Trot or Treat Being Hosted at Hope Equine Rescue on Sat Oct. 31
by James Coulter
 
We’ve all gone trick-or-treating. Some have even gone trunk-or-treating. But have you ever gone trot-or-treating?
 
Instead of collecting candy from houses or decorated car trunks, participants visit horses in their stalls.
 
Hope Equine Rescue will host its annual Trot or Treat fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 31, beginning at 5 p.m.
 
The ticketed event gives attendees the opportunity to visit the rescue’s horses and other equines in Halloween-themed stalls. Some of the animals will even be dressed in costume.
 
In addition to collecting candy and interacting with the animals, visitors can vote for their favorite decorated stall and costumed equine through donations.
 
Proceeds from the event support Hope Equine Rescue’s mission of caring for rescued and neglected equines.
 
Founded in 2008 by Dani Horton and her family, the nonprofit traces its roots back to its first rescue, a horse they named Hope.
 
“Hope was tied to a tree with a dog chain and left to starve in a neighborhood where neighbors drove by her every day and never did anything to help,” the organization’s website states.
 
Today, Hope Equine Rescue cares for as many as 50 equines, including horses, donkeys, and two zonkies, rare donkey-zebra hybrids. The organization operates entirely through donations and volunteer support.
 
One of those volunteers is Pamela Denton, a board member for two years and Equine Studies Director at Webber International University in Lake Wales.
 
By day, Denton oversees the university’s Equine Studies program. Outside of work, she helps coordinate volunteer efforts at Hope Equine Rescue.
 
“We have volunteers who come weekly to do chores, take care of the horses, even train the horses,” she said. “We have students who come to learn how to work with the horses and eventually train them. So there is something for everybody.”
 
Another volunteer, Christy McCullough, is a professor at Polk State Chain of Lakes Collegiate and a lifelong horse enthusiast. When she is not teaching, she cares for two horses alongside her husband and daughter.
 
McCullough serves Hope Equine Rescue as both a volunteer barn leader and board member. One of the most rewarding aspects of her work, she said, is watching neglected horses recover and thrive.
 
“It’s awful the way they come in, what’s been done to them, [so] seeing them change is amazing,” she said.
 
Just as meaningful, however, is seeing volunteers grow through their experiences with the animals. Whether they arrive with years of equine experience or have never touched a horse, McCullough said the confidence and skills they develop are remarkable to witness.
 
“I think seeing people, seeing my students, the confidence they have, the focus they have…seeing the kids learn to work with someone else, to learn to work with a thousand-pound animal…seeing the volunteers accomplish something and that moment of pride, I think that’s really neat,” she said.
 
Because Hope Equine Rescue receives no state or government funding, volunteers remain essential to its operation.
 
“We need you,” McCullough said. “Whether you love horses and are experienced, whether you never touched a horse, from high school age up, we need volunteers.”
 
Hope Equine Rescue is located at 3805 High Street in Winter Haven. To learn more about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, or ways to donate, visit the organization’s Facebook page or website at hopeequinerescue.com.
 
Christy McCullough and Pamela Denton recently appeared on the Chattin on the Ridge podcast to discuss their organization and upcoming event. Listen to the full episode on Acast: https://shows.acast.com/chattin-on-the-ridge/episodes/ep-91-trot-or-treat-at-hope-equine-rescue-wchristy-mcculloug