Central Kentucky farm rescues abused horses. And you can meet them.
There are many friends to meet at BraveHearts Equine Center.
There’s Leo, a 20-year-old Palomino Percheron who has called BraveHearts home since April. He was rescued from a kill pen, where he was severely mistreated, and brought to the center with a body condition score of two, on a scale of one to nine.
His teeth and hooves were in poor condition, his muscles were atrophied, and he was emaciated to the point that his bones were visible.
But now Leo undergoes weekly water treadmill therapy, thanks to the help of Spy Coast Farm. He has added about 250 pounds, and his overall health has changed dramatically in the past eight months.
There’s also Doug, a 22-year-old gelding who was one of the horses rescued from a kill pen by the Waronker family, owners of BraveHearts Equine Center, off Russell Cave Road in Bourbon County. Doug is very social, and he generally acts more like a puppy than a horse.
Leo and Doug are two of more than 100 animals at BraveHearts farm with similar stories of previous trauma but current and future improvement. The center, housed on about 150 acres, is a nonprofit that rescues and rehabilitates discarded draft horses from neglect, abuse, abandonment and slaughter from around the country.
And you can now tour the facility.
BraveHearts has partnered with Horse Country, an organization that connects people with more than 25 equine attractions in central Kentucky, to offer one-hour tours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
“It’s a really cool opportunity for folks to come out and meet them and also see these giant draft horses up close and personal,” said Erica Bivens, public relations specialist and philanthropy director at BraveHearts. “A lot of people know this area to be Thoroughbred country, so this is a unique opportunity to see the big guys.”
One of the farm’s main missions is to rehabilitate younger horses so they can be adopted. The farm is also willing to keep animals of an older age and in need of lifelong specialized care, like Doug, as sanctuary animals.
“It’s so important for us to give these horses a second chance in life. That’s our goal here,” Bivens said.
There are several breeds at the farm, including Belgian, Clydesdale, Arabian, Halflinger, Percheron and Thoroughbreds. There are also miniature horses, miniature ponies and burros.
The nonprofit is funded largely through philanthropy, Bivens said, and money raised from offering tours allows the farm to continue rehabilitating and caring for the animals on the property. Tours can be booked on Horse Country’s website.
“What BraveHearts is doing on a daily basis is just incredible work,” said Hallie Hardy, executive director of Horse Country. “Taking care of horses as they do, ... it’s a critical part of what we do, collectively, in Horse Country.”
This story was originally published December 23, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
