NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — For months, LEX 18 has been telling you about a rise in pet surrenders due to rising costs of food and veterinary care.
Some horse owners are facing similar hardships, and that's where the Kentucky Equine Adoption Center in Jessamine County steps in.
Located on 72 picturesque acres in Nicholasville, the center takes in horses in need from across the Commonwealth.
"We have saved thousands and thousands of horses since we were started in 2007," said executive director Carrie Wosicki.
She told LEX 18 there is always a wait list for horse surrenders.
"With high prices at the grocery store, high prices at the gas tank, it costs a lot more to love and care for your horse," she said. "So we get phone calls and emails virtually every day, from people who want to find out about the surrender process."
River and Annie are two horses who were surrendered from Northern Kentucky one month ago. Because of their owner's financial hardships, Wosicki said they were underfed and malnourished. Fortunately, they're already getting healthier.
After a harrowing journey, Gigi is another horse who ended up at the adoption center. She was bred in Kentucky and moved to Florida, but after her owner died, she ended up in a barn during Hurricane Ian. She was rescued and surrendered to the center, where she's training for her next chapter.
"There are a lot of horses out there that need love and need homes," said barn manager and trainer Abigail Rhineheimer. "Just because they've been through a bad situation in the past, doesn't mean they're bad horses. There are no bad horses."
That idea is what keeps the small staff and dozens of volunteers going as they rehabilitate up to 50 equines a year.
"Horses can live into their 30s, and so they need more than one job, more than one career," said Wosicki. "And I feel like here we really give them a second chance."
A major fundraiser for the Kentucky Equine Adoption Center is happening later this month at the Kentucky Horse Park. You can learn more about Hats Off Day here.
