[soothing guitar strumming]
- Erin Kelley Groth: One day, on my way to work,
I saw these two horses.
It was the middle of winter,
and they were up against this barn,
and they were really, really skinny.
I was, like, freaking out.
So I called the Sheriff's Department.
And they came, they said, "We'll take care of this."
And the next day, they were gone.
So, that was like one of my first hints or clues.
It was like, this is what I'm supposed to do.
I'm supposed to help these animals that don't have voices.
[mellow guitar music]
My name is Erin Kelley Groth.
I am executive director of Amazing Grace Equine Sanctuary.
[horse snorts]
I kind of do a little of everything imaginable
and even things you can't imagine.
[engine chugging]
[hay rustling]
[saw humming]
[hammer banging]
[drill whirring]
[mellow guitar music]
I would say our grain bill
is probably close to $2,000 a month.
[horse snuffles]
It's a lot of work.
[energetic guitar music]
Mornings, you feed.
[gate clanking]
You're feeding 20 animals.
Many of 'em are on specific diets.
[upbeat guitar music]
You and or new volunteers are cleaning manure
from the day before.
[upbeat guitar music]
A very important aspect of this place
is to keep it clean
and to keep the horses healthy by keeping it clean.
[mellow ukulele music]
It took many, many volunteers over the years
to kind of accumulate and start the base
and get that base growing
that every day this place is clean from top to bottom.
[mellow ukulele music, birds chirping]
We have dozens of other volunteers.
Some come once a week; some come two times a week;
some come every day.
But we can always count on
a certain amount coming out every day.
[mellow ukulele music]
They come from actually all around the state,
Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Midwest.
And people are searching for that beautiful spot of heaven
for their horse to retire in,
and it's like, yeah, there really isn't a place like that.
It's kind of a fairytale.
Good girl.
[mellow guitar music]
Before I moved here, I had horses for 20 years,
and I never heard of a blind horse.
I come here, for some reason,
we have, you know, six, eight sometimes more,
you know, one eye blind or both eyes blind.
[mellow guitar music]
The horses were my place where I could relax, be myself.
They don't judge you.
They don't yell at you.
They just let you love on 'em.
[smacking lips] Good girl.
It's just kind of an indescribable thing.
[hair rustling]
When you get hooked on it, you can't undo it.
You can't change it.
This is where I belong, you know.
This is where I feel alive.
[mellow guitar music]