Horse Heroes Alberta giving horses a second chance

By Christine Foshaug Times Contributor

On Saturday, Dec. 14, Horse Heroes Alberta held their first annual bottle drive at Pet Valu in Strathmore.
Horse Heroes is not a traditional horse rescue but, rather, a network of people in Alberta who work together to save horses from slaughter.
When Cindy Thomas’ horse disappeared last year, she searched for her at horse auctions. There, she discovered just how many horses are bought at the auctions and destined to go for meat.
This revelation inspired her to make a difference, and Horse Heroes Alberta was born. In its first year, with the help of about 40 fosters, the rescue saved 200 horses across the province.
Strathmore residents Kim Betournay and Sherri Iskiw spent the day at Pet Valu, telling people about the rescue and accepting donations of bottles, with the money that’s raised going toward purchasing, feeding and caring for the rescued horses.
“Our mission is simple,” said Betournay, “to save as many horses as we can from suffering the trauma of the slaughterhouse.”
Betournay has fostered a number of horses already and has purchased two rescue horses. Iskiw is fostering nine horses at the moment.
“We see gymkhana and 4-H horses at the auctions,” explained Iskiw. “These are perfectly trained horses whose owners, for various reasons, can no longer care for them. There has to be a change. Horses are bred to be companions, pets or working horses, not feed. Every horse at auction deserves a second chance.”
With the current economy, hay is very expensive, and a lot of people simply can’t afford to keep their horses. In the future, Horse Heroes hopes to offer a program to subsidize feed for horse owners who are experiencing financial hardships.
Horse Heroes has partnered with a few other rescues in Alberta, and they have generous volunteers who will transport horses for them at a fraction of the normal cost.
“We band together to do everything we can to rescue as many horses as possible,” added Betournay. “We raise funds from personal and corporate donations as well as tack auctions. This is the first bottle drive and, if it is successful, we hope to do one every year.”
To learn more about Horse Heroes Alberta, you can visit their website (horseheroesalberta.com).