Central Kentucky horse rescue puts out plea to help pay for hay this winter
The harsh freeze after Winter Storm Fern is hitting a Central Kentucky horse sanctuary particularly hard.
BraveHearts Equine Center in Paris recently announced on Facebook account it needs additional support to keep its horses fed and warm throughout the winter. The nonprofit has launched a fundraiser through online platform GoFundMe.
“With temperatures staying below freezing, combined with snow, wind and wet conditions, our horses’ energy needs have skyrocketed. Horses burn extra calories just to stay warm,” the post from BraveHearts Equine Center reads.
“The very best way to help them maintain body condition and generate internal heat is by feeding more high-quality hay. We’ve significantly increased hay rations across the herd to meet these demands, but this prolonged cold snap has depleted our stores much faster than usual,” the horse rescue said.
BraveHearts Equine Center specializes in giving draft horses and burros a second chance at life, saving them from abuse, neglect and slaughter. The sanctuary’s facility in Paris covers 140 acres that about 100 horses call home. Many of them are senior horses or special cases that require lifelong care, the fundraiser notes.
The center normally sees higher prices on hay during the winter, Erica Bivens, BraveHearts’ philanthropy director, told the Herald-Leader in an email Wednesday.
“However, when it’s this cold, for this long, that is unusual and we have gone through hay so much more quickly this year,” Bivens said.
“Under normal conditions, good-quality hay costs us roughly $1,950 per horse per year,” BraveHearts said in its fundraiser. “In this extreme weather, many need 30–50% more to stay healthy and comfortable. That means we’re going through hundreds of extra pounds of hay every single day!”
BraveHearts broke down some of those costs in its fundraiser, adding that a one-week supply of hay for a single horse costs $38, while a whole bale can feed a horse for two weeks for $75.
The organization is aiming to raise $15,000 to cover the cost of additional hay through the winter. As of Wednesday afternoon, the nonprofit has raised about $1,481 toward its goal.
“We’re so grateful to everyone who has already donated,” Bivens said. “Every donation, whether it’s $5 or $500, means the world to us because it all goes directly back to ensuring our herd gets the care they need and deserve.”
BraveHearts is funded by donors and has no big sponsors, the rescue said.
“Every dollar will go directly toward purchasing premium hay, delivery fees and minimal waste/buffer,” BraveHearts said.