CLINTON, Utah — At this time of year, Lazy B Equine Rescue founders Kelsey and Gunnar Bjorkland would normally be preparing for spring and summer activities with their horses. The organization which works to save horses was established in 2017 by the couple as a non-profit.
"We'd be doing a lot of trail riding, a lot more more of a horseback riding lessons," said Kelsey.
This year, their equestrian is still deep in water, manure is unable to be retrieved due to snow, and on snow days most rescue horses remain in their pens.
"They're all rescues they have their own health issues, so these guys they stay stalled in doors when the weather is really bad," Kelsey said. "The colder the weather, the more wet they are, the more health problems could arise."
The Bjorklands and 3 of their employees and other volunteers currently care for and house 54 horses from all backgrounds and situations by feeding, caring, cleaning, and socializing them.
The snow makes their daily tasks much harder and longer.
"It's harder for me especially if I have a whole cart of hay to heave it through the snow and kind of pull it out through the mud; a lot of their troughs get frozen and frozen hoses, that's a hard one too, we have to drain the hoses every time we fill them up," Kelsey said.
The Bjorklands say they're not the only ones struggling. Friends with farms, pastures, and livestock are having a hard time as well.
"One of my good friends has a barn in Farr West and she has five or six horses and her entire pasture is completely covered in water, it's just a big lake, and she's considering moving out of the state because it's been so bad," Kelsey said.
That situation is something the Bjorklands can relate to as their normal parking lot looks more like a small lake. The saving grace for their animals has been their barn, but it's not a luxury many livestock owners have.
"In Utah, there are horses always outside on pasture. This year it's just so muddy and so wet horses don't have anywhere to go that's dry," Gunnar said.
Although it's been a long winter, the Bjorklands are hopeful spring weather will be here soon and their horses can get outside again.
"We have a lot of client that take lessons from us and we've had to cancel quite a few lessons because of the weather being so cold and so muddy," Gunnar said. "We're really excited to get our clients back on the horse and get back on horses ourselves."
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