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Wesley Chapel rescue aims to heal horses and kids

Kayla came to Beverly Levitt's horse rescue two years ago after getting in some trouble. She was required to perform community service hours. She chose to work at the Wesley Chapel-based non-profit, Healing Horses One Child At A Time.

Kayla Davis confidently commanded her favorite horse around a muddy ring. Her ripped boots sloshed in the turf as she led “Brandy” around in a circle.

“She’s a completely different person here than she is at home,” said Kayla’s mother, Teri Davis. “I would have never in a million years seen Kayla doing this. She’s taking care of a 1,200-pound horse!”

Kayla came to Beverly Levitt’s horse rescue two years ago after getting into some trouble. She was required to perform community service hours. She chose to work at the Wesley Chapel-based non-profit, Healing Horses One Child At A Time.

She hasn’t left.

“Kayla has come so far. I’m so proud of her,” said Levitt. “She had an attitude when she started here. She was definitely a teenager.”

That’s just one of the personality traits Levitt hopes shows up at her home. Healing Horses is a place dedicated to providing permanent sanctuary for rescued horses and joining them with children with special needs, physical or emotional disabilities, and at-risk youth.

Levitt has lived in Wesley Chapel for 31 years. She started Healing Horses in 2010.

“Some run-in with the law, others problems at home, others problems at school,” said Katie Heissler, a college student, who has been coming to the rescue since she was 13.

Healing Horses operates solely on donations. On Tuesday, a local restaurant chain, Chuy’s, donated $4,875.31 to Levitt. It’s enough to pay for one month of expenses at the non-profit.

"We can't express how grateful we are for Chuy's support. Thanks to their generosity and the support of the community, we will be able to continue our mission and help countless neglected horses and local youth," said Levitt.

In 2010, Levitt got a call asking if she had pasture space for six horses. The animals were in bad shape. She agreed to take them, but on the morning when the animals arrived, there were 11 horses instead of six.

“I said, ‘We’’, I guess I’ll roll up my sleeves and get them well,’ ” she said.

That was the beginning of Healing Horses One Child At A Time. Since then, dozens of people, including ailing seniors, have come to spend time with the horses. At times, she’s had up to 25 horses. Levitt doesn’t charge visitors any money to spend time with the animals.

“We all benefit,” she said. “We are all volunteers. Nobody gets paid. Everybody gets something out of it. No one comes here who doesn’t have a need.

“And I get the benefit of everybody getting a benefit.”

She likes to say the horses that arrive on her property have a sanctuary for life.

“It’s my second home. Always has been. Always will be,” said Heissler. “When I first started coming here, I didn’t really know what I was doing with my life. Throughout the years here, I found a new confidence.”

If you’d like to donate to Healing Horses One Child At A Time, visit their donation site or Facebook.

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