Horse rescue in Reno County struggles to get water to animals

RENO COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) — A Reno County farm and rescue organization recently took in some horses and is going the extra mile to give them water.

Storm Creek Horse Co. Farm and Rescue ‘s well went dry or collapsed about seven months ago. Now, they have to haul water from the main house.

“It either collapsed, or it just dried up. They won’t say for sure which one it was, and they all say it’d just be better to put a new one in,” said Dustin Lloyd, the owner of Storm Creek Horse Co. Farm and Rescue.

For now, hauling water is a daily chore, especially now that the well that fed the animals at Storm Creek Farm and Rescue is directly dry.

A 300-gallon water tank on a pickup truck makes the rounds four times a day, giving drinking water to 36 horses and other farm animals.

“All of the water has to be hauled to everyone on the farm with the truck, and we have to haul it all from the house,” said Lisa Loyd, owner of Storm Creek Horse Co. Farm and Rescue.

Loyd and her husband, Dustin Loyd, are looking for solutions. A new well would cost $7,000.

“$7,000 is a lot, especially when it’s a drought year, another drought year, and so hay is expensive,” Loyd said.

Horses have a harder time drinking the water they need in winter if it’s too cold. If they don’t drink enough, they get colic and die.

“We have to make sure that not only do they have plenty of water, but it also can’t be frozen water or water with big chunks of ice in it, so we would just have to haul a lot of water,” Loyd said.

With dozens of horses, some with medical conditions preventing them from being adopted, the rescue says it can’t cover the cost without donations.

More information on how to donate can be found here .

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