Dec. 19. 2011

Dear Friends,

I hope this season brings you joy and peaceful contentment with your family, both 2 legged and 4 legged.

As you know, Lifesavers has been successful in rescuing hundreds of horses over the last 14 years and more than 350 of them just since July 2010.  We currently give hands on care to 500+ previously slaughter bound or neglected horses, both wild and domestic.

You and many others were instrumental in our rescue success by giving heartfelt donations at the time of crisis - when the horses were facing a terrible death at the slaughter house.  Now the horses are safe with us.

But the need is not over.  In fact, we need you more than ever to make sure our rescued horses now get the feed and care they deserve and require.

Hungry Rescued Horses Enjoy A Hearty Meal of Hay

The cost of hay is rising faster than we can pay for it.  It has nearly doubled in cost since last year.  Even though we buy it by the truckload, the price is still becoming a frightening concern.

Each bale of hay is now $14 on average.  Each horse eats about 5 bales of hay per month.  That's $70 per horse per month - just for hay.  Many of our horses are old and need senior grain to maintain their health.  Many are mares with nursing foals and they need extra nourishment as well as their babies.

It is predicted that hay in our area will soon cost $20 per bale and I honestly don't know how we will manage.

Our focus is to get horses ready for adoption as quickly as possible and to find the most responsible suitable homes for them to lower our overall care budget.

But this is a project that will take a few to several months before we see any relief.  And years before we will be able to get back to a more comfortable horse population.

Right now we are fundraising every day - and looking for grants that will help us carry out our mission one way or another.  We are always trying to educate and support horse owners to avoid more need to rescue horses.

But in the meantime - we need your help - desperately.

Please make a holiday gift to help us purchase hay through the end of the year and into the new year.

One bale of hay will feed one horse for 5 days $14

5 bales of hay will feed one horse for a month $70

10 bales of hay will feed 2 horses for a month $140

100 bales of hay will feed 20 horses a month $1400

And if you are able to do something really fantastic for us...

We could buy a whole truckload of hay - about 500 bales with a donation of $7000

This is our most critical area of need right now.  Please don't let a single horse go hungry this holiday.

You can make a gift in the name of a friend or family member and we'd be happy to send them an acknowledgment.

Any amount will be a blessing.  Please donate now.

http://www.wildhorserescue.org/dec11.htm