All 75 Abandoned Quarter Horses Find New Homes Before Winter

Photo Caption: The last two of the abandoned Quarter Horses left the Hampshire property together on October 31. Photo Credit: Hooved Animal Rescue & Protection Society Facebook page

The 75 abandoned Quarter Horses that were living in inadequate conditions for the past two years in Hampshire have all found new homes.

In less than two months, Hooved Animal Rescue & Protection Society, which is based in Barrington, received over 300 applications from across the county to adopt the horses. The last of the two horses were adopted on Friday, which was the same day HARPS had set as a deadline for having the horses in new homes before winter hit, according to a HARPS Facebook update.

“The response from the horse world to adopt these animals and give them a new beginning in life has been remarkable .... we are grateful to each and every person willing to step up and give these horses a new start,” said Donna Ewing, HARPS founder and president.

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The horses’ owner lead in breeding American Quarter Horses and won several national champion halter titles at shows across the country. The owner became unable to care for the horses after falling on difficult times following the deaths of her husband and daughter and then the loss of her family farm in Harvard in 2012, Ewing said.

The horses have lived for the past two years at a leased equine facility in Hampshire that didn’t have sufficient space.

HARPS first took on the rescue effort in September. Many of the horses had not had veterinary care or treatment, had compromised immune systems and were in various stages of malnutrition and starvation.

Ewing estimates the cost to care for these horses over two months exceeded $30,000. Rescue workers put in hundreds of hours with the effort. The goal was to have all of the horses adopted before winter.

“This was a monumental rescue effort, the largest single case in over forty years of rescuing horses. This never would have been possible without the help and support of great horse people and animal lovers that assisted, adopted, and donate,” Ewing said.

If anyone is interested in becoming a supporting member of the Hooved Animal Rescue & Protection Society, contact HARPS at (847) 382-0503, P.O. Box 94, Barrington, Illinois 60011-0094 and visit the website,