Did you know Lovettsville, Virginia is home to a special animal rescue that saves horse lives?

In this episode of Give, Work, Play, we’re taking you to The Gingersnap Girls Equine Education and Rescue Foundation, a non-profit organization that saves horses from bad situations. We’ll chat with owner Ann Mercer to learn more about their history and mission to care for these beautiful animals

The Gingersnap Girls Foundation

The Gingersnap Girls Foundation is located in Lovettsville, Virginia. They help abused, neglected, and homeless horses and ponies—as well as their human companions. We’re here today because of GBT GivesBack, a program we here at the Give Back Team have to directly impact local charities in our community.

The Gingersnap Girls Foundation was started in 2004 and has since been on a quest to help save slaughter-bound equines. They also provide aid to any equine that endured abuse or neglect. The Gingersnap Girls got its name from the three mares in whose honor it was founded.

All had developed a very healthy appetite for and an ongoing love of gingersnap cookies. As Ann puts it, years later the name stuck—and I, for one, happened to love it.

Meet The Horses

Ann took us around to meet the horses, starting with Rudy. She and her late husband were called about him when his people just drove away one day and left him behind.

“When they were asked to take him in, he was a baby. They picked him up and he has been nothing but wonderful since. He was fostered and is now well-loved and perfectly behaved.”

Another one of the rescues is June, a blind horse that is now able to handle herself much better than when she first arrived. Before, she would bump into things frequently. Now, she knows exactly how to get her hands on a delicious gingersnap.

GBT GivesBack

Here at the Give Back Team, we give back to the charity of our client's choice after closing and do a lot within the communities, too. This year, we started a program called GBT GivesBack to help local nonprofits.

Big charities already have a voice, and we want to support local organizations that might not get the same attention. These charities include animal rescues, military-related groups, domestic abuse, food pantries, and more. The Gingersnap Girls Foundation was nominated by the community, and we were able to present them with a check to support their ongoing efforts to rescue horses.

How You Can Help Gingersnap Girls

For those who want to help support Gingersnap Girls Foundation, there are a few ways to do so. Volunteer or donate, people can send a direct email to info@gingersnapgirls.org or mercerpayton@aol.com. You can also visit their Facebook page for more information.

The most important need for The Gingersnap Girls Foundation is financial support. Going into winter, they buy more feed and hay. They also have a lot of vet bills. While they do need physical help, they mostly need it from people who have a little bit of experience.

They’ll also have more horses coming in soon that will need to go out to adoptive homes. So if you’re looking to adopt a horse, be sure to reach out to The Gingersnap Girls Foundation. These horses get plenty of love and attention and would love to find a permanent home.

Thanks for joining me on this episode of Give, Work, Play. Be sure to subscribe to our youtube channel so you never miss an episode, and stay tuned to see what I feature next!