64 SIDELINES FEBRUARY 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
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Making A Difference
By Courtney Zimmerman
Refuge Farms is a sanctuary for both horses and humans.
Located in Spring Valley, Wisconsin, Sandra Gilbert, the executive
director and co-founder, began the rescue when her friend and
co-founder, Andy Durco, told her to, “Take a horse and make a
difference in somebody’s life.” Sandy is making a difference in the
lives of young people and horses and she is doing it in a unique
way – with a group of blind horses.
“There are not very many rescues out there that accept blind
horses because they are hard to place and adopt out,” Sandy
said, adding that she fnds them easier than her sighted herds
as they are calm and take care of each other. Also, “blind horses
don’t test hot fences to eat crops on the other side!”
The blind horses are part of the “Horses Helping…” program;
a new recovery program designed to beneft at-risk teenagers
through the magic of horses, one small step at a time. One of the
blind equines, a Pony of the Americas gelding in his early 20’s
named PONY, has a stubborn streak that serves him well. When
PONY frst arrived it didn’t take him long to recognize the call for
dinner. He would come barreling in from the pasture and into the
barn, miss the door by a few feet, stop, do a 90-degree turn and
then walk right through the door. “You would never guess that
horse is blind,” Sandy said, adding that he is an excellent horse for
the “Horses Helping…” classes because he teaches the kids how
to overcome controversy by working with a stubborn blind horse.
Some of the stories surrounding Sandy’s acquisitions of the
blind horses are heart wrenching. Faith, a blind 14-year-old
Appaloosa mare, was rescued from a hoarder two years ago. The
hoarder called the kill buyer and the kill buyer proceeded to call
Sandy at 5:30am on Easter morning. “This woman shouldn’t have
horses,” he told her. A situation is undeniably bad for a kill buyer
to say that.
When Faith arrived at Refuge Farms, she was terrifed. Sandy
told her she was going to put a hand on her and Faith jumped so
hard her feet left the ground. But miracles do happen at Refuge
Farms and Faith is now a quiet and steady horse, unbelievably
dependable, compliant and a true staple of the program.
Not long after Faith arrived at Refuge Farms, the kill buyer called
again, this time with a blind Hackney pony that was crammed into
a cow trailer headed to slaughter. Even though she was covered
in cow manure, the kill buyer thought she was too cute to send
to slaughter. Gracie arrived at Refuge Farms and was given the
three promises the farm gives to every resident: there will be no
more inhumane treatment in addition to plenty of respect; there
will be no more hunger; and Refuge Farms will be a forever home
for all.
“Everybody loves Gracie,” Sandy said. She has had one eye
removed, is only 450 pounds when soaking wet and will fall asleep
when little girls brush her. Yet Gracie is an excellent teacher
because the harder you pull, the slower she goes. According to
Sandy, “She’s a tiny, pint-sized miracle worker.”
It is easy to sense a pattern here: these blind horses were on
their last hope because nobody else wanted them and Sandy took
them all in. It is rewarding for her to watch them thrive and fourish
in a loving environment. “These horses are elegant. They’re
spectacular,” she said.
Refuge Farms also indirectly rescues humans, especially
through their “Horses Helping…” program for at-risk human
beings. Last summer, fve teenagers had the opportunity to take
Equine Miracle Workers
Hollie and Helen after their eye removal surgeries at the
University of Minnesota Equine Center.
Hollie when she arrived at Refuge Farm, prior to her eye removal
surgery. Now she is happy, healthy and a part of the program –
changing the lives of young people.