After a very successful 2019 GERL Help a Horse Campaign where we were able to adopt out 15 horses from the GDA equine program as well as a couple from our foster program. Most came from the Mansfield barn. Everybody agrees that the two prison impounds need to have horses. Both prisons have 4 horses at this time. After I moved Sandy and Yankee to my farm, there were only 3 horses left at the Mansfield impound barn. The day I went to Mansfield to pick them up 2 new horses had just been brought in. Both were very skinny and there was a 3rd one that came in with them and she was down at the Pulaski prison impound getting rehabbed. It has been a very long time since there has been only 3 horses at the Mansfield facility. It also meant lower feed and vet bills for GERL.
The GDA is supposed to be a revolving door; horses come in, get fat, healthy (and castrated, if a stallion) and go to a new forever home. For a long time we had grown to a place where our revolving door was rusty and not moving very fast. With the campaign behind us it is clear to see that that was the oil that was so badly needed to get things moving. It was a lot of hard work, weekly meetings, several photo sessions, writing BIOs, etc., but it paid off in the end and also proved that you can rehome pasture ornaments and other “at risk” horses if you’re willing to put forth a little effort.
A few weeks later there were 10 new arrivals at Mansfield, but luckily there were a lot of minis among them and they are always easy to place. I’m hoping that things will be able to continue turning with the horses coming in and getting placed within a reasonable amount of time, now that the numbers are down. I’m looking for a team that would be willing to help us with future campaigns if you have some extra time and the interest. Please contact me.
On a different note, things with the Rescue Challenge are in full swing. Everybody on the Rescue Challenge Committee is a little worried about the low-ticket sales. We are suffering from the lack of a marketing person to help us with this problem that has existed at least for the last eleven years that I have been President. I’m constantly reminded that nobody knows GERL. I am not a marketing person. I am a project manager. My goals for this organization have been aimed towards fixing our horse problems with good common-sense programs. I feel that I have done that. My thoughts about marketing are more aligned with the “build it and they will come” attitude. I feel that if GERL does good things people will spread the word. Does this method take longer? Absolutely! Sometimes I feel like we’re moving at a snail’s pace. However, we have never had the good fortune of having a public relations or marketing person volunteer to help.
We recently had a “controlled feeder” sale, thanks mainly to CeCe Calli. She was able to sell all the horse feeders that had been donated over a year ago which made enough money to pay for a marketing costs for the upcoming Rescue Challenge. Any monies left over will be used for the upcoming 2021 Rescue Challenge and Georgia Horse Council (GHC) Horse Fair.
Speaking of which, that is probably the most exciting bit of news that I am pleased to pass on. The GHC and GERL have decided to partner together to host a combined Rescue Challenge competition and Horse Fair in April of 2021. We are all excited about the prospect of going bigger and also moving the venue to the Conyers International Horse Park. We’re all hoping for some new blood in the way of volunteers. And let me say this about that…the quality of our first (in a long time) GHC Horse Fair comes down to the people who are willing to step up and get out of their daily rut and help us. If you want to see a Horse Fair return to Georgia, please reach out and do something to support one!
