Idaho photographer raising funds for equine rescue
By Ag Weekly
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 3:39 PM CDT
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| Scott Sommer gathers his horses on his farm in Twin Falls, Idaho. The horse were photographed for a calendar Sommers is selling to raise funds for Orphan Acres equine-rescue operation. Courtesy photo |
TWIN FALLS, Idaho - Scott Sommer of Twin Falls has created a plan to support equine rescue by selling 2 million horse calendars by January. His love for horses led him to create and gather equine photographs, and he soon realized the potential of some of the photographs being made into a calendar of working horses in a natural setting. Through his endeavors to make a calendar, with the assistance of Curtis Johnson, Twin Falls, he realized the need to make this effort bigger than his personal needs. The two began looking for an opportunity to help others with horses, and they discovered Orphan Acres, Inc.
Orphan Acres, Inc., an equine rescue in Viola, Idaho, is a nonprofit 50 corporation that was established in 1975 and operates solely with donations and volunteers. The directors of Orphan Acres, Inc. are Brent Glover, president; Caroline Benoist, vice-president, and Monte Gillis, secretary, none of whom receives a salary.
Glover’s love for animals and flexible hours have allowed him to operate Orphan Acres, Inc. that originally started with a 79 horse rescue from a breeding farm. It later transitioned into the rescue facility it is today. Since 1975, Orphan Acres has had over 2,100 horses placed in its care from all over the United States, and over 1,600 homes have been found for those once abandoned, abused and neglected horses.
The facility has garnered help from North Palouse Vet Clinic, Sarah Metcalf of Equine Dentistry Services, and over 20,000 volunteer hours from surrounding communities. Orphan Acres, Inc., in turn, gives back to the communities by offering to youth, adults and physically challenged individuals the opportunity to learn how to train and handle animals through FFA, 4H, Upward Bound, Head Start, YMCA, scouting, church groups, and community-service projects. Internships for university students and local high schools are provided.
While the main source of funding is from private donations, Orphan Acres, Inc. has also received grants in the past from organizations such as ASPCA, Thoroughbred Charities of America, PetSmart Charities, Idaho Horse Board, Petco Foundation, Humane Society of the United States, Troxell Fund, Sea Graves Family Foundation, Latah County Community Foundation, and others.
Orphan Acres, Inc. facilities consist of an older barn, a loafing shed and an eight-stall barn, which was just completed through donations and volunteer labor. Presently they are caring for 65 horses but have had as many as 120 at one time. To feed this many horses requires one to two tons of hay a day, and hay has more than doubled in price this year to over $200 a ton. The price of grain has gone up from $8 to $13 per bag. Funding for maintenance of the machinery as well as replacing the old barn are other funding needs.
Due to the economy, funding has decreased considerably this year, which has also affected the number of volunteer hours because of the cost of fuel for volunteers to drive to Orphan Acres.
Orphan Acres’ mission is to rescue and care for neglected, abused or unwanted horses, rehabilitate them and ultimately find them good homes. The herd consists of mares, mares that arrive with foals, geldings, and stallions that are too old to be gelded and nobody will take.
Fifty percent of all profits from the sale of calendars go directly to the feeding and rehabilitation of the horses rescued by Orphan Acres. Other products for sale will also go to helping Orphan Acres as exhibited at www.cafepress.com/sommerramada where people can also link to Orphan Acres to give donations directly.
For more information contact: Scott Sommer, 480 Hwy 74, Twin Falls, Idaho 83301. Phone 208-420-6727. Email: sommerramada@gmail.com
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