Last month, Cheyenne was found abandoned.
In that moment, she was known as 710 Stray, a 30-year-old horse the Okeechobee Animal Control found wandering on a country road.
But then, the frail and thin Bay Roan Grade horse became Cheyenne — the newest resident at Mill Creek Farm, a horse retirement facility designed to give abandoned and retired horses a home.
With five new horses added to the farm over the summer, the farm is looking for assistance to accommodate the abandoned and abused horses.
The farm, located at 20307 NW County Road 235A, has 131 horses, two donkeys and a mule. Individuals can sponsor an animal for $50 a month. However, volunteers are needed to help maintain the farm’s land and care for the horses.
"There’s a lot of physical work that goes into this," said Paul Gregory, the farm’s president. "People come here and think how great the farm looks, and it does look good because we take care of the horses the way we take care of this property."
During the week, volunteers, which Gregory said often include groups of UF fraternity and sorority members as well as individuals, can help fix fences, cut weeds and load feed. On Saturday, which is the only day the farm is open for visitors, volunteers can groom the horses and work at the visitor welcome kiosk.
Lynne Brennan, 62, first got involved with the farm’s volunteer program after she saw a picture of a horse being rescued in a local newspaper.
"I never read articles about animals because they make me cry, but the caption said rescue so I thought, ‘Well I’ll give it a chance and read it,’" Brennan said. "I did, and it was all about the farm and this horse, and I called the farm the next day and came out to volunteer the day after."
She said she loves being at the farm knowing what it is and what it stands for.
"If they didn’t come here, where would they be?" she asked. "They’d probably be in a state facility in a stall for the rest of their life working hard and being ridden to death. The lucky ones come here."
The horses must be at least 20 years old to stay at the farm, Brennan said.
With the oldest horse at 43 years old, many of the horses suffer from arthritis, hip problems and vision problems.
"Some of these horses have never known what love is," Brennan said. "Now when they come here to the farm, they finally know what it means to be loved. It is heaven on earth for these beautiful horses."
Paul Gregory, president of Mill Creek Farm, stands by the farm’s newest equine member, Cheyenne, a 30-year-old Bay Roan Grade horse. Mill Creek Farm houses horses that have been abandoned, neglected or abused. Cheyenne was starved when Okeechobee Animal Control found her.
