Forgotten horses rescued by Liberty Sanctuary

Liberty Sanctuary, rescuing forgotten horses from kill pens around the country. Photo: by Mary Waterman

UTAH — In a promising first stride, Liberty Sanctuary, located just outside of Park City, a newly established equine sanctuary, has successfully undertaken its inaugural rescue mission to save countless Forgotten Equines from an inhumane fate.

Over the past two months, Liberty Sanctuary has successfully welcomed equines from kill pens in Bowie, Texas, as well as Eaton, Colorado. It is through the dedication of founder and equine advocate Debra West that an effective infrastructure has been established, alongside a team committed to rescue efforts and nurturing these creatures.

“Liberty Sanctuary is comprised of a group of dedicated volunteers and equine professionals to give our equine guests a meaningful second chance at life,” West said in a press release. “Our mission is to rescue select equines from kill pens, to rehabilitate and rehome them. It’s important for the public to understand that young and healthy horses make up the majority of the slaughter population, so we typically select younger horses. We also believe these horses have the best chance of being rehabilitated and rehomed safely.”

In collaboration with volunteers, care is provided to the rescued horses by Blair Lybbert, DVM, a Liberty Board Member and Park City Equine Center owner. In addition, to ensure the well-being of the equines, the team has implemented a custom Equine Wellness Program developed by Eric Kraut, CERP, FEI-PET, CVT.

In an effort for each rescued horse to achieve its true potential and a chance at new, productive lives lies in Liberty’s Training Program. Spearheading this program is Trevor Howard, a highly skilled horseman, and clinician. Howard visualizes the effectiveness and power of utilizing correct principles at the unique pace of each horse.

“Imagine the power and potential of using correct principles executed consistently at the horse’s pace. Only when we learn to move at a pace that is unique to each equine do we tap into the potential of what true partnership is,” Howard said in a press release.

Liberty Sanctuary is currently accepting donations and applications for volunteers.

For more information, please visit www.libertysanctuary.org.