(Photo above: Horse trainer Alison Weston | Photo courtesy of Desperado)
The Rescue Revolution Trainer Challenge Competition takes place May 30-31 at the Rim Rock Riders Event Center across from Brasada Ranch. You only have to look for a moment into Buddy’s eyes to see how far this rescued Thoroughbred has come. Buddy is one of more than 30 horses rescued from a Powell Butte Ranch more than four years ago.
The horses were found starving and near death. Desperado and Cascade Business News have teamed up with the Central Oregon Wild Horse Coalition (COWHC) and Equine Outreach, Inc. (EOI) to help train these horses so they find forever homes.
COWHC & EOI have been working tirelessly to bring the rescued horses back to health, but finding new homes for them presented an even greater challenge. Oregon professional trainers are committed to the success of 17 horses in their capable hands. All leading up to the inaugural Rescue Revolution event. By the finale event at Rim Rock Riders Event Center at Brasada Ranch, May 30, each horse will be trained to the highest degree appropriate for the individual horse. Some will be performing advanced arena maneuvers under saddle, while others will have a solid foundation for continued learning.
“These horses require special training to help them trust humans again,” says EOI member Gayle Park. So the two horse organizations came up with a unique plan – recruit Central Oregon’s top horse trainers and give them 180 days to train these horses so loving people can adopt them. They’re calling it – Rescue Revolution Trainer Challenge.
Alison Weston is one of those trainers and Desperado is one of more than a dozen Central Oregon businesses and community members stepping into to help. Desperado Proprietor Joanne Sunnarborg says sponsoring Alison to train Buddy is a great way to give back to the community, “Many of my loyal customers are horse people so sponsoring Alison to help Buddy find a good home is a way to say thank you. “
Weston has been working with Buddy for the past six months. She says the Rescue Revolution training is critical to Buddy and all abused horses’ future. “If this is not offered to horses that have had a rough beginning, the chances of them finding good homes is slim,” says Weston.
Weston owns and operates an all-inclusive horse boarding facility in Sisters. She is training two horses for the project and says without training to rebuild human trust many of these horses wouldn’t make it, “Even if they are adopted out without getting them to a good place in their mind, it is setting them up for failure. There is then great potential for them to go back to a rescue or an auction yard out of frustration of the new owner.”
Weston calls the training life insurance for the horse.
Buddy and 16 other rescued horses are the first group to go through the Rescue Revolution Trainer Challenge, but organizers hope to make it an annual event. Organizers modeled the trainer challenge after two highly successful programs aimed to help untrained horses be more adoptable.
“The need is great in Central Oregon. There are a lot of horses needing help finding forever homes,” says Park who is coordinating the event. “Our goal is find great homes for these animals and giving them quality training makes that a whole lot easier.”
The Rescue Revolution Trainer Challenge culminates at the end of May when the trainers bring their rescued horses to Powell Butte to show off what they’ve learned. The horses will be judged on how well they can be handled and ridden. The event is free and open to the public and people are invited to participate in a competitive bid adoption process.
Park says, “All people hoping to adopt one of these horses will be thoroughly screened. We’re going to make sure they all go to good forever homes.”
The Rescue Revolution Trainer Challenge Competition takes place May 30-31 at the Rim Rock Riders Event Center across from Brasada Ranch.
To follow Buddy’s training watch for updates on Facebook.
RESCUE REVOLUTION
A Trainer Challenge!
May 30, Saturday
Competition and Freestyle
Rim Rock Riders Event Center at Brasada Ranch
May 31, Sunday
Horse Showcase and Adoption Event
Sponsorships Available
Gayle Park gmp531@gmail.com 503-833-2866
Margie Humberston humberstonmargie@gmail.com 503-332-0624
