CAZENOVIA — This spring, The Haven at Skanda farm animal sanctuary is launching a fundraising campaign to replace a fence that will allow its rescued horses to run free in its largest pasture.
According to Skanda, the initiative is also intended as a celebration of movement, freedom and community.
Located at 4000 Mosley Rd. in Cazenovia, Skanda is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for rescued and endangered farm animals, and to offering educational, supportive and preventative programs to the public.
Over the years, Skanda has taken in more than 28 rescued horses, most of which have been adopted. Currently, the sanctuary is home to 12 rescues.
Before arriving at the sanctuary, many of the horses lived in extreme confinement and isolation.
“Some were tied up so they could barely take one step to the right or left,” said Ellen Beckerman, Skanda’s executive director. “They had no access to pasture and no family, no companionship, no community. This is so devastating for horses, whose greatest joys are freedom of movement and the love of the herd.”
Once at Skanda, the horses were turned out onto large pastures.
“At Skanda, the large pasture fence has provided them with a huge safe space to [roam], and a place to be together as a family, to groom each other, run together, and relax together,” Beckerman said. “When they are in the barn, they are in their own separate stalls, so coming together in the pasture every day is a real celebration. So the pasture fence gives them this experience.”
Beckerman added that the symbol of the fence resonated with the Skanda staff and volunteers on a personal level.
“After the last year, we know firsthand what is feels like to have our freedom restricted, what it feels like to be confined, trapped, and without the freedom of movement that is so important to us,” Beckerman said. “We know what it is like to value and crave community, and [we understand the] need to forge and maintain connections over distances we had not previously felt . . . Given that we now cherish movement, freedom and community in a whole new way, it seemed like an especially powerful action to be able to give it to these horses, who have been through so much worse. Then it became clear that in giving this to the horses, we could use this fundraiser as a way to celebrate community throughout Central New York, and [to recognize] all the incredible ways we have stayed connected and helped one another this past year.”
According to Beckerman, the fencing for the large pasture bordering Mosley Road is about 30 years old.
This past winter, the fence became damaged beyond repair, and now it must be replaced for an estimated cost of $45,000.
Skanda is offering the community a variety of opportunities to support the fence project and celebrate freedom, movement and community.
Children throughout Central New York are invited to participate in local “Gallop-A-Thons” at their schools and local parks. Friends and families are asked to pledge donations, per gallop, to the fence replacement.
“It’s been a stressful year for kids, and this is one way of helping them have fun and really just enjoy being kids,” said Beckerman. “It’s like a walk-a-thon, but instead of walking, the kids gallop like a horse. Because of COVID, the Gallop-A-Thons are on the honor system at a setting of each family’s choosing. Schools can organize Gallop-A-Thons on the local track with staggered attendance, or neighborhoods can come together to sponsor the neighborhood kids.”
Skanda is also holding an art contest and an essay contest for anyone who wants to create artwork or a piece of writing that celebrates freedom, movement and community.
Art submissions, in any form, will be auctioned off with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the fence project. Essays will be shared on Skanda’s website, and the public will vote on the winners. Additional details will be available on Skanda’s website.
Municipalities, businesses, sports teams, professional organizations, cultural institutions, and private citizens are invited to contribute to the fence at Skanda’s secure website at thehavenatskanda.org/fencethatgivesfreedom.
Donors of $1,000 or more will receive a private tour of Skanda, the chance to meet the horses, and a plaque mounted on a public-facing section of the fence.
Donors of $500 or more will receive a private tour and meet the horses.
Donors of $100 or more will receive a hand-written thank you note and a picture of the horses.
Skanda got its start eight years ago by taking in 14 starving ponies that had been rescued by the CNY SPCA. The animals were recovered from a snowy field where many other horses, including the mothers of several surviving yearlings, had already passed away from starvation.
The experiences of the Skanda volunteers who worked with the ponies — including the famous Little Moe, for whom the Little Moe Annual 5K is named — are described on the organization’s website at thehavenatskanda.org/the-little-moe-5k-1.
During the pandemic, Skanda stepped up to support children, families and “anyone seeking experiences of freedom, joy and connection.”
Throughout the school closures, Skanda provided emergency childcare to children with histories of trauma and those who were at risk of abuse at home during the prolonged quarantine.
Skanda increased its volunteer opportunities so that families in search of safe, outdoor fun together could come to the farm.
The organization has also been providing families and groups with opportunities to visit to the farm to meet the animals, walk the property, and spend time in nature.
To learn more about The Haven at Skanda, visit thehavenatskanda.org.
