Recipient of the ASPCA Equine Welfare Award
Named 'Favorite Charity' in prestigious Equestrian Living Magazine's 2024 Gold List
FLEET of ANGELS
We help horses and the people who love them.
Emergency Grant Programs | Natural Disaster Relief | Emergency Event Management
About Fleet of Angels
Fleet of Angels was founded as a grassroots network in 2012 with the launch of a website featuring a database of horse trailer owners dedicated to helping at-risk equines reach safety at the lowest possible cost. 'Matchmaking' between trailer owners and horse rescuers in need of transport for the horses they were saving took off beyond all expectations. FOA founder Elaine Nash realized that the network that had formed and the processes that had been put in place could accomplish much more than just low-cost transportation for horses going to new homes. Multiple other features and services were integrated, making Fleet of Angels a uniquely prepared entity for helping horses in crisis. In January 2015, Fleet of Angels was officially granted tax-exempt nonprofit status, retroactive to 2013.
Since its early days, Fleet of Angels has steadily expanded its services. When the Covid pandemic required a change in how the organization operated, Fleet of Angels assessed what the needs of horses and their owners were, and determined that focusing primarily on grantmaking would be the most beneficial for horse owners and small rescues facing challenges that could potentially imperil their equines. Simultaneously, other organizations that rescue directors and horse owners had previously relied on for emergency funding were shifting away from offering grantmaking services. Fleet of Angels stepped up to fill that critical gap to as great a degree as possible. Today, Fleet of Angels provides a variety of grant and micro-grant programs to facilitate emergency horse care including purchasing hay, critical supplies, vet care, and transportation, assisting hundreds of people and supporting over 5,000 horses annually with funding and on-the-ground services.
Providing critical aid after natural disasters is a key focus of Fleet of Angels. Fleet of Angel strives to practice a 'first in, last out' philosophy for providing assistance when natural disasters create chaos for horses and their owners. The organization plays a vital role in ensuring that evacuated equines receive the necessary feed and care while displaced. Following the equine evacuation phase of disaster response, FOA typically establishes hay and supply banks to serve horses in affected areas for up to several months after a disaster. And, trough Fleet of Angels' grant programs, owners who have incurred damage to fences may qualify for funds for fence repair materials so they can keep their horses safely contained and well-cared for as they regroup, rebuild, and begin their recovery.
In 2017, Fleet of Angels was honored as the inaugural recipient of the ASPCA Equine Welfare Award for its extraordinary efforts in taking custody of 907 wild, starving, and neglected horses seized from a failed 'conservation program' by authorities in South Dakota. Through this mission, Fleet of Angels set two records: the most horses rescued in a single event and the most horses successfully adopted to approved homes within one year - after the hundreds of starved horses had been carefully fed and rehabilitated to a state of good health, and with dozens of mares foaling and hundreds of stallions being castrated. After securing custody of the horses by court order, the organization ensured that no horse was sent to its new home without its bonded companion, placing them only in pairs or groups for the emotional well-being of the horses. This unprecedented rescue effort gained national recognition, which only grew over the following months and years as the project proved to be a remarkable success. The horses saved through this mission are now famously known as The 907 Hallelujah Horses.
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Our Founder
Elaine Nash
Executive Director
Elaine Nash grew up on a ranch in New Mexico, where horses were her closest companions in an otherwise isolated world. By age 12, she was training horses for neighboring ranchers, and after high school, she operated her own training facility while attending college. She earned a degree in Education and Communications before moving to Nashville, TN, where she built an award-winning career in celebrity promotion, image development, and career management for entertainers. She also worked as a feature columnist for a leading Nashville entertainment industry magazine. Elaine founded Go West, the South's first art gallery dedicated to western and southwestern art, and frequently appeared on Nashville television programs as an expert in western-themed interior design. A published author, she has written numerous interviews, articles, stories, and jokes.
Her lifelong passion for horses remained constant. After leaving Nashville to raise her family in the West, she established a spacious equestrian facility in Colorado, where she trained horses using natural horsemanship techniques. She showed and cared for many horses, including her two national champion Andalusians, several rescued horses, and numerous family show and trail riding horses. As a certified equine appraiser, she also served as an expert witness in equine-related court cases.
Now a dedicated advocate for at-risk equines, Elaine devotes her time and resources to directing Fleet of Angels and developing new systems to help save and protect vulnerable horses. “I’m just doing for them now what horses have always done for me. Having horses saved my life,” she says.
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Our Board
Letitia Glenn
Board Member since 2018
Letitia Glenn grew up in the northeast, but spent most of her adult life in Colorado with her late husband, Art. Letitia and Art were co-founders of Natural Horseman Saddles, now known as Contour Saddles. As president of the company, Letitia has been researching saddle fit and designing saddles to facilitate the horse in motion since 2001. She has been invited to share her research with the veterinary profession and with top riders in every discipline. Letitia has a BFA from the University of Denver and served as an advertising agency art director, facilitating marketing programs for numerous agency clients. She later worked as an independent marketing consultant before setting work in that field aside to fully immerse herself in her many interests within the western way of life and the world of horses. She and Art were co-owners of "O'Farrell Hat Company" in Durango, Colorado, the internationally famous producer of some of the finest handcrafted western hats in the world. They discovered a passion for designing and developing the most comfortable lines of saddles known in the horse industry, and the rest is history. Letitia lives in Ocala, Florida. She is an avid rider who practices natural horsemanship, and adores her beautiful horse, Flash.
