by Geoffrey Wertime, The Packet Group
MILLSTONE — In the past week, three horses were given a second shot at life.
Helping Hearts Equine Rescue, the work of Lisa and Christopher Post, of Perrineville, aims to rehabilitate and find new homes for horses whose owners choose to give them up. To date, HHER has facilitated about 20 adoptions.
The operation received nonprofit status in January, but the Posts have been rescuing horses for much longer than that.
”My husband and I been rescuing privately for the past three or four years in conjunction with our training and boarding facility here in Millstone,” Ms. Post said.
The couple are co-owners of Chestnut Ridge Equestrian Center.
”After a while, we figured, ‘Let’s just make it official,’” she said.
Ms. Post said the switch to nonprofit status allows HHER to apply for grants and for its donors to take advantage of tax deductions.
”Our goal is to focus on New Jersey horses,” she explained, noting there are only a handful of horse rescue operations in the state. And unlike many such groups, HHER helps horses of all breeds.
”We’re general,” Ms. Post said. “If they need help, we’ll help them.”
The group’s first line of defense is giving information to owners. She said some move to the area and purchase a horse without knowing how to care for one, and HHER helps them along the learning curve.
Another aim is to keep horses from going to slaughter.
”A lot of horses get bought for slaughter; it’s a big business,” Ms. Post said. “A lot of people think it only happens to old or dangerous horses, but it happens to a lot of horses.”
Ms. Post said the animals often are shipped to Mexico or Canada where it is legal to slaughter them, and the meat then is sent from there to countries such as France and Germany where it is popular in restaurants and butcher shops.
In addition to finding homes for the horses, the Posts rehabilitate the animals, if necessary, and care for them while they search for someone to take them in. About a dozen horses call HHER home right now, and of them, about three are elderly and “probably permanent residents,” Ms. Post said.
With New Jersey having the most horses per capita of any state in the country, she said there is a need for more horse rescue operations just like the numerous dog and cat shelters.
”There’s no place for them to go,” she said of local horses. “I think of them as being animals first and having one-on-one relationships their whole lives with humans. They deserve more.”
For more information on Helping Hearts Equine Rescue, visit www.freewebs.com/hher.
Geoff Wertime can be reached at [email protected].

