🐴 From the Slaughter Pen to the Show Ring

Why This Hay Bill Matters 🌾

You don't know us like every other rescue. And that changes everything.

This Started With One Horse

In 2017, Yvonne Barteau - a USDF Gold Medalist with 45 years of elite dressage training - got a call that shattered her world. One of her own prized horses had ended up at a slaughter auction up north.

She rescued that horse. And in doing so, she discovered her true calling.

HWH Rescue was never supposed to exist. But when you spend nearly five decades training horses to Grand Prix level, you develop an eye that sees what others miss. Yvonne looks at a starving, broken horse from a kill pen and sees a future champion. A therapy horse. A child's best friend. A competitive partner.

And she's proven it. Again. And again. And again.

The Boneyard 19

Remember the viral story of 19 starving horses rescued from "The Boneyard"? That was us. The documentary that captured hearts worldwide? Those were OUR horses. Our rehabilitation. Our refusal to give up.

Sky - the rescue horse who was so unpredictable his adopter "shook in her boots" - is now a winning dressage competitor. The orphan horses featured in our "Spirit of the Horse" theater production? Rescues who now perform under lights in front of hundreds.

We don't just save horses. We transform them.

And that transformation? It starts with hay.

Here's Our Problem (And Your Opportunity)

$22,000 for 2 semi-trucks of hay from Pennsylvania & Wyoming

Why? Because after 45 years of training elite athletes, Yvonne knows hay like a vintner knows wine. Our horses - many recovering from starvation - need premium nutrition. Even with shipping, bulk purchasing from these locations gives us the best quality at the best price.

This shipment feeds 50+ horses for 3-4 months. Horses like:

The emaciated mare from the kill pen, who's now teaching kids to ride
The "untrainable" gelding who is discovering his potential in our training program
The senior horse nobody wanted, who is a perfect pasture companion
The next Sky... the next champion we haven't discovered yet

But this bill will drain us dangerously low.

The 54,000 Challenge

Here's what keeps us up at night - and what could change everything:

We have 54,000 Facebook followers. If even HALF of you donated $5-$10 right now, this bill would be paid AND we could buy ahead.

Think about that. The cost of a fancy coffee could help feed a horse that might become someone's once-in-a-lifetime partner.

Your Move. Choose One (Or All):

🌾 ONE-TIME HERO → Donate any amount today
$25 feeds one horse for a week | $100 feeds one horse for a month

🌾 HAY HERO MONTHLY → Become a recurring donor
$10/month = steady feed for horses in rehabilitation

🌾 COALITION BUILDER → Rally your barn, family, or riding friends
Pool donations together and make a BIG impact

🌾 FACEBOOK FUNDRAISER → Start your own campaign for our hay drive
Use FB's tools to mobilize YOUR network

🌾 SHARE THIS POST → Your share could reach THE person
Someone in your network is waiting to help

Why This Actually Matters

Most rescues save horses and give them pasture.

We save horses and give them PURPOSE.

We've trained horses who performed in front of live audiences. We've rehabilitated horses who went on to competitive careers. We've documented transformations that inspired a feature-length film.

But none of that happens if we can't afford to feed them.

The horse that arrives skin-and-bones from a slaughter auction doesn't know they might have a future in the show ring. They just know they're hungry.

And right now, we have a $22,000 bill that says whether or not we can keep discovering champions in the kill pen.

Tag someone who needs to see this. Share if you believe every horse deserves a shot at greatness.

- The HWH Rescue Team

Horses Without Humans Rescue (HWH), established in 2017, is solely focused on the good and well-being of unwanted horses. At HWH, we take in horses that have no humans, no voice of their own, and no other options. We provide the compassion and time it takes to rehabilitate them, as well as professional assessment, medical care, companionship, and professional training with some of the most successful trainers in the equine industry. We provide the basic groundwork and the foundations of dressage for all of our adoptable horses, thereby giving them balance, understanding, and an exceptional advantage for all disciplines. We are saving these horses by giving them time, education, and the conditioning necessary for them to thrive, to be the best athletes and partners they can be, and then finding them their forever home.

Help Us Feed Our Herd This Winter! 🐴

By Horses Without Humans Rescue Organization

Help Us Feed Our Herd This Winter! 🐴

2 Semi-Trucks. $10,000. 50+ Hungry Horses

Team Members