Emma Haines, a 2014 Oak Hills High School graduate, has always had a love for horses. At the age of 16, Haines volunteered at a local equestrian center in Mt. Healthy called Muddy Waters. In college, Haines also gave horseback riding lessons on Old Colerain. 

A love for horses is something that pushed Haines to take in three rescue horses. It all started with Penny, a retired trail horse who needed help after her last owner didn’t properly care for her. After 18 other horses were found living in inhumane conditions, Haines took in two more named Star and Razor. The other 16 horses were seized from the property and taken to a rescue center. “I feel so happy knowing that these horses will have a fighting chance… I think Emma is a great person with a very kind heart and a willingness to help above and beyond,” Tracy Royce, a local animal lover and a close family friend of Haines, said. 

Haines volunteered to take Penny after she discovered a barn in the backyard of her property, which was a perfect size for a small farm. “When we came to look at the house with our realtor, we went exploring in the woods to see if we could find ‘flat ground’ for potential horse pastures in the future, and that’s when we discovered the barn,” Haines described. The barn had three stalls in it, all large enough to fit full-grown horses. The barn required a lot of work, but it was all worth it because it allowed Haines to give three neglected horses the home they needed. 

Penny was missing teeth and was severely malnourished. As an older horse, it was hard to give her the proper nutrients needed to gain weight back. Haines had to give her a specialized meal, something she calls “mash”.

Back in August, 18 horses were taken from a local equestrian center, each horse in horrible condition. “Star and Razor were a part of the seizure in August. I volunteered to help out with getting the horses off the property. They made it to Fighting Chance Rescue, so she [the owner] had all of them there, all 18, and then I volunteered to take two,” Haines said.

Taking care of all of her animals takes at least three hours out of Haines’ day. In the morning, Haines has to feed the three horses, which includes Penny’s mash. Star and Razor need grains and hay for their breakfast as well. Haines’s four goats and miniature pony, Howie, require separate piles of hay. “I usually spend 45 minutes in the morning,” Haines said. “Just because I’m trying to hurry up and get the kids ready for school and come back and feed.” Along with taking care of three rescue horses, Haines also has to take care of her other farm animals and two kids. “I do feed Penny now three times a day. And then the evening, when I come out to scoop poop, I try to spend a lot more time with them when I have the time,” Haines said. Haines is fortunate to have a career at Duke Energy that allows her to make her own schedule, giving her the necessary time to care for the horses. 

On top of all the time Haines spends throughout her day, she also has to spend a lot of her own money on the rescue horses. “I would say roughly each month, between hay and specialized care, especially for Penny because she doesn’t really have any teeth and she needs that ‘mash’, I would say it’s anywhere between $200 – $300 a month,” Haines said. “Especially with Star and Razor here, their food I have to special order because Tractor Supply doesn’t have it.” 

Haines puts all of her heart into the care of these horses, making sure they have the proper care that they need. “They [Star and Razor] needed pasture. They needed vet care, like shots. They needed their teeth done and chiropractic work,” Haines said. While Haines is reimbursed for all of the vet work, everything else, like food and water troughs, is an extra cost. To help with the cost of these horses and the proper care they need, Haines has made an Amazon Wishlist for people who are willing to donate and help support these horses. 

“My heart just bleeds for horses in general,” Haines said. “So when things came to fruition with the rescue, I knew instantly I wanted to be a part of helping these horses get better homes.”