Background Statement
The need is great. Our heroes are struggling and need our support. Veteran suicide rates continue to rise and the rate in Colorado is significantly higher than the national veteran suicide rate and than the national general population suicide rate. Suicide has no single cause and no one approach can end it—but prevention is possible, especially when veterans find support before a crisis happens.
At Allegiance Ranch, support for active and veteran service members, along with first responders, is provided through community and through the power of horses...rescued horses.
According to the Animal Welfare Institute, tens of thousands horses are shipped to Mexico and Canada annually, where they are killed under barbaric conditions so their meat can satisfy the palates of overseas diners. In 2023, over 20,000 U.S. horses were shipped to Mexico and Canada.
How does this happen? Overpopulation, for one. And while most people would never willingly send their horse to slaughter, sometimes people can no longer care for a horse. Perhaps they can't afford the vet bills or even the cost of hay. Maybe they tried to sell their horse or find a new home, but to no avail. Desperate, they take him to auction thinking a nice family or private buyer will buy him. All too often, however, the kill buyers who frequent these auctions are the ones who buy the horses. Once on a kill buyer's lot, a horses' fate is typically sealed.
Our goal is to intercept horses before they end up in the slaughter pipeline. The horses in our care are provided love, training, rehabilitation (both physical and emotional), and the opportunity to serve as therapeutic companions for our heroes.
What better way to help our heroes than through the powerful connection with horses? So many veterans and first responders lack the support they need, and for service members with wounds both physical and emotional, the VA too often fails them. Offering free access to horses is a powerful way to give back to our heroes.