Grand Valley Horse Rescue Celebrates Bond with Horses on Valentine’s Day

On February 14, 2026, the Grand Valley Horse Rescue (GVHR) in Grand Junction, Colorado, hosted its inaugural “Hug a Horse” event. This heartwarming occasion invited the community to celebrate the special relationship between humans and horses. Families and local residents were welcomed to the facility to engage with the rescue’s mission, experiencing firsthand the joy and therapeutic benefits of spending time with these gentle animals.

The afternoon featured various activities, including horse grooming and property tours, allowing attendees to interact closely with the horses. According to Heather Thom, Treasurer for GVHR, the event aimed to highlight both the enjoyable aspects of horse interaction and the deeper emotional wellness benefits. “This is our first annual Hug a Horse event,” Thom stated. “Families and people in the valley came to see what we do, hug a horse, groom a horse, and just spend some time with them.”

Research indicates that spending time with horses can have significant calming effects on individuals. “Just spending time with a horse, your heart rate and the horse’s heart rate kind of sync,” Thom explained. “It helps with calmness and calms your emotions, lowering your heart rate.” This therapeutic aspect emphasizes the importance of GVHR’s work, which extends beyond animal care to foster meaningful human connections.

Rescue Mission and Community Support

While events like Hug a Horse promote joy and awareness, the core mission of GVHR focuses on rehabilitating horses and finding them permanent homes. “Once they come to us, we rehabilitate them however we need to, whatever the horse needs,” Thom elaborated. “The ultimate goal is to adopt them out to a family so they can continue to love and enjoy the horse.”

Supporting these efforts requires considerable resources. Each horse incurs an average monthly cost of approximately $525, which covers essential expenses such as boarding, hay, special medications, and veterinary care. “We don’t own the property, so we pay board,” noted Thom. “The hay we provide for them twice a day, medications for horses with conditions, vet care, hoof care—it all adds up quickly.”

As a volunteer-run organization, GVHR relies heavily on the generosity of the community to sustain its operations. “All of us are volunteers, and it takes quite a bit of money to support all of our horses,” Thom emphasized. The rescue’s success hinges on community involvement, whether through hands-on volunteering, financial contributions, or supply donations.

Get Involved

For those interested in supporting the Grand Valley Horse Rescue, there are numerous opportunities to make a difference. Volunteers can engage directly with the animals, while others can contribute financially or through supplies. To learn more about volunteering, donations, and the ongoing work at GVHR, visit their official website.

The Hug a Horse event not only entertained attendees but also reinforced the critical mission of the Grand Valley Horse Rescue. By highlighting the benefits of human-animal connections, the event served as a reminder of the profound impact that caring for horses can have on individuals and the community as a whole.