The Colorado Horsecare Foodbank is a resource for horse owners in trouble because of financial issues, and a means to prevent grave situations as in the case of the emaciated and dead horses in Black Forest.Courtney DeWinter, public relations counsel for CHF, said, ìWhen a situation like the Black Forest horses comes into the public eye, it highlights how important it is to have a horse food bank.î She said the bank’s purpose is to be a stopgap.ìIf you are a horse owner and are in trouble because of financial issues: you’ve lost a job, you’re getting a divorce, you have medical expenses. ìDon’t let it get to the point of what we saw with those emaciated horses,î DeWinter said. ìContact Colorado Horsecare Foodbank. The process of applying and getting a grant of emergency hay is fast and easy.îMarty Jackson, CHF’s ìhay gal,î said people get in financial binds. ìWe want to help before they (horses) end up having to go get rescued, or worse.î CHF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, started by founders in the Evergreen/Conifer area. ìOriginally, this nonprofit was started to help people in short-term financial crisis,î DeWinter said. ìThe way it has morphed and evolved is that Colorado has had so many natural disasters that we got into our version of emergency management and response because there’s such a need for it.îIn 2013, CHF purchased $190,000 worth of hay, and had plenty donated as well, Jackson said. DeWinter said they gave away more than 750 tons in 2013. ìThe disaster relief was roughly 300 tons,î DeWinter said. ìTwo hundred for flood families and more than 85 went to Black Forest for the fire specifically.î She said the rest went to people who applied for grants. The 750 tons fed 13,096 horses, as well as some llamas, alpacas, goats and sheep.Jackson said they have hay stored in several locations throughout Colorado. ìI buy it from literally all over the country, wherever I can get a better deal,î Jackson said. Sometimes, the hay comes from Canada. She is currently looking for a new facility in southern Colorado for storage purposes. ìBecause we’ve served all over the state, particularly up and down the range, we have hay deployed in a variety of locations so we can distribute it more efficiently and faster, as need be,î DeWinter said.CHF holds an annual fundraiser to pay for the hay they distribute. Hay Bales and Horse Tales will be held Oct. 3, from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. They also have other fundraisers throughout the year. ìThe other time we seek donations is when there’s a natural disaster and people want to know how to help,î DeWinter said.For more information, visit http://horsefoodbank.org.
