Hearts for hooves helps out local horse shelters
The horses at Trinity Rescue enjoy their playtime before bedtime and galloped with joy when approached by loving volunteers.
August 28, 2017
NC seniors Abbey Milwicz and Khemisha Brown founded Hearts for Hooves in 2016, a community of students in the school who volunteer with rescue horses and help them improve to get ready for adoption. After asking for Brown’s help, Milwicz started the club to express her lifelong love of horses.
“They [horses] have always been there for me and I wanted to give something back,” Milwicz said.
The club volunteers with Trinity Rescue, a non-profit organization that takes in abused horses and gives them love and encouragement. Located off of Highway 92 in Acworth, it provides convenient accessibility to students. NC Alumna Cynthia Heaton, the owner of Trinity Rescue, encourages weekly help from NC students.
“They really appreciate it because if it wasn’t for the volunteers, the leads would have a lot of work to do throughout the week on top of their own jobs. They are a non-profit organization, so they run on community help,” Brown said.
The club meets every Friday in room 728, Senora Fair-Tham’s room. The meetings consist of making new friends and club bonding. Students play horse related trivia, and use free time to connect with the other club members. Unlike last year’s sparse meetings, they encourage that club members regularly attend meetings, as well as volunteer.
“We are trying to make the club more of a community, since last year it was so disconnected,” Brown said.
Volunteering takes place on Friday nights from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at Trinity Rescue. Students clean stalls, groom, and get to know the horses. Only five volunteers from the club can attend the rescue at a time, allowing everyone to fully experience the connection and communication with the horses at some point in the school year.
Community volunteers help bring Zydeco in for his grooming, who squirmed with joy as volunteers washed him down with a hose.
The club excites students with various events planned for the future, including a possible fundraiser, a trip to the rodeo, club member parties, and Christmas stockings for the horses. Milwicz, partnering with friends at North Paulding High School, hopes to help them start a horse rescue club.
Club leaders Milwicz and Brown will need an underclassman to take over the club next fall, always welcoming new members. Students interested in joining can come to the next meeting on Friday at 3:45 in room 728.
“It is never too late to help a horse in need!” Milwicz said.
