Welcome to the Illinois Equine Humane Center
2018 Is Our 10 Year Anniversary!
It is about Horses and Humans at the ILEHC - Every Day...
HORSIN' AROUND THE HOLIDAYS - ILEHC HOLIDAY FUN!
DECEMBER 2, 2017
ILEHC was pleased to host its Holiday thank you and Christmas Photo Event on Saturday, December 2. Lots of holiday goodies including cookies but also gifts to purchase from Urban Oasis and Ever Blossoms Boutiques. Professional photos from Purr Photograpy.
Our famous and incredibly well behaved Cody Pony made an appearance along with Santa Claus (picture above). We appreciate everyone who took time from busy schedules to attend and welcome in the start of the December holiday season with us!
Our famous and incredibly well behaved Cody Pony made an appearance along with Santa Claus (picture above). We appreciate everyone who took time from busy schedules to attend and welcome in the start of the December holiday season with us!
ALL FARM FESTIVAL AND TACK SALE!
OCTOBER 21, 2017
What an incredible weather day for the Fall Farm Festival on October 21. We enjoyed visiting with our friends, family and also meeting new acquaintances interested in horse rescue and the ILEHC horses available to foster, sponsor or adopt. Lots of new tack was available and sold, the activities for the kids were plentiful from pumpkin painting, hobby horses and the scavenger hunt with prizes for all. We appreciate Urban Oasis, Boutique, Little Shop on Oak and Ever Blossoms Boutique, all from Bartlett for attending and having such wonderful Fall items for sale.
ILEHC 9TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT - WAS A LOT OF FUN!
JULY 15, 2017
The ILEHC is fortunate to have many fun volunteers and supporters. We also welcomed Author Randy Cochran and his spouse, Barbara, along with Chainsaw Artist Dave Watson (Watson's Woods). Two Boutiques in Bartlett (Urban Oasis and Little Shop on Oak) also attended and displayed their lovely goodies.
Young cow, Lucifer and Kelly were a BIG hit at the start of the event. Many of us had seen horses but a gentle, friendly cow was very cool.
Overall, it was a great event - good friends, BBQ items and unbelievably good weather!
Young cow, Lucifer and Kelly were a BIG hit at the start of the event. Many of us had seen horses but a gentle, friendly cow was very cool.
Overall, it was a great event - good friends, BBQ items and unbelievably good weather!
AETNA VOLUNTEER DAY A HUGE HELP - APRIL 2017
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Megan Howard, ILEHC Board Member working with Aetna's Volunteer Council "enlisted" the assistance of several Aetna employees to help with pasture work at the ILEHC barn in Maple Park on April 26th. Aetna allows and encourages employees to donate time time toward volunteerism and community support. ILEHC was the benefactor of Aetna's program. It was hard work but also appears that there might have been some fun in between the shoveling. Thank you Megan and the Aetna team - the spirit of Help a Horse Day continues!
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ASPCA HELP A HORSE DAY GIRL SCOUT CLINIC
SPRING FLING, TACK SALE, SPRING SCAVENGER HUNT
APRIL 22, 2017
WHAT A DAY - Kids, Horses, Sunny Skies, Tack Items, Purses, Lunch and Sweets. WOW and WOW!
Thanks to all who took time from busy schedules to celebrate ASPCA's Help a Horse day with the ILEHC. We are so grateful for our volunteers, donors and followers. Helping a Horse doesn't end in April, it is every day at the ILEHC Facility.
Get more involved - volunteer, foster or sponsor a rescued horse, donate. All proceeds fund our horse care and rescue efforts.
Thanks to all who took time from busy schedules to celebrate ASPCA's Help a Horse day with the ILEHC. We are so grateful for our volunteers, donors and followers. Helping a Horse doesn't end in April, it is every day at the ILEHC Facility.
Get more involved - volunteer, foster or sponsor a rescued horse, donate. All proceeds fund our horse care and rescue efforts.
Taxi is Adopted - Miracle Horse...
Begins Training for 2nd Career
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Taxi and Alex (who adopted Taxi). The ILEHC is pleased for both.
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It is ALWAYS Hay Time!
Amo
The Illinois Equine Humane Center (ILEHC) is always in need of hay - so let's gallop into action to raise the funds we need to purchase hay for the year. Hard to believe that the cold winter weather is nearly here. Please help us increase our financial funds so that we may stock up on this much needed and consumed item.
The ILEHC current hay price is $5.50 a bale (March 2018), we are in critical need of your financial support to help us continue to provide a safety net for the horses in our care and for the horses we will be called upon to assist throughout the year. You can help ensure that ILEHC can meet these essential needs by donating to our HAY FUND today.
