Dusk descended rapidly, although it was difficult to differentiate with the heavy drizzle that penetrated the darkening skies. Kristina looked down at her muddied, untied shoes and thought about stopping to tie them. Instead, she trudged on, barely aware of the pickup truck that was following not far behind.
Suddenly her cell phone rang. Surprised, she answered to the sound of a stranger’s voice. “Are you Kristina Kremer?” the caller asked. Kristina answered yes. “I didn’t know who to call, but I just heard about you and I was hoping you could help me find food for my horse.”
Kristina Kremer, a 35 year old mother from Colorado, is committed to the treatment and rescue of unwanted horses. She owns and operates the Snowy River Animal Rescue Farm, a 120-acre facility housing 120 rescued horses in Capulin, Colorado. Kristina is walking from Delaware to California as part of A Walk Across America to Save Horses, a campaign to help raise awareness about the plight of the American equine. This walk is not about the use of horses in sporting events, or against keeping horses as pets. The purpose of this walk is to raise awareness about the growing neglect and abuse of horses across the country.
Raising Awareness About Equine Abuse
Our troubled economy is affecting everyone. Families are losing their jobs, losing their homes, and leaving their family pets behind. An abandoned horse usually does not survive for more than a couple of months.
Many equine rescues are filled to capacity, under-funded, and suffering from a significant decline in donations. Some will turn to “kill buyers” when the horses are un-adoptable or feed runs out. These buyers will pay minimal compensation for each horse, and then ship them to Canada or Mexico, where the horse slaughter business is still legal.
Gaining Momentum
Kristina is collecting letters as she walks across the country, and she currently has almost 1400 from children and concerned horse enthusiasts from every state. According to Kristina, “I am just a small woman from Colorado, but I am hoping this walk allows our voices to be heard.” She intends to gather many more letters during her walk and deliver them to President and Mrs. Obama at the White House at the end of her walk in the fall of 2009.
Volunteers are encouraged to participate along the route with the following: drivers with food and water, identifying restroom locations, places to sleep or hotel accommodations, and new sneakers. Additional ideas for how you can help Kristina’s campaign can be found on her website.
What You Can Do
Show your support for the Restore Our American Mustangs (ROAM) Act (H.R. 1018), by contacting your U.S. Representatives. Not only will the ROAM Act ensure that our mustangs and burros are once again protected from slaughter, but it seeks to reclaim approximately 19 million acres of land taken away from these magnificent animals.
For more information, you can contact Kristina directly by cell 719-580-0374 or email awalkforhorses@yahoo.com. She really does answer the phone! The woman that called Kristina at the beginning of her journey was looking for food for her horse. Kristina actually bought and delivered hay to the caller, Mary. “I had the choice of buying hay for Mary’s horse, or using the money for my meals the next day. I would rather eat beans than see a horse starve,” stated Kristina.
Story posted by Roni Raczkowski, Network Volunteer
Photo of Bentley courtesy of Kristina Kremer
