We the founders of Speak Up For Horses are life-long horse owners and enthusiasts who met after the 2004 wreck of a double decker cattle truck full of horses on nearby Route 1 in southeast Indiana.
Read more about The Jodie Ramey wreck
"If we see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop and we do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt". Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, 1877
For the next two years we not only researched the plight of thousands of local horses bought by horse slaughter house kill buyers by attending
tri-state auctions, but we also rescued a few from this fate. Those personal experiences fueled our efforts to help pass federal legislation to end horse slaughter and to restore the protection for the American Wild Horse during the 109th session of Congress.
One person in our group, who is a commercial truck driver, educated us in the failure of both the USDA and some law enforcement to enforce trucking regulations as they pertain to the commercial hauling of horses.
These are laws which not only ensure the safety of our highways and all of us traveling those roads, but also humanely protect those unfortunate slaughter-bound horses.
We decided in early 2006 to found a 501c3 registered non profit with the primary mission to educate the public on the plight caused by an unknowing public, by inadequate horse welfare laws, and by the woeful enforcement of existing laws at the federal, state, and local levels.
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Our name says it all: Speak Up For Horses!
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Our Board Members:
Saving Horses Thru Rescue & Education
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Please Help The Cause
DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE
EIN # 22-3934818
Carol Hardin Vice President
Carol found Speak Up For Horses when she needed help with a horse being neglected in her neighborhood.
Kentucky has some of the most lax animal welfare laws especially when it comes to horses, so having neglect addressed by the powers that be, is a task not everyone is able to fight for. We were able to get Angel, the horse Carol was concerned about, away from her owner and were successful in having him court ordered to pay restitution for Angel's vet expenses. Carol was determined to continue her mission to help mistreated horses and as a result she joined our board to be more affective.
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Terry Torreance Director
Terry has been invaluable since the very beginning. As a truck driver her knowledge of the industry, its laws, regulations and enforcement - or the lack thereof - has proven to be a powerful tool when dealing with atrocities committed by kill buyers, their haulers and others taking part in the horse slaughter business. Having not only the DOT, USDA and APHIS on speed dial but also monitoring the slaughter transports in person has helped bring this awful business to the forefront and into the public eye.
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Kathy Stutler Director
Kathy has been advocating for horses for a long time and has brought many equines to safety. Several of those lucky horses have come to our farm, finding safety and people who care for them. She takes care of our off-site equines, helps with hauling and anything else requiring more hands on deck.
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David Neuspickel Director
When David's daughter volunteered at our farm, he couldn't help but get attached to our horses as well. Not being able to stay away, David quickly started doing our heavy lifting for us. As he enjoyed all the chores on the farm, it was only a matter of time for him to also become involved with taking care of our horses. These days he works hand in hand with Shelly to ensure happy and healthy horses and still continues to do our heavy lifting.
Volunteering
is a great way to help horses while keeping active, getting fresh air and making friends. We always welcome people to help with daily chores and projects at the farm.
Volunteers and their contributions are invaluable to the welfare of our horses. Whether you spend a lot of time, one day a week, or one afternoon a month with us, we thank you all! We couldn't do it without you!
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Volunteers need to be at least 18 years old and we require this questionnaire to be filled out and returned to us first.
