Horse rescue group needs help caring for abused animals

The El Paso Sheriff’s Office investigates animal abuse across the county, and in the rural areas, this sometimes means horses are the victims of neglect.

All the work falls on the shoulders of a single organization. They’re struggling to keep up with the care, and are asking for you help.

“Some of these horses come in very skinny, very lethargic, they’re needing water and electrolytes right away,” said Victoria Hall with Horses Unlimited Rescue and Education Center.

Caring for abused horses is a delicate process.

“Some horses have a reaction to the water, some horses have reaction to the feed from not having it for so long,” Hall said.

Whenever the Sheriff’s Office finds abandoned or abused horses in El Paso County, they bring them to Hall.

Hall is the only staff member at Unlimited Horse Rescue and the work can be overwhelming. She relies on volunteers.

“Currently, we’re working on finishing the shades for the horses, and this is very important because EL Paso does get a lot of wind and we do get a lot of sun,” she said.

All this rehabilitation work takes a lot of work and time, so they need volunteers who will be able to help with the basic tasks like cleaning out the stalls. That way, people who have been here for a longer time can exercise and train the horses which are things that take more experience

“Most of our volunteers are military, so sometimes when everyone leaves, it’s a big group that leaves away from us. So, if we have more volunteers helping out it makes it where we can do more with the horses,” Hall said.

Hall keeps receiving horses. “It’s just something something that’s never ending. Unfortunately, with animals there’s always things that need to be fixed,” Hall said.

That won’t stop Hall and her volunteers from working to give these special steeds a new chance at life.

If you would like to help Horses Unlimited Rescue, you can call Victoria Hall at (915) 491-7653

Volunteers are accepted by appointment only.

They are also looking for dirt donations to repair their riding patch, which is covered with rocks.

Anyone interested in helping is asked to call.