER) of Fairmount City, presented three horses and a mule, with their trainers. Participating in the challenge were Milkyway, a mustang; Dude, an Appaloosa mix; Loco, a mustang; and Spartacus, a hinny/pony mule.
A fourth horse was also to be at the evaluation, “but she has an injury and is just being stalled right now,” Tammy Ganoe said. “The horses come first.” She said the weekend competition was being held because “we get a lot of unhandled or barely handled horses, and we rescue a lot of older horses.
We take some mustangs in just to get them re-homed. Spartacus, the mini-mule, we got him from one of the auctions. We try to do a lot of auctions because kill buyers really like the auctions to get low-priced horses to send off to the meat market.
We picked him up in Ohio. Loco is from Wyoming.” Mending Hope currently has 21 rescued horses in need of training and new homes.
“To expedite the rehoming process and make space for more horses in need, trainers are asked to provide foster homes to train our equines. By taking a horse into their care and providing essential training, the trainers are helping us find permanent homes for these beautiful animals more quickly,” she said. Ganoe said the trainers, who have been working with the animals for several months, “are doing a great job.
We are letting the trainers show what accomplishments they made over the last few months and showing the public what the horses are able to do at this point.” Those wishing to adopt one of the rescued animals “must be approved. We do not adopt out to unapproved adopters.
We take as many steps as we can” to protect the animals, she said. Winners during the competition were: Isabel DeLarme and Loco, first place, Grand Champion; Kasey Zerbe and Dude, second, Reserve Grand Champion; Kenzie Peace and Milkyway, third; and Felisity Peterson and Spartacus, fourth place. Each received prizes.
Milkyway found his forever home when his trainer adopted him at the show. The focus of Mending Hope is to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome horses in need of their help. Donations to Mending Home, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, can be sent to: Mending Hope Equine Rescue, 337 Townline Road, Fairmount City, PA 16224.
Donations can also be made through Zeffy, Venmo and Pay Pal. Ganoe said, “Many of you have asked if we’ll be holding another Equine Elevation Challenge in the future. Right now, we aren’t sure.
Our primary mission at Mending Hope Equine Rescue is to rescue horses and help them find loving, permanent homes. Currently, we have 11 halter-broke horses who are ready for adoption, and our focus is on finding forever homes for them before taking in more.”.
