111713 SPIRIT ACRES MCPR

In 2003 Kat Matrician founded "Spirt Acres", a horse rescue and sanctuary in Montgomery just west of Lake Conroe. Montgomery County is said to have more horses than any state in the United States according to a recent equine census. It was founded by Matrician on a volunteer basis hoping the community would see the need and come out to help.

The farm is certified as a technical large animal rescue. All this is just a part of a rescue, The second part of the sanctuary is to create a home for horses who are injured, have special needs, no longer wanted by people. and many other situations.

One horse is a former Houston Police Department horse who was not able to be used again due to a bad hoof. Another horse who is 35 years old was used in rodeo, he was never able to have been ridden and was saved by Matrician and given a home.

Mustang Sally was American Mustang from the real deal. She is in her twenties and carries the Bureau of Land Management mark on her neck. She was herded up in Montana in one of the famous round-ups where the Mustangs were being sold. Mustang Sally traveled from Montana to the east coast in a trailer and was finally sold in Hearne, Texas. The person who purchased her did not know what to do with her but did get a very cheap horse. With no fence on their property , Mustang Sally lived in a horse trailer for at least a year. When she was removed and sent to Spirit Acres she had colitis and a very anxiety level as the trailer she had been in had not been cleaned out and she was deep in manure.

Spirit Acres also educates horse owners or want to be owners. They train people to ride. Some of the horses are adopted out after it is determined that person can handle and care for a horse and has the means to do so. Matrician said if someone doesn't have at least an extra $150 a month, a horse is not for them as that is the approximate cost to feed just one horse.

Some of the fifty horses have sponsors. The sponsors, some of which are individuals, others are businesses, sponsor a horse and pay to maintain feed and care for them as they remain on the sanctuary. They are allowed to come out and visit and work with the horse at any time they wish. Mustang Sally is sponsored by a Lone Star College Professor and his wife.

Volunteers are encouraged and it helps a person who has not owned a horse to come out, help feed, clean, ride and care for a horse under the sanctuary's direction. This in an effort to better understand if that person really does want a horse and knows what goes along with horse ownership.

Matrician feeds close to 350 to 400 pounds of feed a day. Each horse which is in the age range of 2 to 35 year old. Each has special needs.

Spirit Acres has also been hit by the economy downturn also. Their donations have dropped drastically. With the high cost of feed and maintaining the the farm donations are the main source to keep the farm going.

Hurricane Ike also hit the farm and damaged the arena used to train and for people to work with the horses. Over 200 fence boards were damaged along with many posts. Donations not just of the monetary type are needed. Lumber is needed, a used tractor to drill the new post holes and work around the farm moving the large amounts of manure that is created by the 50 horses. Even hay or feed donations or a person wishing to sell hay at a discounted rate.

Anyone wishing to donate can got to the website www.spiritacres.org , there they will find a Paypal donation button.

Spirit Acres can be reached at 936-597-5316 or 936-697-1308.