To make a secure online donation, click on the “Donate” link above. To mail your donation, please send to: ILEHC, P.O. Box 337, Big Rock, IL 60511. On behalf of the horses, we thank you very much for your kindness and generosity!
The ILEHC current hay price is $5.50 a bale (March 2018), we are in critical need of your financial support to help us continue to provide a safety net for the horses in our care and for the horses we will be called upon to assist throughout the year. You can help ensure that ILEHC can meet these essential needs by donating to our HAY FUND today.
To make a secure online donation, click on the “Donate” link above. To mail your donation, please send to: ILEHC, P.O. Box 337, Big Rock, IL 60511. On behalf of the horses, we thank you very much for your kindness and generosity!
Volunteering - Good for the Soul
Thanks to all who commit their time to the ILEHC and assist in morning (starting at 8:30am) and afternoon (starting at 3:30 to 4pm) chores along with those who tend to the grounds. We are always looking for volunteers, so if you have time and would like to work with a GREAT group of individuals, please email Megan or Jessica at volunteerilehc@gmail.com. Thank you!!
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Be sure to tell all of your friends!
ILEHC rescues, rehabilitates and then places horses in proper homes. Please see horses available for adoption, fostering or sponsoring at this website.
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ILEHC and Founder Gail Vacca Featured in America's Best Racing
Conti's Whirl after arriving at the ILEHC
After showing horses as a child and later transitioning into becoming a racehorse trainer, Gail Vacca had a strong background with horses before starting the Illinois Equine Humane Center (ILEHC) in 2008. As a teenager, Vacca spent summers at Rockingham Park cooling out racehorses to earn extra money so she could afford to show her horses in top level hunter and jumper shows. That experience found her spending more time at the track as the years went on. “I just fell in love with the horses; the beauty and the athleticism of the racehorses. It’s an addiction,” Vacca said. “I did that during summers when I was a kid then when I got out of high school, I kind of spent a little more time at the track. I was a groom for a couple years and then that evolved into me getting my trainer’s license when I was 24.”
During her time as a trainer, people would come to Vacca with horses who needed to be rehabilitated or rehomed. That eventually turned into Vacca rescuing retired racehorses and finding them new homes before starting ILEHC seven years ago. “It was just kind of a natural progression of things with me for being involved and advocating for racehorse welfare while racing and after racing for all those years just kind of evolved into me ultimately opening my own facility,” said Vacca. ILEHC gets horses from both the track and neglect cases, so depending on the situation horses can go through the program in only a few weeks or they can stay for the rest of their lives. Horses who can’t be ridden generally go on ILEHC’s permanent resident list but in some cases those horses will be adopted out if the right non-riding home comes along. However, if the horse is healthy, it will be ridden a few times to figure out what it is best suited for. See more at:
http://www.americasbestracing.net/en/the-latest/aftercare/2015/2/18/program-spotlight-illinois-equine-humane-center/#sthash.I62HNHY6.dpuf
During her time as a trainer, people would come to Vacca with horses who needed to be rehabilitated or rehomed. That eventually turned into Vacca rescuing retired racehorses and finding them new homes before starting ILEHC seven years ago. “It was just kind of a natural progression of things with me for being involved and advocating for racehorse welfare while racing and after racing for all those years just kind of evolved into me ultimately opening my own facility,” said Vacca. ILEHC gets horses from both the track and neglect cases, so depending on the situation horses can go through the program in only a few weeks or they can stay for the rest of their lives. Horses who can’t be ridden generally go on ILEHC’s permanent resident list but in some cases those horses will be adopted out if the right non-riding home comes along. However, if the horse is healthy, it will be ridden a few times to figure out what it is best suited for. See more at:
http://www.americasbestracing.net/en/the-latest/aftercare/2015/2/18/program-spotlight-illinois-equine-humane-center/#sthash.I62HNHY6.dpuf
ILEHC's Gail Vacca Featured In the Chicago Tribune
Illinois Equine Humane Center Founder and President Gail Vacca was featured in the Chicago Tribune as part of their "Remarkable Women" series. Congratulations Gail! And thanks for your undying dedication to the horses. Please read the article below.
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One Man's Trash - Taxi's Story
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Gail's article about the rescue of Taxi and his "momma" from the kill-pens at Shipshewana has been published by Midwest Thoroughbred Magazine! Click here to read their incredible story "One Man's Trash" by Gail Vacca!
You can also read about Taxi on his own website - http://www.magnafortuna.weebly.com Or on Facebook at Taxi - THE MIRACLE HORSE |
Lulu (dam) and Taxi.
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