In five short years, Montana Horse Sanctuary has made great strides; 2008 was no exception. The major accomplishments fall into several key areas:

• Workshops and volunteer opportunities for children and young adults
  
• Working closely with Montana law enforcement agencies on equine cruelty investigations
  
• The rescue and placement of 73 horses in 17 days near Browning
  
• Grants of hay to horse owners in need
  
• Raising funds for the ranch at Simms
  

Fiscal responsibility is a key factor in operating the Sanctuary so that it can continue to be of service to the Montana horse community for many years to come. Our administrative expenses in 2008 were only 5.5% of our budget and fundraising was 8.3% of our budget. Administrative expenses rose .7% from 2007 mostly due to increased costs of insurance and professional accounting services. Fundraising expenses increased slightly due to efforts to raise money for the new Sanctuary ranch. The increased fundraising expenses have more than paid for themselves in increased donations and grants. Each year, our board of directors, staff and volunteers pave the way for new growth through careful planning. Collaboration and planning with other organizations including other non-profit organizations, 4-H and local law enforcement agencies, pools resources and helps us all be more effective than if we were working alone.

Involving children
Education of youth is key to the future welfare of horses. Our first workshop specifically for children was held in 2008, a horsemanship workshop for 4-H members in central Montana. The goal of this workshop was to give children new tools to create stronger bonds of understanding with their horses. We hope children will see their horses as animals deserving a lifelong commitment and care, not as a “disposable commodity.” Over the years, all of the Sanctuary’s other horsemanship workshops for adults have had the same goal. Due to the success of this workshop the Sanctuary will offer many more workshops for children in 2009 and years to come and will continue to collaborate with 4-H.

In 2008, the Sanctuary received approval from its liability insurer to begin having young adults and children as volunteers, a very gratifying change. Youngsters from around Montana came forward to help the Sanctuary. For example, two young Bozeman girls, both age 10, raised funds for the Sanctuary. A high school student from Great Falls helped with pasture rehabilitation and creating safe horse areas at the Sanctuary’s ranch, and a 10-year-old girl from Helena helped care for Sanctuary horses and fix fences. A 4-H group from Fairfield has also chosen to help the Sanctuary with various projects. We look forward to more young people becoming involved in volunteering in the years to come.

A resource for law enforcement
Training: Through research we discovered that a lack of training keeps many law enforcement agencies from investigating and prosecuting equine cruelty cases. We collaborated with Montana Animal Care Association, Montana Department of Livestock and the Humane Society of the United States and offered a workshop on equine cruelty investigation and custodial care. There were 55 law enforcement and animal shelter personnel from Montana, Idaho, Washington and South Dakota in attendance. The feedback was positive and as a result, several agencies later told us they were able to successfully investigate equine cruelty/neglect cases because of the training they received. The Sanctuary will offer more of these workshops in the future and continue to be an expert resource for these agencies.

On-going support: At the equine cruelty investigation workshop, and while assisting a sheriff’s office with a horse cruelty case in May, it became clear to our board of directors that law enforcement in Montana needs more support and information about horse abuse. We have begun an on-going and productive conversation with sheriffs’ offices, animal control officers and the Montana Department of Livestock about this hot topic. The Sanctuary sheltered and cared for three horses involved in equine cruelty investigations in 2008 in addition to being a resource for numerous cruelty investigations. To provide additional assistance, in December 2008 and January 2009 we granted hay to a northern Montana county to feed 27 starving, confiscated horses.

Rescue and placement of 73 horses
In November, the Glacier County Attorney filed charges of cruelty against the caretaker of a large herd of Spanish mustangs. The Sanctuary was asked to take charge of the rescue and placement of the mustangs. Helping the Sanctuary were the Humane Society of the United States, Indian pony advocates, Blackfeet Buffalo Horse Coalition volunteers, Montana Department of Livestock brand inspectors, and Blackfeet Tribal Livestock staff. Most of the horses were not halter trained and had never been handled. In 17 days, through the combined efforts of all the groups, we succeeded in placing all 73 horses in new homes. Donations for this project met the costs incurred.

Hay Grants
In 2007 the Sanctuary began a pilot project to provide grants of hay to horse owners in serious financial circumstances who could not afford to feed their horses. From May 2007 through July 2008 our pilot project awarded nine grants totaling $1,405 with an average of $156 per grant. The hay fed a total of 26 horses and 2 burros in seven towns and allowed the horse owners to keep their horses. One provision of the grant was that if the recipient could pay back the grant, he or she would with the understanding that returned funds would be passed along to other horse owners in need. To date, one grantee has been able to pay back her grant plus an additional $25 donation.
In December 2008 a private foundation granted the Sanctuary $5,000 to continue the hay grant program. Additionally, private donors gave hay to the Sanctuary to then give out as part of this program.

Funding the Ranch
The Sanctuary was originally located near Helena on 20 dryland acres. In 2007 the Sanctuary acquired a 1,200-acre ranch near Simms, MT. (In July 2009, the Helena property was sold and the sanctuary operations moved to the ranch at Simms.) A generous benefactor holds the mortgage of $700,000. The Sanctuary raised $57,000 in the past year for the ranch mortgage. Paying off the mortgage is a top priority and will be completed before Sanctuary programs and the herd expand.

Summary
The Sanctuary has made a measurable impact on Montana’s unwanted horse problem through educational efforts, sheltering and rehabilitating horses. The Sanctuary has assisted and placed 105 horses in the past five years. Involving children in our educational programs and volunteer projects is helping us create tomorrow’s Montana Horse Sanctuary. Collaboration with other organizations such as law enforcement, the Montana Animal Care Association, 4-H and many others has allowed us to offer larger-scale workshops and place more horses than we would have been able to alone. We have discovered that law enforcement agencies in our state seldom have the resources to address equine cruelty/neglect cases. We have been able to provide much needed advice, resources and assistance to these agencies. Money donated to our organization is carefully managed and will help us continue to create a forever Sanctuary so that Montana horses will always have a safe haven.