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Cloverdale horse rescue offers hope at the end of the rope
CLOVERDALE — A local horse rescue, Cheyenne’s Haven “Home,” is a nonprofit organization offering “healing and a forever home to horses who have endured the hardships of neglect.”
Cheyenne’s Haven doesn’t just rescue horses, it rescues other animals, too, such as cats and donkeys.
“Horses come to us with all sorts of issues, some caused by humans, some due to physical problems,” said owner Susan Winsted. “It is our job to sort them out and to make their lives the most loving and carefree that they can possibly be.”
The animals at Cheyenne’s Haven hold a special place in the family’s hearts.
Winsted’s daughter, Shelby Cheyenne, runs her own business, working with horses through training, showing, giving lessons and hosting clinics and sales. Shelby helps out at Cheyenne’s Haven by rescuing horses and bringing them to the Haven to help them survive.
Unfortunately, some of the stories of horses that are rescued do not have happy endings.
One such story is about a horse named Johnny.
“My daughter drove Johnny home after finding him at the back of a kill pen,” said Winsted in a social media post. “They tried to persuade her to leave him and they would ‘take care of the situation.’ She was already moved, so she loaded him up and headed home. She kept us updated at every stop because she wasn’t sure if he would still be alive. After a long journey home, what should have been a 10-hour trip turned into many more hours, constantly checking, watering and trying to feed him along the way. By God’s mercy, he made it. He wanted to eat, he wanted to drink, he wanted to rest. Not only was he nearly starved to death, he had injuries, some, no doubt, caused by his former owner, trailering him to the kill pen to be disposed of. He could hardly stand. He also suffered from a suspicious hole in his neck that clipped his jugular vein. Yet he was alive. It would be this wound that ultimately took over his body. Weakened by purposeful neglect, his multiple traumas proved to be too much. If love could have fixed him, he would be with us now. Johnny was loved beyond measure. He blessed us with his presence and now he is forever home.
“Please remember, there are actually owners who ‘dispose’ of their horses by taking them to the kill pen.” Winsted added. “Neglect and over-breeding by owners is why kill pens exist.”
According to asap-usa.org/adopt-a-horse, “kill pens are holding areas where unwanted, discarded and abandoned horses are held until they are shipped to Mexico or Canada to be slaughtered. Many people who send their horses to auction are unaware that they are destined for the kill pen.”
Cheyenne’s Haven has seen its share of animals whose stories end sadly, but it’s also seen stories with happy endings as well.
Bravo’s story is one of these.
“Bravo was rescued from the auction pipeline by our rescue team,” said Winsted. “His upper eyelid was torn and left untreated by a previous owner. After his initial examination at Purdue University, it was determined that surgery could be successfully performed.”
On Dec. 8, 2022, Bravo was able to get the surgery that he needed.
“He is now on the road to recovery,” Winsted said in a social media post.
Winsted works hard every day to bring hope and healing to the rescued animals, and says running a rescue doesn’t come cheap.
For that reason, Winsted is currently seeking donors to help her keep the operation afloat.
“The costs of the feed and hay we get for the horses has gone up,” Winsted said. “It costs us about $2,500 a month in order to pay for the needs of the animals.
“Cheyenne’s Haven is a place of healing for not just horses but humans alike,” said Winsted. “Those who have visited and those who volunteer will tell you that. We have everything from neglected, abandoned, abused and starved. We aren’t just asking for money, we want their stories to be told and we want people to feel empathy and understand them. We want people to hear their stories and to be moved.”
Donations can be made to the rescue’s PayPal account @CheyennesHaven, paypal.me/CheyennesHaven.
You can also send donations to the rescue’s location at 9650 S. Meridian Line Rd., Cloverdale, IN 46120.
“Whatever is in your heart to donate, please do. Anything we get, we are grateful for,” said Winsted.
For more information, visit Cheyenne’s Haven “Home” on Facebook.com.
