Henderson Oracle

Issue date: 4/27/09 Section: Features

Media Credit: Tamara Bragg Second chances - Give Me A Chance rescues horses and makes them available for adoption. May 2 has been designated a community work day, and volunteers are encouraged to come out and help.

The Give Me A Chance Equine Rescue Operation is a place where hard work and a giving heart often go unappreciated. The rescue ranch is located in a small community called Alpine, Ark., outside of Arkadelphia. It is run by mother and daughter, LaRae Pittman and Christina Wilkerson. The two women take in horses, ponies and donkeys from all over the area suffering from starvation, blindness, permanent physical and emotional injuries and neglect. They also rescue from slaughter houses.

Pittman generously gives tours to the media, volunteers and donors around the 40 acres of land that is now home to 73 horses, three of which are blind.

Pittman said that most of the incoming horses are starvation cases. Horses that have been starved suffer from many lasting ailments and habits. For example, many turn to eating their own and other horses' manure. This has been the animal's only source of retaining the minerals needed to sustain life. Often, when the horse has been rescued and fed nutritious food, it will continue to feed on manure. The horse develops a survival mentality, and the gruesome behavior remains.

A group of horses from Clarksville rescued by Give Me a Chance are experiencing the same fate. These horses were neglected by their owners and left to die. When Pittman and Wilkerson entered the property to retrieve the emaciated horses, five were found dead.

"The dead horses were found in different stages of decay," said Pittman. A foal was saved with the bunch, its mother being one of the deceased. Unfortunately, the foal was too ill to survive once rescued.

At the ranch, the horses are fed and watered daily. Their diet includes corn, alfalfa hay and Bermuda grass. Corn is the preferred source of nourishment, as it allows the horse to gain weight quickly. Along with feeding the horses require medicines and vaccinations. Each horse must have a Coggins test. This is an Arkansas state requirement for all horses. The test can be expensive; fortunately, Give Me a Chance gets a discount to test horses for only $25-$35 each.

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