One afternoon in early April, Diann Hitchcox and Evelyn Tennyson appeared on my computer screen for a Zoom interview.
The topic: LASSO Horse Rescue & Equine Therapy, an organization now based in two locations — La Salle, Colorado, a small community just south of Greeley, Colorado — and Ignacio, a small community just southwest of Pagosa Springs.
Here’s Ms. Hitchcox, introducing the organization:
“A few years ago — like, in 2000 — we formed in Pagosa Springs, from the need for someone to take in unwanted horses. There were a lot of unwanted horses; and part of that had to do with, I think, the [Southern Ute] reservation being close by, so there were a lot of wild horses that people tamed and then had nowhere to keep them. So in 2002, we became a non-profit 501c3, and once people knew we were there, they just came in droves. By 2007, we were caring for 15 horses — a lot of them were disabled in some way, and had injuries that they will not recover from.
We try and rehabilitate them, and re-home them, but it became clear that we would probably become a [long-term] sanctuary. And in 2008, Evelyn Tennyson came to our ‘world’, and secured our future, of taking in horses and being able to care for them very well..”
Surveys of equine veterinarians suggest that the US has upwards of 150,000 abandoned, unwanted horses… needing homes… and that’s not including 50,000 wild horses held in captivity by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and another 40,000 wild horses roaming public lands in the US.
LASSO volunteers are devoted to ensuring safe and superior care to surrendered and rescued horses. Once in LASSO’s care, a horse is given time to decompress and adjust to new surroundings. The animal is then evaluated for their best path forward. Some are placed for adoption; some are placed into training; and some find a place in LASSO’S therapy program. Some lucky horses, not adoptable due to age or permanent injury, find their forever home with the LASSO family of horses.
The therapy horses can provide equine assistance to children, intellectually and developmentally disabled (IDD) individuals, and others, in the community. But there are challenges when providing horses as therapy animals.
Ms. Tennyson:
“A lot of the ‘kids’ that we work with — and they are not ‘kids’, they’re adults — but a lot of them have grown up, so they’re no longer in school. And we had a contact with the school district, to get these workshops going… contacting the parents and letting them know that LASSO wants to host some Special Olympics, or just a workshop, and we’ve somehow lost that contact. She either moved or retired.
“So right now, we have no one here in Pagosa who is intimately involved, to help us get the kids from the schools involved. And that’s been a real challenge.
“We’ve also been trying to put together programs with veterans. We’d like to try and do something with them…”
LASSO volunteers currently provide care of thirty horses at any given time, but some services are provided by professionals. Horse feet are trimmed every eight weeks, for example, at a cost — for 30 horses — about $11,000 a year. Vetereinary services typically run about $9,000 a year. Unexpected injuries or illness can cost thousands of additional dollars for professional care.
Ms. Hitchcox:
“We also support a ‘hay bank’… which provides hay to horse owners who, for whatever reason, can’t afford to feed their horses, on a short-term basis. They can go to that hay bank and secure enough hay to keep their horses going. The hay bank has been instrumental in helping reduce horse abandonment.
“We support humane euthanasia, so we have funding set aside that enables people to not fret about humanely euthanizing their horse. They can come to us for help, and we can provide veterinary-assisted euthanasia.”
Part of what makes the American West so inviting is our culture’s long-time fascination with horses. But domestic horse requirements are extensive — and expensive. Horses require large amounts of space, and abundant amounts of food and clean water. Since pasture life is not always available, the average horse requires approximately 7,200 lbs of hay annually, and recent western droughts have caused hay prices to skyrocket. An average small bale of hay can cost $12. The average horse eats 12 bales per month, costing $150.00.
Providing hay to thirty horses annually can cost $54,000. Additionally, older and rehabilitating horses require additional supplements, grains, winter blankets, and extra care. Shelter from the elements, run-in sheds and a barn for extensive treatments are a must.
Ms. Tennyson:
“Our operating budget — taking care of 30 horses — is over $100,000 a year. That’s taking care of the vet, and the food, and the farrier and so on…”
Ms. Hitchcox:
“Evelyn doesn’t know this yet, but I just did the budget for next year, and it’s over $120,000. But who’s counting?”
If any of our Daily Post readers are counting, you can visit https://www.lassohorserescue.org and meet the horses available for adoption, and some of the “lucky” horses who will likely spend their lives with the LASSO volunteers.
LASSO has been a recognized 501c3 non profit organization since 2002, working tirelessly in the counties of Archuleta, LaPlata, Montezuma, Hinsdale, Weld, and Larimar, for the horses of Colorado. Through grants and the generosity of devoted individuals LASSO has provided hundreds of unwanted horses a home for over twenty years.
If you are so moved, you can consider making a donation to help support the carefully tended lives for abandoned horses.
The LASSO website provides links to adoptable horses, the hay bank, educational material, organization events, and of course, volunteer information.
Bill Hudson began sharing his opinions in the Pagosa Daily Post in 2004 and can’t seem to break the habit. He claims that, in Pagosa Springs, opinions are like pickup trucks: everybody has one.