By Justin Andress The Mountain Times
For more than forty years, Leslie Roach has used R&R New Options Equine to protect horses who have suffered abuse or neglect. Presently, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit is home to 28 horses who rely on Roach for their well-being. But this small equine oasis is being threatened.
“We are a sanctuary,” says Leslie Roach. She’s a spirited woman who is clearly devoted to her work. The teenagers and volunteers surrounding Roach feed off her infectious enthusiasm for horses. The kids call her Aunt Les.
“I don’t want to be just a friend. I’m their instructor and their mentor,” she says of the title. She’s also an inspiration to people who support her ongoing cause to make life a little easier for the region’s overlooked horses.
For former student and current social media manager Ashanti, R&R New Options has been a reliable safe harbor her entire life. “I love it out here,” she says. “I love the community. I love the people. Honestly, I would hate to see this place fail. It’s everything to me.”
Though R&R New Options Equine plays several vital roles in the community, for Roach, providing a peaceful home for her horses is the top priority. It’s a topic on which she is equally passionate and informed. She can easily recount the origin story of every one of her 30-plus horse family.
As she walks the fields, Roach recalls the story of Jessica, a hinny who came to New Options in rough shape at the age of 30. “She lived in a little, round pen,” says Roach. “You couldn’t catch her. Her halter was grown into her face. The [previous owner] had gotten her when she was young and didn’t bother to learn how to care for an animal like that.”
As Roach discusses Jessica’s road to rehabilitation, the hinny herself wanders up to get some attention. Like the other animals at New Options, Jessica is sweet and gentle, a clear sign of the passionate care she receives.
R&R New Options started over 40 years ago with a single horse named Action. “I had to put him in a public stable. When I saw the way other people treated their horses, it hurt me. It hurt me deeply,” recounts Roach. The pain seems fresh in her mind. “But my dad said, ‘If you don’t like something, change it. And if you don’t want to change it, shut up, because no one wants to listen to you whine.’ So, I decided to change it, and thus New Options was born.”
Over the ensuing four decades, Roach acquired more animals in need and opened her facility to the public. Several high schoolers “sponsor” horses before they head off to college. This program teaches the kids responsibility while allowing them to commune with their chosen horses on a regular basis.
R&R New Options also works with mentally and physically disabled children and former soldiers who have post-traumatic stress disorder. The latter is a cause near to Roach’s heart as her own daughter deals with PTSD. “The horses are helpful with that process. It helps people heal. Horses are very healing animals.”
However, these programs are in jeopardy as Roach has been told it’s time to find another location for the sanctuary. “Our landlord told us that it would be a good idea to actively seek someplace else to put my 30 horses. They want to turn [the land] into a housing development. So I need to find a home where I can continue what I’m doing.”
As a result, Roach continues to hunt for a parcel of land big enough for her precious equines. Thirty acres is the goal, but Roach would happily make do with 20 acres.
“We have a place that’s safe for kids and people to go. I tell everyone, ‘If you have a problem with someone, you leave it outside the gate. You’ll work next to them. You’ll be nice. It’s not that hard to be nice.’”
The future of R&R New Options Equine is uncertain. Now, more than ever, they need help from the community they’ve supported for 40 years. To lend a hand (or donate some much-needed funds), visit rrnewoptions.com.