Colorado Horse Rescue Network helps over two dozen families feed their horses amid COVID-19 pandemic

Thanks to generous donations the Colorado Horse Rescue Network has been able to help over 30 families continue to feed their horses by providing them with weeks worth of hay. 

Just within the first week of opening its hay bank the rescue received $5,500 dollars in donations.

"When you open up the mailbox and there's 20 or 30 checks in there, it makes you believe that there's a lot of good in this world left at a time where you don't see a lot of it," said Carrie Terroux-Barrett, Executive Director of the Colorado Horse Rescue Network. "It was humbling to see how much people wanted to help, and how much they wanted to see the dreams we've worked so hard to keep alive see fruition."

But many horse owners still have a long road ahead.

Terroux-Barrett says owners' ability to continue to care for their horses is going to dependent on the future of the agriculture market and the price of feed. 

The rescue says it has enough funding to help families feed their horses for a few more weeks -- but many will likely need help for even longer. 

Terroux-Barrett says the rescue has taken in around 30 horses directly related to the financial impacts of the coronavirus. 

Many of those people who needed the rescue's help were in the hospitality or restaurant industries -- people who don't know when they'll be returning to work.

Now the question is: for how long will they need assistance?

If prices for feed go up, and the prices of the animals themselves go down, it's going to be even more expensive for folks to continue to care for them. 

But Terroux-Barrett says there is hope. 

Since the rescue opened up the hay bank, its surrender requests have gone down. Plus, it's adopted out 10 horses within the last seven days. 

At the height of this pandemic the rescue was receiving 15 to 20 surrender requests per day. 

Of the over 30 families it's assisted, half of them have been able to keep their horses at home with them.

If you'd like to donate to the Colorado Horse Rescue Network - click here.