LEON COUNTY, Fla. — There are many horse owners in our area and not all of them are able to fully provide the care their horses need. That's where Triple R Horse Rescue comes in.
Rescue and rehabilitation ranch, that's what the Rs stand for in Triple R Horse Ranch. After 10 years, the group has grown, but their mission remains the same.
"We serve a purpose for horses in need. You can't take a horse to a shelter at the county like you can a dog or a cat," said Linda Bruns, President of Triple R Horse Rescue. "Over the last 10 years, we have taken care of and rehabilitated and adopted out close to 300 horses."
Triple R Horse Rescue doesn't just bring in abused horses to make them healthy. They truly give these animals a second chance at life, just like Choco, who has been here for two and a half years.
"Choco was one of the toughest the Triple R has ever tackled, and really a miracle horse. He was weeks or days away from death when we got him. He had a bad infection in his upper jaw," said Dave Burns, Volunteer at Triple R Horse Rescue. "He could barely breathe. I was thinking 'this horse ain't going to make it.'"
Choco's journey with Triple R Horse Rescue is far from over. In fact, Coco could be here for another year and a half.
Many horses don't take quite as long as Choco to heal, but no matter how long it takes them to become healthy both physically and mentally, we're told that it's worth the hard work and time.
"I say, 'give me a kiss Choco!' He reaches over and gives me his nose so we have a little kiss in the morning. Just the fact that they get regular food again and they get a person to bond with, it means a lot. It makes us feel really good," said Bruns.
Triple R Horse Rescue covers about six counties in Florida and another three in Georgia.
The eighth annual Have a Heart for Horses fundraiser kicks off at 5:00 p.m. Saturday at Dover Field and goes until 10:00 p.m. Horse demonstrations begin at 5:30 p.m.
Everyone is encouraged to come out to this family friendly event. Adult tickets are $50 and students are $20. Children ages five and under are free.
There are also other ways to help Triple R Horse Rescue like becoming a member or volunteering. To become a member, click here.
Those who are very familiar with horses are encouraged to volunteer as well.
