College Students Raising Money to Help Rescue Horses

For Horse Haven of Tennessee, providing enough hay to feed its over 60 horses can get costly. The horses the nonprofit cares for came from situations of neglect and abuse, leaving many starving and with medical issues. With winter approaching rapidly, the need for hay is great.

Understanding this need, four students from the University of Tennessee have banded together to raise at least $2,500 for Horse Haven. “We are trying to raise the money to help Horse Haven provide enough hay to these horses for five months during the winter,” the students posted on Indiegogo, where they have a crowdfunding campaign called Hay for Hope.

Horse Illustrated spoke with one of the students, Delaney Boyd, about the campaign.

Horse Illustrated: What made you decide to run a fundraising campaign, and what made you choose Horse Haven as the beneficiary?

Delaney Boyd: We are running this campaign as a project for our English 255 class at the University of Tennessee. The goal of the project is for us to learn how to utilize social media and other online sources to run a successful fundraising campaign. We chose Horse Haven as our beneficiary because we thought they were an amazing local organization that we felt could use a little extra help. They are a relatively small-staffed organization run by a great group of people that genuinely love the work they do for the horses and the community.

HI: Do you or any of the other students working on the fundraiser have an equestrian background?

DB: As far as I know, none of the other team members have any equestrian experience or background, but I know that we all love working with animals and are passionate about helping those in need. We are working really hard to raise as much money as possible for these abused and neglected horses so they can be rehabilitated and adopted into loving homes.

HI: Have you ever done a fundraiser like this before, and do you plan to do any others once this one is finished?

DB: This is my first time doing a fundraiser of this size, and it’s my first time using an actual fundraising website (indiegogo.com) to raise money. I think this whole process is extremely interesting and I’ve learned a lot from my English class, so I could definitely see myself working on another fundraising campaign in the future.

At press time, $515 had been raised, with 19 days left in the campaign which ends Nov. 30. Contributions of $10 or more yield perks such as handwritten thank you notes, Horse Haven magnets and more. To learn more about the campaign or to donate, visit Hay for Hope on Indiegogo. Additional information can be found on the Hay for Hope Facebook page as well as the Horse Haven website.