Fourth annual Horses for the Holidays

The Haven at Skanda started Horses for the Holidays drive, a campaign that looks for new and used supplies.

CAZENOVIA » The Haven at Skanda has kicked off its fourth annual Horses for the Holidays equine donation drive and awareness campaign with an expansion into 10 counties in Central New York.

Horses for the Holidays invites animal lovers to donate new and gently used equine supplies and make tax-deductible contributions to help vulnerable horses stay warm, safe, and healthy during the challenging winter months.

Horses for the Holidays was inspired by Skanda’s experience taking in 14 wild, rescued ponies in 2013, and the outpouring of generosity the community showed towards those ponies and towards Skanda. Realizing that the region lacked preventive services for horses, and was stuck in a cycle of responding to crisis situations rather than preventing them, Skanda started Horses for the Holidays to channel that community caring and generosity and create a way for horse owners to get help early when a situation first arises, and before any animal need suffer. The programbegan in two counties in 2013, and has expanded each year.

Horses for the Holidays will run in Albany, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Jefferson, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, St. Lawrence, and Tompkins counties through Feb. 1, 2018. Requests for assistance from counties not on this list will also be honored, and supplies will be distributed for as long as they are available.

Everyone who would like to donate can find Horses for the Holidays collection boxes in popular stores, stables, and schools, including Tractor Supply and Country Max stores, familyowned farm supply stores, universities, and stables. The program also accepts tax-deductible financial donations online via its secure website at www. thehavenatskanda.org/ horsesfor-the- holidays, which provide the ability to purchase the exact supplies needed, without delay. Donations are also accepted by appointment at The Haven at Skanda, 4000 Mosley Road, by calling (315) 815-5056.

Items needed include heated water buckets, blankets, grain, hay, tack, grooming kits, bedding and de-wormer. Donations of veterinary and farrier services are all helpful for horses that lack adequate access to such resources.

Horse owners who need assistance can contact The Haven at Skanda any time at (315) 8155056 or marion@thehavenats--

Haven at Skanda encourages anyone who is aware of a person in need of help to make a referral.

The Haven at Skanda is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organiza- tion that cares for rescued horses, rescued farm animals, and endangered species, and provides programs to children and adults encouraging respectful, profound partnerships with animals. The Haven at Skanda is an all-volunteer organization, and donations are fully tax-deductible.