Horse Helpers of the High Country is a nonprofit organization serving the northwestern corner of North Carolina, including Avery, Ashe and Watuaga Counties as well as Johnson County, Tennessee. In fact, we are the only official equine rescue in the region. Horse Helper's mission is “to help sick, hurt, abused, and unwanted horses and other equine”—providing them an opportunity for a second chance. We have been incorporated since 2003 as a nonprofit 501c3 corporation.

Many people believe we don’t have a problem with equine abuse in North Carolina, sadly they are wrong. Too often, when people purchase horses, they don’t realize the great cost or responsibility involved in the animal’s care. In fact, the least expensive thing about acquiring a horse is the actual purchase. After that it only gets more expensive. The current economic crisis has put equine and livestock at even more risk. With job losses and increasing inflation, care of animals is sometimes the first place to cut corners.

Horses and other equine come to us in a variety of ways; they can arrive at our farm because of an official seizure due to neglect or abuse (see below for the story of Buttercup, Chief, Sugar, and Midnight). Sometimes county officials or our organization can help owners understand that their horse, donkey, or mule need a different kind of care and they will relinquish the animal to us (see the story of Magnum below). We have saved horses from slaughter buyers—paying to keep them off the slaughter truck--and even pulled a horse from an auction when the owner abandoned it there (thanks to the support of the auctioneer). We have been fortunate to help horse owners who loved and cared for their horses but could no longer care for them for a variety of reasons, such as economic difficulties or lack of pasture.

We can’t do this alone. It would be an impossible task, and really, a community rescue should be maintained and supported by a community. We need you, the horse community to embrace these goals and provide heart and your hands to help these noble animals.

Magnum, a Little Horse with a Big Heart

Meet Magnum, a 25 year old horse left to starve in a pasture in Watauga County. Magnum was turned over to us by Watauga County Animal Control August 2009. He had to be one of the skinniest horses still walking that we had ever seen. At approximately 14 hands, our vet estimated his weight to be about 400 pounds, his ideal weight should have been 800 to 950 pounds. We thought we were taking him to the farm to put him down in a loving atmosphere. We weren't sure he would make it off the trailer. Click on Magnum's picture to read his story.

With the aid of Horse Helpers, Johnson County, Tennessee, Seizes 4 Horses November 2009--We Need Your Help!!