For Deidre Sharp, caring for horses that were headed to a slaughterhouse isn’t a job. It’s a passion.
“I've always been drawn to them," she said. "I've always enjoyed the company of horses."
Sharp is the founder and president of Horse Play, an equine rescue and sanctuary in North Kingstown. On a quiet farmstead, Sharp and a small but devoted group of volunteers care for abused, neglected and unwanted horses.
The horses she is currently tending to have come from a variety of circumstances.
“Right now, I would say predominantly lack of knowledge on the owner's part and it turning into a much bigger issue to take care of a horse than they thought, whether it be behavioral, financial, a lot of financial issues where people can no longer afford their horse,” Sharp said.
Horses headed to slaughterhouses
Sharp started Horse Play 25 years ago as a therapeutic riding program for people with mental and emotional challenges. Over time, it evolved into a sanctuary that has helped more than 400 horses — many were headed to an auction when Sharp intervened.
“They're bought by a kill buyer, a meat buyer. They send them up to Canada where they're slaughtered and the meat is sent overseas,” Sharp said. “Places like France, Japan, Italy, I believe. And even Canada itself. They do eat horse meat there. And that's unfortunate, but that's where a lot of horses go."
Sharp said the majority of the horses that she has rescued would have been slaughtered had she not intervened.
While there are no horse slaughter plants in the United States, many horses in the country are taken to facilities in Mexico and Canada to be killed for their meat, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Sharp said, “I've had people call me, ‘Oh, we're interested in,’ and it's my two biggest horses, and I'm thinking, ‘And who are you?’ And I find out they actually drive for a meat packing person. So no, you're not adopting my two horses. But again, it's by the pound and it's unfortunate, but it is happening every day.”
It’s a reality that is troubling for Steven Viens. Ten years ago, he felt called to volunteer with horses. He picked up the phone and has been at Horse Play ever since.
“They're incredible animals. And I tell anybody that if you don't love horses, it's because you don't know any. There's nothing like 'em,” Viens said. “Once you get used to 'em, they're family.”
Blended family of horses
These days, it’s a blended family of nine horses from all walks of life, including Buddy, a 21-year-old Tennessee walking horse. Some have behavioral issues. Others, like Reno, have medical ones. The roughly 22-year-old American mustang, named after a city in his home state of Nevada, is going blind. And that’s not all.
“His right hind foot was injured when he was rounded up and he was lame," Sharp said. "And it became a chronic problem and he has never been able to heal totally from it. He's crippled essentially."
Funding the sanctuary
Running the sanctuary is a full-time commitment but it’s not Sharp’s only job. During the day, she works as a police clerk at the Newport Police Department.
When asked if she works at the police department in large part to fund the work at the sanctuary, Sharp said she does.
“Unfortunately, there is no funding or very little minimal funding for what we do, and the costs are exorbitant,” she said.
Sharp said about 75% of the organization’s expenses come out of her own pocket. And costs have gone up, including the price of hay and trips to the vet.
Volunteering with horses
Volunteers like Mary Cadieux are grateful Sharp contributes so much.
“It's frightening because it takes a lot to take care of a horse,” Cadieux said. “Big animals require big space, lots of times big dollars. So I do wonder and worry where they would be if not for what Deidre has done for a long time.
"And of course, the volunteers. We love doing this too.”
Viens admits volunteering can be a lot of work. Some days he says he can barely move when he gets home. He puts in five hours a day, three a days a week. But he said it’s well worth it.
“I don't have to pay for counseling because I get all the counseling from the horses. It's something just totally different,” Viens said. “I mean, when you come here, when you turn up that driveway, I mean, you don't even know this place exists. And when you turn up that driveway and you drive up here, this is another world up here.”
Horses as teachers
It’s a world that still amazes Sharp 25 years later. And she is quick to point out she doesn’t view these horses as her children. She said they are her brothers and sisters. And teachers. The lessons she said she has learned from them are invaluable.
“Family, friends. Don't need to do it all by yourself. Seriously. You got to have community. Pay attention,” she said. "Listen, feel, don't be afraid to feel because they do. They can feel and sense your heartbeat four or five feet away.
“I think that's what I've learned from them,” Sharp said. “Sensitivity to others.”
