By Gary McKechnie
When the Spanish floated over to Florida in the 1500s, they brought with them the idea that this land was their land…
And they brought mustangs.
I never gave much thought to whatever happened to the horses that decided to stay, but Diane Delano has. About a dozen years ago she started the Wild Horse Rescue Center (WHRC) located in Webster, which is roughly an hour west of Orlando.
Apparently, over the centuries thousands of these animals formed a wild population and when the ones that were saddled could no longer be used as beasts of burden, they were considered obsolete. It’s estimated there were more than two million mustangs a century ago; now there are about 40,000 left in the wild and that many more wild mustangs in captivity.
That’s where the Wild Horse Rescue Center comes in. It’s a nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare, rescue, and preservation of America's wild horses – and it’s where you can help because when they have visitors, they have funding. If you really have a fondness for horses, you can go online and sponsor them for a few dollars a day. Even better, you can visit for the day, an overnight, or even a full week.
Not only will you be helping horses, you’ll be playing a role in history.
Helpful history.
When you go:
Please call Diane Delano at 321-427-1523 for current donation rates and more information.
12103 SE 47th Drive, Webster, FL 33597
