Spirit Wind Horse Rescue

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Spirit Wind Horse Rescue
In the News

From: The Delta County Independent

Horses overcoming abuse creates stirring exhibit at Creamery

Written by Kathy Browning

Wednesday, 14 October 2009 00:00

Vendla Stockdale’s photographs evoke dramatic images of the horses saved by Spirit Wind Horse Rescue, which was formed just three years ago. The exhibit will be at the Creamery Arts Center in Hotchkiss through the first week in November.

The photographs and writings presented in the Peach Gallery at the Creamery Arts Center require attention. They draw you in to a world governed by the best of spirits in horses to live and the people who helped to bring them back for the edge of destruction. Neglect and abuse may have damaged the horses, but they triumphed anyway. Thought-provoking, stirring, moving, inspirational and gut-wrenching, this exhibit titled, "Spirit Made Whole," is one that should be seen and digested.

Photographer Vendla Stockdale and writer Danielle Kemper have captured something special that needs to be shared with others. The artistic work has the ability to touch those who take the time to fully take in the exhibit, photograph by photograph with their accompanying poems and essays. Stockdale and Kemper are both members of Spirit Wind Horse Rescue. They credit the rescued horses as the artists of the exhibit and share their stories.

"They were our inspiration," Stockdale said at the Oct. 9 opening. "Without them this exhibit would never have been. They all play a part and they all play their own role."

Stockdale wanted to involve elements of the earth, the beginning of creation and dreaming in the exhibit. Here beginning is based on Greek mythology as well as creation. Dreamtime comes from the Aboriginal belief that what you dream comes into being. The horses seen in the gallery are in foster homes.

Poems and essays by Danielle Kemper provide depth to the exhibit by sharing critical moments in the life of an abused or neglected horse and then what it was like after the horse was rescued. Give yourself extra time in the Peach Gallery to not only study the photographs but to read Kemper’s writings.

"What we are trying to do is to make people more aware," Stockdale shared. "We have used the horses as a metaphor for us because they are the ones that have taught us we really need to value life. We see these horses in their neglectful states and you wonder how someone can go out everyday and not see it. It's like people are almost blind.... This is about people seeing something and making a change."

Danielle Kemper does horse therapy helping the horse to trust people again. Kemper has rescued horses herself. She wrote the poems and essays in the last month. "The great thing about [the horses] is that they go on, and they have lives and they have stories they share with us," Kemper explained. "There is sadness, but they move on."

Kemper sees that horses live in the moment. "Because they live in the present, they don't hold on to things like we do. Maybe that is faith. Maybe that is will." Stockdale and Kemper have invested three months in putting the exhibit together. "It was a real partnership, which is the point of our show that we want to get across. This is about partnering, and what happens when we do partnership," Kemper said.

The Creamery Arts Center is located in downtown Hotchkiss.

Passionate volunteers help injured, abused horses through Spirit Wind

Written by Kami Collins

Wednesday, 07 October 2009 00:00

About three and a half years ago, Vee Stockdale and Beth Keenan were approached by an of?cer with the Delta County Sheriff's Department. The department had just seized two abused mares from a home in Cedaredge.

Vee Stockdale and Lacie Pipher, volunteers with Spirit Wind Horse Rescue, work with Duchess, a thoroughbred who is in rehabilitation after a back injury.

The mares were up for sale at the sales yard in Delta. The mares were older and undernourished, and, if they didn't sell, which was likely, the animals would have been slaughtered.

Stockdale and Keenan decided they couldn't let that happen. They purchased the two mares, along with an abused ?lly, and took the animals home to rehabilitate them.

That incident served as a wake up call for the two. "We thought, my God, there really is a necessity for horse rescue in Delta County," Stockdale said. From that realization was born Spirit Wind Horse Rescue.

Historically, she explained, when a horse was seized by law enforcement due to neglect or abuse, the animals became property of the State of Colorado. The horses were put into foster care, and then were put up for sale. That's changed with Spirit Wind.

Relying on volunteers and foster homes, Spirit Wind rescues horses from bad situations in Delta County. They've rescued two horses from Grand Junction as well. A brand inspector is called in to change the horse's brand from that of the old owner to Spirit Wind.

Sometimes, their rescues come from law enforcement of?cers. Other times they are given horses by people who are no longer able to care for them, due to economic or health reasons. The two horses that came from Grand Junction were from an elderly couple that could no longer physically care for their animals.

Once Spirit Wind volunteers get the animals, the foster trainers spend months caring for and retraining the horses. One foster home in Hotchkiss takes only retired animals. Others take horses that can be retrained to ride or that can be trained as therapy animals.

Once the animals are rehabilitated, Spirit Wind starts the adoption process, which is very lengthy. There is a long application and a contract that adoptive owners must sign. The contract states, among other things, that owners are prohibited from breeding their new horse. Stockdale explained that this is to cut down on the number of unwanted horses.

The adoptive owner isn't ?nished yet. There is a six-month to a year trial process during which Spirit Wind volunteers routinely monitor the horse in its new home. "That just ensures the right decision has been made," Stockdale said. "People understand they need to keep their horses forever."

It helps that Spirit Wind tries to adopt all horses out locally. Only one horse is no longer in this area, but its owner, who is now in Oklahoma, is in regular contact with Spirit Wind through e-mail.

