With six stallions and 25 acres, the Green Mountain Falls Horse Wellness Meadow officially opened last week as part of the festivities of the Green Box Arts Festival.
A small crowd of festival goers toured the facility on the mountain above town and visible from eastbound U.S. Hwy. 24.
The meadow is the second location for Elite Equine Rescue in Black Forest where horses which have been injured due to racing, jumping, or even abuse, recover and go on to fulfill
the organization’s goal.
“A lot of them don’t know how to be a horse again,” said Liesl Ross, an Elite trainer speaking to the people gathered for the open house.
Many of the horses are racers or jumpers, some at the Grand Prix level, and have been on a rigid schedule.
“The horses are coming from a high-intense career to one that will be less intense than horse racing, for instance,” she said. “I can give them a new foundation and a new career.”
Ross highlighted the mental as well as the physical aspect to the training process.
“The first time they are in a paddock here they are scared to death,” she said.
From paddock to pasture and meadow to eventually becoming part of the group, the horse slowly adapts to the new life.
“Our philosophy is to treat the whole horse, with nutrition included in the rehabilitation,” Ross said. “Their whole lives have been in a stall; they don’t know how to eat grass.”
Elite’s Wendy Collison works with Ross throughout the process and is the facility’s rehabilitation specialist.
“We have 12 modalities we use to treat injuries, including infrared treatment for muscle injuries,” Collison said.
Ross and Collinson, in addition to John Brandon, the barn manager, are working with champions.
“Their blood line is so good they want to compete in the Olympics,” Ross said. “But at some point, they will be injured.”
Working with Ross, the horse develops a foundation of new skills in a process that retrains the brain. “We evaluate what the horse wants to do.”
With eight stalls and a round pen for exercise and rehabilitation, the rescue organization has initiated a fundraising drive to raise $50,000 to help with expenses to install a covering
for the pen.
Gina Hluska founded Elite Equine Rescue, a nonprofit organization, whose 12 staff members have 65 years of experience working with horses.
The Green Mountain Falls Horse Wellness Meadow is a project of Elite Equine Co. and the Historic Green Mountain Falls Foundation with support through a grant from the Kirkpatrick
Family Fund.
For information about donating or volunteering in the horse meadow, call (719) 428-0104.
