THE RESCUERS—Heart of a Horse president April Horowitz and advisory committee member Kevin Smith, a veterinarian from Ventura, are working to rescue abandoned and neglected horses. The organization helps to feed and find homes for the animals. Motivated by the death of a neighbor’s neglected horse, Moorpark resident April Horowitz founded the nonprofit Heart of a Horse in 2008.

The organization facilitates the rescue of ill-treated equines and educates owners on proper care and training practices.

“Horses are beautiful animals with a big heart,” Horowitz said. “They give so much of themselves, going against their natural instincts to allow people to train them . . . so when they’re rejected, it’s very painful for me.”

In less than two years, the organization has already improved the well-being of many local animals.

Heart of a Horse is providing feed and veterinary care to 110 starving horses discovered on a ranch in the Lockwood Valley about a year ago and is assisting with adoption of the animals.

The nonprofit is also helping a 75-year-old Conejo Valley rancher who’s caring for 20 horses abandoned by their owners due to hardship.

“The ranch owner lives on a very modest income and cannot keep up their support by herself,” Horowitz said, “so Heart of a Horse is providing feed through its Hay Stamp program while volunteers are helping to find new homes for the animals.”

Presently, more than 100,000 horses in the U.S. are unwanted, Horowitz said. Many of them are abandoned or sold off for slaughter, but some of the worst cases of neglect occur in backyards and barns when well-intentioned people who love their animals get overwhelmed and don’t know how to reach out for help.

In the long-term, Horowitz said, she wants to build a national support system for horses and their owners. She’s already created a network of celebrities and animal welfare support groups to back Heart of a Horse.

Actor Robert Duvall, who serves on the nonprofit’s board of directors, said Horowitz’s desire to preserve the sense of horsemanship in America and assist neglected horses is honorable.

“April’s motivation is very worthwhile, so when she approached me, I was certainly willing to go along with whatever is needed to help her with her cause,” Duvall said.

Duvall and his wife, Luciana, became acquainted with Horowitz when she visited their Virginia farm to film a documentary.

“If you’re around horses, you have to respect them. . . . They’re not like dogs and they’re not machines, so you have to be careful,” Duvall said, noting that he was introduced to horses at the age of 13 while visiting his uncle’s ranch in Northern Montana.

“It gave me a foundation for being in Westerns,” said the 78year-old actor, whose favorite role was Texas ranger Augustus McRae in the 1989 TV mini-series “Lonesome Dove.”

Luciana Duvall, who began to ride horses competitively while growing up in Argentina, said she and her husband both endorse modern training techniques that don’t involve brutality to acclimate horses.

“We support everything that prevents cruelty,” she said.

Hidden Hills resident Julie Hainer, who owns five horses, said she’s impressed with Horowitz’s passion.

“April didn’t grow up around horses, so her organization was started out of pure compassion from watching her next-door neighbor’s horse suffer,” she said.

Hainer leads a philanthropic youth group that will host a garage sale benefiting Heart of a Horse next month.

Besides supplying basic necessities and services, the organization also plans to create a national 911 adoption service for abandoned or neglected horses, said Dr. Kevin Smith, a mobile Ventura County veterinarian who’s partnered with Horowitz to prevent horse abuse.

Current economic challenges have caused an increase in cases of neglect, and Heart of a Horse wants to solve problems before they escalate, Smith said.

“There are many horses in this area, so April and I are just getting things organized. My biggest thing is educating people about how to deal with difficult situations,” Smith said.

In addition to adequate food and shelter, horses need contact with human beings and regular exercise.

“If that doesn’t occur, it’s neglect. It’s like having kids and not doing things with them,” Smith said.

Neglected horses aren’t always noticeably injured or emaciated. Those that don’t get proper grooming, veterinary care and frequent outings can suffer because they get depressed and their muscles can become atrophied, Smith added.

Heart of a Horse is awaiting approval for its tax-exemption license.

Last spring, Horowitz was nominated for a People magazine “All Stars Among Us” award in conjunction with Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game for her work with horse rescue.

To learn more about Heart of a Horse, visit the website www.heartofahorse.com.