36 malnourished horses rescued by Redemption Road

HAYWOOD COUNTY, Tenn. — Ray Jones says he felt obligated to call the Haywood County Sheriff’s Department when he noticed over three dozen unhealthy horses at a property on Nunn Road.

“They looked like they were malnourished; ribs showing and their hip bones were protruding,” said Jones who lives nearby.

So this morning the sheriff’s department, along with the all-volunteer, nonprofit organization Redemption Road Rescue, came to remove the horses from what they call “terrible” living conditions.

“Just the conditions of the property where the horses were living were atrocious. There was lots of debris in the corals where they ran, lots of extremely emaciated horses,” said Lori Collins, director of Redemption Road Rescue.

Redemption Road representatives say the over 30 horses rescued Tuesday are already in better hands, but they say their road to recovery will be a long one.

“Their coats were extremely dull which sometimes are signs of a lot of parasites, very unkempt,” Collins said, “Manes and tails extremely matted to where they have not seen a brush in a long time.”

But there is a brighter future for these rescues.

Collins says the horses will undergo a number of health exams along with a lot of food, grooming and love. Then when ready, she says, they will become available for adoption.

“They’ll come out, and they’ll find a horse that they fall in love with,” said Collins. “And we play matchmaker and match them, and they get a happily ever after.”

The owner of the horses told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News that it became an overpopulation problem that just got out of hand. He admits to poor judgment and willingly surrendered all of them. The Haywood County Sheriff’s Department says charges will be determined.

If you would like to learn more about Redemption Road Rescue, you can visit their website at redemptionroadrescue.com