Funding, volunteers needed for foundation
By James McCommons
For The Big Bend Sentinel
MARATHON — After Mike Balog’s wife, Anita, died in November 2022, he was understandably distraught. They had been married 28 years, and it was like his whole world stopped, and he didn’t know what to do next. “I would pray, ‘Lord, just take me home. I’m ready.’ But after a time, it was clear that wasn’t happening,” recalled Balog.
He began walking, setting off on long treks around Alpine and scaling the Hancock Hill trails next to Sul Ross State University. One Saturday at the farmer’s market, he ran into Jamie Boyd, an associate professor of animal science, who told him of a study she was overseeing at Sul Ross on rehabilitating malnourished horses.
Balog was intrigued. Years earlier when living on a ranch near Pecos, Mike and Anita had adopted Lakota, a skinny and malnourished horse. Anita had just been hospitalized and diagnosed with a heart condition and COPD.
“There was a lot of love between her and the horse,” Balog said. “Lakota would meet Anita at the gate after work and chase her up to the house. They were good for one another, and together they both got well. After that, rescue horses became dear to our hearts.”
Balog volunteered to help with the Sul Ross study, working with the students to exercise and feed the animals and clean the stalls. It was good therapy, Boyd said. “He had experience with horses and the work gave him a mental break. And he was formulating what he wanted to do when the study came to an end.”
In May 2023, Balog started the “Anita Balog Memorial Angel Horse Foundation,” a nonprofit sanctuary to “rescue horses to rescue people.” Boyd became secretary of the foundation’s board. He purchased a 14-acre farm on State Highway 118 south of Alpine that currently houses five horses, three from the Sul Ross study.
Balog, who had a career in law enforcement as a community service officer, hopes the organization will not only save and “rehome” unwanted horses, but employ those animals in therapy to give solace to people experiencing grief, disability, anxiety, trauma and other conditions. Equine therapy, a form of psychotherapy, encourages patients to interact with horses under the supervision of a mental health professional and/or a horse trainer. It often complements other forms of mental health therapy.
Over the last several months, Balog has been clearing rocks and grading the pasture with plans to build up to 30 stalls as funding and horses become available. He also wants to erect a riding arena where the animals can exercise and therapy can take place.
“My main mission is to show people that these horses still have value and can contribute as someone’s pet or as a therapy animal,” he said.
According to the Center for Equine Health at the University of California-Davis, there has been a surge in the number of nonprofits created to rescue horses. The need is great. An estimated 100,000 horses annually are categorized as unwanted and some 68,000 are sent off to slaughter in Mexico and Canada where their meat is exported for human consumption, pet food, or feed for zoo animals. There are no equine slaughterhouses in the U.S.
Owning a horse is expensive, and half of the 2 million horse owners in the U.S. earn less than $50,000 annually. Many have to sell their animals, some cut back on care and others abandon the horses entirely — the problem grows worse during tough economic times, according to the UC-Davis center.
Neglect of a horse also may stem from the troubled lives of their owners experiencing domestic abuse, drug abuse and alcoholism. Malnourished horses, indicated by protruding hip bones and ribs, matted hair, and untreated injuries, typically are investigated by animal control departments, humane societies or other legal authorities. The horses may not be fed regularly or there’s not enough forage in the pasture. Sometimes the horse is bullied by more dominant herd mates and kept from food. Dental issues, infection, infestation, disease, and simply the infirmities of old age may contribute to their poor condition.
The increasing number of neglected and malnourished horses is a challenge for the equine industry, particularly because of the increasing cost of veterinary care and feed, Boyd explained. UC-Davis undertook the last significant study 20 years ago of refeeding malnourished horses using alfalfa, a legume. But in West Texas, alfalfa is expensive, about $300 to $400 a bale. The Sul Ross study investigated whether Bermuda hay, a less-expensive warm-season grass costing about $170 a round bale, could be substituted along with grain in a refeeding program. The school purchased 10 emaciated horses at auction. Where the horses came from, how they ended up in poor condition, or how often they had been sold was impossible to determine. All were destined for Mexico and slaughter. Horse trading is a business with a slim profit margin and some traders do not treat their animals well, Boyd said.
For research purposes, the horses were weighed, exercised, blood monitored and their muscle mass measured. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Animal Science and presented at conferences, where it was well received, Boyd said. Feeding and rehabilitating a starving, neglected horse is a complicated and expensive endeavor. Horses in poor shape usually require veterinary services, vaccinations, hoof care, dental work, and blood tests.
“It costs a small fortune to do this. We spent thousands on these horses,” she said.
The school put the rehabilitated horses up for auction. Balog purchased Layla, perhaps the most damaged of all, and later got two more of the study horses from a donor. He has since obtained two others, including a horse found on a ranch near Marathon with wounds on its chest and legs caused by barbed wire. The animal was severely malnourished. Another horse had been in an accident but never treated by a veterinarian. All exhibited some type of abuse or neglect by humans, such as being beaten.
“I don’t know why people take their frustrations out on a horse,” Balog said. “Sometimes it’s behavioral issues because the horse isn’t doing what they want. They beat the animal, but then end up with more behavior problems. It’s sad, just sad.”
Rescue operations typically require support from local communities in terms of supplies, volunteer time, and monetary donations for equipment: halters, lead ropes, brushes, buckets and, of course, feed. Balog, 73, admits that it’s been a struggle to raise funds and do the day-to-day chores of caring for five horses. He has gotten some aid from Sul Ross students and other volunteers who come out to the farm, but says he can always use more help. And more money. He has a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram where he has more than 5,000 followers and seeks donations through PayPal and Venmo. Some businesses have supplied support, including feed companies that offer discounts.
His big hope is to have someone take over the daily care of the horses and allow him to concentrate on grant writing, publicity and fund raising. He’s also looking to partner with a mental health professional trained in equine therapy.
“This is a big undertaking. It’s a lot bigger than me,” said Balog, who was ill over the past winter with respiratory issues, exacerbated by the dust storms. There were days when he said it was hard to get out of bed.
For inspiration, he thinks about Anita and their years together when they both won awards for community service.
“My wife lived to give,” he said. “She had a gift of knowing when somebody was in trouble, and she would do whatever it took to help.”
Anyone wishing to volunteer or make a donation should go to www.abmangelhorse.org or call 432-448-3313.