Easy R Equine Rescue

Easy R Equine Rescue was founded in 2009 in Lubbock, Texas by Terry and Angie Alspaugh.  They combined their love for animals, their experience working with kids and families, and several "informal" animal rescues, and decided to start a horse rescue and rehabilitation organization. The mission was simply to help needy horses out of less than desirable conditions, rehabilitate them back to health, and find adoptive homes or other equine organizations that would offer a permanent placement.  Because Terry and Angie had seen numerous times the magic that can happen when kids and horses are together, they also included a youth program component which offers educational and recreational activities to local youth and families.

Terry and Angie board several of the current rescue horses at their home, and the rest of the Easy R herd is cared for and boarded by various foster homes around the local area. Both foster and adoptive homes have to complete an application process to be approved by Easy R.  Each horse that is taken in by Easy R is provided all the necessary medical, dental, and farrier care.  In the cases of malnourished or emaciated horses, a strict re-feeding regimen is started that will allow each horse to gain the weight needed without jeopardizing its physical health. A starving horse can easily be killed by feeding it too much too quickly.  If a stud horse is taken in, he immediately takes a trip to the vet to be gelded. Because so many horses are unwanted, Easy R attempts to decrease the likelihood of breeding by castrating stud horses and requiring that adoptive homes agree to never breed a mare they want to adopt.  

Easy R provides many opportunities for volunteers to get involved in the organization.  Families, youth organizations, local businesses, and local college students are among the volunteers that generously give of their time and talents.

In addition to rescuing horses in need, Easy R also has an outreach program to temporarily assist horse owners who may be experiencing financial difficulties or have an extenuating circumstance that requires help from others in the community.  In these situations, Easy R assesses the need and, if possible, will provide hay/grain and/or assistance with medical care for their horse(s).

The Easy R staff (all currently volunteers) are passionate about creating and allowing opportunities for people to connect with horses in some way or another.  Whether it is simply grooming a dirty horse, learning to teach a horse ground manners, getting on the back of a horse for the first time, or experiencing a profound insight, life lesson or "ah-ha" moment, the staff view each encounter as an opportunity to share God's love for His creation--animals and humans alike.