Two women team up to help horses in need –
H.O.R.S.E. Rescue & Sanctuary, Inc. Open House is Sept. 8
Twenty-seven horses populate the farm at Do Over Acres on Whittier Road in Spencerport. The surroundings are humble, but to these horses it’s nirvana. The majority are rescued from situations where their owners were either unable or unwilling to properly care for them. Mick, a thoroughbred, was 250-300 pounds underweight. Bugsy, a mustang, wore a halter so tight that it left permanent scars on her face. Each has a story – sometimes it’s a mystery – that now has a happy ending thanks to two women who are dedicated to their mission.
Chris Dodge and her husband, Michael, took in two abused rodeo horses in 1993 when they were renting a home in California. Both had horses when they were younger, but still had much to learn. “We started a non-profit horse rescue and picked the brains of everyone we could – veterinarians, trainers, a lot of specialists – to help these horses that we sometimes knew very little about,” said Chris.
In 1999, the couple moved H.O.R.S.E. Rescue and Sanctuary, Inc. to Pavilion, NY and built up quite a following. “We were the first listing for horse rescue on search engines,” she said. But in November 2011, Michael was diagnosed with cancer and as he progressed with his treatments, caring for the horses and the financial burden of running the rescue became more difficult. The couple needed to make the decision to either close the rescue or find someone to keep it going.
Marial Ophardt was watching News 8 – WROC when she saw Chris and Mike’s story. She was running Do Over Acres on Whittier Road, which provided boarding facilities, training, lessons and trail rides for beginning riders and owners. “I’m a cancer survivor myself and when my husband passed, I found myself looking for a new direction,” said Ophardt.
She picked up the phone and gave Chris Dodge a call. “I had the room at my farm and enjoyed working with rescues,” said Ophardt. “It’s very fulfilling work. Once you rescue a horse, you have a companion for life.” So she took the Dodge’s three most needy horses – a young, untrained horse with club feet, an off-track thoroughbred that had been traumatized and another with serious trust issues.
On January 31, Mike Dodge entered hospice care and shortly after Ophardt opened her doors to more of the Dodge’s horses. By April, Chris and Marial had come to an agreement to locate H.O.R.S.E. Rescue and Sanctuary, Inc. at Do Over Acres. On May 25, as the last two horses were loaded into the trailer, Mike took his last breath. Chris said he was waiting for all of the horses to be safe.
“Marial has done an incredible job setting up and caring for the horses,” said Dodge. She still serves as president of what is now called H.O.R.S.E Rescue and Sanctuary, Inc. at Do Over Acres, and Ophardt is vice president of operations. The organization is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit humane organization “dedicated to rehabilitating abandoned, abused and neglected horses.” Its mission is “to provide education and experience to the public about horses and how a relationship like no other can be earned through trust.”
In addition to moving equipment, setting up shelters, rebuilding fencing, and organizing everything from the Pavilion location, the organization is in the process of rebuilding its board of directors and finding volunteers. “No one gets paid. Every donation goes to the care of the horses,” said Ophardt, who estimates the yearly cost of caring for a healthy horse at about $2,000, not including boarding.
Volunteers are needed for everything from barn work to paperwork. “It’s a company with all of the same jobs, just no salaries,” said Ophardt. In addition to volunteers, she’s currently in need of a new tractor, a trailer for transporting the horses, and more pastures on her 35 acre parcel. She squeezes in time for maintaining the organization’s Facebook page (search “The H.O.R.S.E. Rescue at Do Over Acres) in an effort to network and hopefully find more donors and volunteers.
On Sunday, September 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Do Over Acres is holding a Family Fun Day so the public can meet the horses, tour the farm and learn more about the rescue organization. In addition to vendors and demonstrations, there will be a band, petting zoo, concessions, pony rides, silent auction, raffles, garage sale, and LuGia’s ice cream truck. “The local businesses have been so supportive and it’s heartwarming that they’ve welcomed us with such enthusiasm,” said Ophardt.
The event will also include a short memorial service for Mike Dodge, who donated his body to the University of Rochester and didn’t want a funeral. “He had many friends and people who want to honor him for his work,” said his wife.
Dodge still lives on her farm in Pavilion and makes the 45-minute trip to Spencerport once or twice a week. She talks to Marial almost every day sharing the knowledge she’s built over the past 20 years. “It’s sad looking out my window and not seeing any of the horses,” said Dodge. “But I’m relieved that they’re so well cared for and that the rescue is going to continue.”
Photos by Grace Griffee
9/1/13
