EQUUS RESCUE AND THERAPY INC

Equus Rescue and Therapy is a non-profit organization based in Millstadt, Illinois, started by Margo Sutter in 2016. Equus Rescue rescues horses who are retired from the racetrack, horses in horrific conditions, and horses in kill pens on their way to slaughter. These horses help fragile humans recover and promote the horse through educational programs held at the Rescue and public speaking engagements. Equus Rescue is an Illinois licensed horse rescue organization. This is an all-volunteer organization.

Equus Rescue was originally known as Mid-America Horse Rescue, founded by Sutter in 2009. In 2016, the organization underwent a reorganization and was renamed Equus Rescue and Therapy Inc. Retired racehorses, who have given their all winning on the track and then spending years breeding new generations of racehorses for their owners, only to end up on the road to slaughter, are given a second chance. The rescued horses are anywhere from yearlings to 35 years old, many coming to the Rescue barely alive. The rescue currently has 50 horses, some of them blind, some still recovering. When ready, the rescued horses begin repaying their debt through educational and therapy programs for at-risk youth, veterans, senior citizens, and the community. Annually over 200 persons receive education about horses, receive the therapeutic benefit of horse/human relationships and education about the well-being of the retired Thoroughbreds (and other fellow equine) is made available community and statewide. Since its inception in 2009, 475 horses have been rehabilitated and rehomed. These horses have seen the worst in humans, yet they provide an amazing refuge for so many.