"We've been pretty successful," Stockdale said about the adoptions. Since its inception, Spirit Wind has rescued about 44 horses, 16 of which have been adopted. They currently have 20 horses in foster care; two are ready to be adopted now.

Spirit Wind tries very hard to adopt all of their rescues. There are occasions, however, when a horse is so badly injured that the animal must be euthanized. That isn't a decision that comes lightly, though. The trainers and volunteers work with area veterinarians to see if there are any other options besides putting the horse down. There aren't always, however. "And that's always the sad part," Stockdale said.

All medical bills, feed and other expenses are absorbed by Spirit Wind. They've been relying on donations; nearly all of their hay is donated by local families who want to help, she said. On Nov. 2, Spirit Wind will be the recipient of a fund raiser dinner by the Kids Pasta Project, held at Scenic Mesa Ranch in Hotchkiss. They do two yard sale fund raisers each year, and, when there is just no other money, she and Beth pay out-of-pocket for the horses' care.

Spirit Wind now has a board of directors, and at the end of September received word they'd been approved for a 501(c)(3) non-pro?t organization. Now, the sky is the limit, as are their plans. They would like to implement an emergency feeding program. If someone is unable to feed their horses due to the loss of a job or an extended illness, for example, Spirit Wind, using grand funds, would like to assist those families.

"We prefer to keep horses in good homes," Stockdale said. They also want to help people geld their colts and implement an equine therapy program. They hope to begin all these programs as early as next summer.

Stockdale is also gearing up for an art show at the Creamery that will run the month of October. A photographer, she has documented the plight of the horses Spirit Wind has helped, and those photos, along with vintage tack, will be on display at the gallery. More information about Spirit Wind can be found on their website, www.spiritwindhorseresuce.com. Information on volunteering, donating or fostering can also be found there, or you can call Beth Keenan at 921-5646.

From THE FENCE POST

Get in the spirit and ride the wind

Mary Ann Loucks

Cedaredge, Colo.

Manzie before a stay at Spirit Wind Horse Rescue.

Manzie after a stay at Spirit Wind Horse Rescue. Manzie has been adopted by a loving familly.

"When God wanted to create a horse, He said to the south Wind, 'I want to make a creature of you ... Condense,' and the Wind condensed."

~ Emer-Abd-al-Kader

Spirit Wind Horse Rescue has been around now for the past three years and Vee Stockdale and Beth Keenan certainly have no lack of spirit or enthusiasm for what they do. These two women are dedicated to helping their equine friends who — for one reason or another — are either left homeless, sadly neglected or abused, find greener pastures.

Beth and Vee initially started Spirit Wind Horse Rescue when they saw the need for such an organization. A call from Allen Sitton of the sheriff's department alerted them to the predicament of two starved horses he'd taken from a man who was determined to get back at his wife through the animals. Older and undernourished, they were due to be sold at the next horse sale and, due to their condition, may have ended up being slaughtered. So the two women went and bought Roxie and Tango. They also saw a small, starving, little yearling that captured their hearts and they bought her, too.

Out of necessity, Spirit Wind Horse Rescue had to start small. Rescuing animals, feeding them and taking care of their medical needs all cost money. So far, the two women have managed through donations, yard sales and reaching into their own pockets, particularly when they go to a sale to buy a horse. Their goal is to find homes for these magnificent beasts. In the meantime, many of the animals stay in foster homes until they recover.

Beth explained that when they rescue a horse, they never know what they are getting. Usually, there is baggage from the abuse or neglect. While the animal may have good ground manners, maybe it doesn't like being touched around the mouth. Perhaps another horse has never known a halter. Just like humans, the younger ones recover sooner; the older ones take more time. A little love and patience in an equine's life can make a world of difference though. And sometimes a horse can make a big difference in a human's life as well. Danielle Kemper, a psychotherapist certified in equine therapy as well as a horse trainer, hopes to develop a program, using the older rescued horses with kids.

In January of this year, Spirit Wind Horse Rescue elected its first board. The board wants to educate the public as to the dilemma of these horses as well as offer resources such as vet referrals, assist first time buyers to choose an appropriate horse and — a future goal — provide financial assistance through grants.

In the meantime, Spirit Wind Horse Rescue's main objective is returning the horses that have been abused or badly neglected to health. This process usually also includes any necessary training.

Sadly, Beth told me, they have noticed a trend that's accompanied the faltering economy. People are taking the horses that they can no longer afford to keep and letting them loose in deserted areas to survive as best as they can. Sometimes one of these abandoned animals show up in someone else's pasture.

This is another area where Spirit Wind Horse Rescue offers its services. If a person simply can't afford to keep their horse any longer, they will try to find a home for it if the owner can hang in there awhile longer. This is usually done through an online service called Pet Finders where some of Spirit Wind Horse Rescues are also listed.

To learn more about this organization, some of the horses they've rescued and those that are available for adoption, please visit thier website at www.SpiritWindHorseRescue.com. You can also call Beth Keenan at (970) 872-4804 or her home at (970) 921-5646. Currently, they have approximately 20 horses in their care.

If you're an individual or a business who'd like to help Spirit Wind Horse Rescue in some way, you can also sponsor a horse by paying for its feed or one of the other costs involved in its care. Actually, any assistance at all would be appreciated — even if it's volunteering your services in some small way.

So, ride the wind ... that is Spirit Wind Horse Rescue and help save a horse.