Return to Freedom's American Wild Horse Sanctuary needs a 48' x 48' hay cover that will protect hay from the rain while increasing safety and efficiency. Return to Freedom offers a safe haven for 379 wild horses and burros. Our programs enrich the lives of hundreds of children and adults annually, giving them close-up views of these living symbols of the pioneer spirit of the West while educating the public about the need to preserve the freedom, diversity and habitat of wild horses and burros.
Return to Freedom's 50-year-old wooden barn is too cramped to meet our hay storage needs. Access for deliveries and daily loading of feed trucks by our staff is challenging, particularly in slick conditions. A steel, open-sided structure built on concrete in an easily accessed area will give us safer, more efficient storage that is less vulnerable to rain and fire. In addition, greater air circulation will make it less likely that hay will grow mold and ferment in damp weather.
A sturdy, open-sided hay cover with galvanized roofing will for many years help us store and provide high-quality, mildew-free hay to our beloved wild horses and burros and make easier the unloading from semi-trucks and loading for daily use hay bales by our sanctuary's small staff. The new structure will also be erected in a designated "safe zone" with better protection in case of fire.
Each generous donation toward the purchase of a hay cover will permit Return to Freedom to direct funds toward other sanctuary needs, educational programs, or our work in defense of free-roaming wild horses and burros. In addition, greater hay storage capacity will enable Return to Freedom to stretch valued donor dollars by allowing us to buy hay at lower prices during and after the growing season, rather than later in the year when hay supplies dwindle and prices climb.
