Sir, Trooper, and the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene: Western North Carolina’s Horse Crisis
By Eric Barton
He’s named Sir, the draft horse with hooves as wide as feed buckets. Just a big puppy, they say, because he’ll follow you around the pasture for attention.
Trooper is a Tennessee Walker, and the white blaze streaking down his nose, like a lightning bolt, mirrors his fire. He’s skittish at first, but once you earn his trust, he’s yours.
Just recently, both were starving and skeletal, their coats stretched taut over their frames. Hurricane Helene had ravaged their Asheville farm, leaving them without food, water, or shelter.
Katie Raylynn, a small-scale horse farmer from Mount Holly, heard about their plight and drove two hours with her trailer to rescue them. “They were ready to go home with me,” she says. And while Sir and Trooper are now thriving in her pasture, their story is just one of many unfolding across Western North Carolina.
Since Helene turned creeks and streams into rivers of destruction on Sept. 27, horses in Western North Carolina have needed new homes like never before. Hope for Horses, which typically rescues four or five horses when cold sets in, predicts dozens may need new homes this winter. The reason comes down to a lack of feed, since Helene’s winds and rising waters destroyed barns and all the hay inside. Since then, farmers from a thousand-mile radius have arrived to donate flatbeds of hay.
But with few places to store the deliveries, Kathleen Kelley, who runs Hope for Horses, expects the region will run out of feed mid-winter, leading to a scramble to find a home for starving animals. “All these big hearts were ready to race and come save us, but we need more hay a few months from now. I just hope it continues.”
Sir after his rescue
Kelley has been working nonstop since the storm. “We did get pretty hammered,” Kelley says. Fall is usually the time when farmers stock up on hay for winter. “You feel like a happy, ready-to-hibernate farmer when you’ve got your hay supply,” she says. But Helene’s rains rendered much of the region’s hay moldy and useless.
Donations have come pouring in from other states. Kelley recently coordinated the delivery of 800 bales of hay from Pennsylvania and New York. Volunteers have helped unload flatbeds, and barns across the region are now makeshift storage facilities. Still, the problem is far from solved. “Come December, January, and February, we’re going to be feeding out a lot of hay,” Kelley warns. Without adequate storage, donated hay risks exposure to the elements, and Kelley anticipates another scramble mid-winter.
Adding to the challenge, many affected areas remain inaccessible. Bridges are washed out, and some farms have become islands. “The big question is whether a semi can even get in,” Kelley explains. While immediate needs are being met, long-term solutions—like storage containers and continued support—are essential.
Hay exposed to the rain and elements rots under the remnants of a destroyed barn
Raylynn, owner of Tench Estates, says she ended up adopting Sir and Trooper after a social media post. “At the time this happened, I just happened to have a two-acre pasture open,” she says. Her post offered to help, and soon got a message from a man in Asheville about the two starving horses.
Loading them into the trailer wasn’t easy. The draft horse, Sir, was so tired and flustered that he barely resisted. Trooper, though nervous, quickly warmed up to her. “He’s got the most beautiful blaze on his nose,” Raylynn says. It’s like he knows he’s handsome.
Both horses are now in quarantine on Raylynn’s farm, recovering and gaining weight. A vet visit confirmed they’re in decent health for their age—both in their twenties. “They’re decompressing,” Raylynn says, adding that it will take time before they’re ready to be ridden. Whether their original owner, an 80-year-old woman overwhelmed by the storm’s aftermath, will reclaim them remains uncertain. “It wasn’t an easy decision for her. Our horses are like our children,” Raylynn says.
The devastation isn’t limited to horses. Farmers across Western North Carolina are grappling with the loss of infrastructure and resources. Kelley notes that winter is typically the busiest time for horse rescues. Owners surrender animals they can no longer afford to feed, and Hope for Horses works to rehome them or provide temporary support. “This year, I think that’s going to be a lot heavier,” Kelley predicts.
Farmers deliver hay to North Carolina
Hope for Horses has long operated a “hay bank,” allowing struggling farmers to pick up a few days’ worth of feed. But the demand this winter could double. Kelley fears burnout—not just for the horses, but for the farmers and rescuers themselves. “It’s absolutely emotional,” she says. “I think if I ever got used to it, I shouldn’t do what I do.”
The response to Helene’s aftermath has been heartening. Farmers, volunteers, and donors have stepped up. Kelley points to barns filling with hay, like Lazy K Farm’s 600 bales (that farm has begun a GoFundMe to raise funds). Regional hubs like the WNC Livestock Center are offering temporary storage. Raylynn credits social media for connecting her with Sir and Trooper. But the question remains: will the momentum last through winter?
Trooper, left, and Sir have begun to fill out since their rescue
For Kelley and others, the focus now is on preparation—ensuring storage, organizing donations, and raising funds. “It’s feeling a little less grim,” she says. “If people just keep the momentum.”
For Sir and Trooper, and countless others like them, that momentum could mean the difference between life and death.
Editor’s Note: Learn more about adopting a horse or donating to the efforts at hopeforhorses.org. To donate to North Carolina recovery efforts—a list of organizations can be found here.
The Complete Guide to Asheville
Best Things to do in Asheville
Asheville is one of those places where you can experience a little bit of everything—from outdoor adventures to quirky cultural spots, all while sipping a craft beer.
Asheville’s Best Restaurants
Allow me, a seasoned Asheville eater, to guide you through six of the best spots in a town where you can’t throw a stone without hitting a farm-to-table gem.
The Best Hotels in Asheville
Whether you’re here to hike, eat, or just soak up the mountain vibes, these five hotels are the ones to book if you want to do Asheville right.
After the destruction of Helene, chefs and restaurants in Asheville have appealed to customers to help their employees pay the bills.