Horse North Rescue (HNR), a nonprofit organization that seeks to “rescue, rehab, and rehome” horses from northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, recently acquired a 10-acre parcel west of Interlochen through generous donations to their fundraiser.
Moving to a larger property near Interlochen allowed the organization to triple the number of horse rescues they can take in, said Barbara Birdsong of Suttons Bay, a HNR board member. The organization was founded in 2006 and had previously been operating out of Lake Ann, thanks to the generosity of a property owner.
“At our previous site, we could only have six horses,” Birdsong said. “After moving to our own land near Interlochen, we went from six horses to 17 in two months. In the last six to seven months, we adopted some of those out and took others in.”
Birdsong said that animals come to HNR through a few different sources. Some of their horse rescues were seized by animal control agencies because the equines were visibly underweight, had damaged and overworked hooves, or were otherwise sick.
Other horses were surrendered or relinquished by their owners for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the owners can no longer afford to feed and care for their horses. Birdsong noted that northern Michigan also has an aging population, and many older horse owners find that they can no longer meet the physical demands of caring for such a large animal.
On such occasions, it can be difficult to find a trustworthy buyer to purchase the horse. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) recommends against selling horses at livestock auctions, as “the majority of horses sold at auctions attended by HSUS staff were purchased by ‘killer buyers’ who represent or sell to horse slaughterhouses.”
Instead, HSUS advises selling horses to properly vetted private owners or relinquishing them to a horse rescue or sanctuary, among other humane options. HNR aims to find people who will give their horses “a home where he or she can receive consistent care, including fresh water, correct hay and feed for the equine’s particular needs, and at minimum, access to a run-in shelter at all times,” according to their website.
“Owners want to take care of the horse and want to do right, but they are afraid – especially in the last year – of selling horses. Because if they go to auction, there are less-than-honorable people buying horses there,” Birdsong said.
Birdsong said that the HNR conducts in-depth research into potential adopters, including site visits, to confirm that they can provide the accommodation listed above.
Caring for these horses is only possible through HNR’s volunteer base. People need to feed the horses early in the morning and at night, clean their stalls, and help train and exercise them. Birdsong said that all this work is done on a volunteer basis, and the only people who receive pay for their services are their veterinarian and farrier, who specializes in hoof care.
Humans have ridden horses for thousands of years, and over the generations, they have formed a special relationship with riders and owners. To Birdsong, this makes all the hard work and effort involved in rescuing equines worth it.
“They feel your blood pressure decrease, your heart rate slow. There’s something special about the human and horse connection,” Birdsong said.
HNR has been active for nearly 20 years, and they have rehabilitated and found “forever homes” for nearly 360 horses. At the time of writing, they are providing shelter to 14 horses and expect to take in another four horses soon.