Marjorie Farabee
Board Member since 2023
Marjorie Farabee is one of the the country’s foremost experts on donkey behavior, health, and nutrition, even being consulted by veterinarians regarding treatment of certain donkey-specific conditions. She has also become a powerful advocate for both domestic donkeys and wild burros, and is admired and respected by animal protection cause leaders in the US and across the world. Farabee served as the Director of Wild Burro Affairs with Wild Horse Freedom Federation for several years, and founded the Wild Burro Protection League to bring public awareness to the plight of wild donkeys through advocacy events and presentations. In addition to her work with donkeys in Texas, Marjorie has also traveled to the states where wild burros are most at-risk, observing these critically endangered animals and working on solutions to their near-extinction because of mass removals from public lands by BLM. She has also traveled to the UK, Spain, Portugal, and Bonaire to meet with veterinarians, trainers and scientists who specialize in these animals and their unique health and emotional needs – and the dangers they face around the world.
Laura Hauenstein
Board Member since 2024
Laura Hauenstein is fulfilling a dream of dedicating her life to horses as the director of Reality’s Chance Rescue and Sanctuary in Pleasant Lake, MI. She founded the sanctuary in 2010, gaining nonprofit status in 2014, and focuses on rehabilitating and rehoming equines, including wild horses in need of gentle training. With experience in the legal field and as a consultant in insurance and risk management for the auto racing industry, Laura combines business expertise with deep equine knowledge. She leads a team of volunteers to create a healing space for both horses and people while raising awareness of the challenges rescues face. Committed to mentorship, she supports youth programs and Mustang Makeover events to shape the next generation of rescue leaders. She also prioritizes ongoing education in equine care, incorporating methods like Balance Through Movement and Equine Body Massage. As a member of the Homes for Horses Advisory Board, Laura is dedicated to advocacy and education, ensuring a “horse comes first” philosophy at Reality’s Chance.
Jon Ziarnik, PhD.
Emeritus
Jon Ziarnik spent his early years in Madison, Wisconsin, and by high school was living in Stockton, California. He went to college at the University of Oregon, majoring in Psychology, and then received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at University of Nevada in Reno. Rather than plying his trade by providing individuals with psychological advice, he developed a highly successful niche for himself as what he termed a 'corporate psychiatrist'. He doesn't treat people. Whole corporations are his patients. When a company has a serious internal conflict to resolve, they call Jon to sort out the issues. When a corporation wants to hire just the right upper level executive who'll be the perfect fit with the rest of the administration and board, they call Jon to help review each candidate to determine who's right for the job. Decades of experience in working with some of the brightest, most competitive and goal-oriented leaders in the corporate world has made Jon a marvelous asset to Fleet of Angels, making himself available to consult on the internal workings of our organization any time needed. Jon is living the good life on beautiful Cudjoe Key, FL with his dogs. He is an avid student of gastronomy, frequently enjoying his favorite pastime of creating exotic new recipes and testing them on his friends.
BUT WAIT - THERE'S MORE! . . .
SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR TERMINOLOGY:
WHAT DO WE CONSIDER TO BE AN
'AT-RISK EQUINE'?
An at-risk equine is a horse, pony, mule, or donkey- wild or domestic, that is at risk of losing its life as a result of being sold or given to a kill pen owner, buyer, transporter, or agent for any of the above.
*The term at-risk equine was coined by Elaine Nash, director of Fleet of Angels, after she studied the use of 'at-risk children' to describe abused children potentially facing lifelong psychological challenges. She recognized that 'at-risk' could also apply to horses in a distinct but meaningful way—specifically, those in danger of being slaughtered for meat. Today, 'at-risk equine' is a widely accepted term in equine advocacy, often replacing the outdated phrase 'unwanted horses'.
WHY ARE WE CALLED 'FLEET OF ANGELS'?
and
WHO QUALIFIES AS A FLEET OF ANGELS 'ANGEL'?
Fleet of Angels began as a grassroots network of horse trailer owners across the U.S. who registered as emergency transporters, helping horses reach veterinarians, new homes, or be evacuated safely from the paths of natural disasters. These volunteers formed the original "fleet." Over time, Fleet of Angels has expanded significantly, and today, the "fleet" includes countless individuals dedicated to equine welfare and advocacy.
We consider anyone an "angel" who has helped a horse in crisis—whether by donating funds, hay, or supplies; assisting with evacuation or emergency transport; supporting through social media or other advocacy; or taking action to secure safe shelter, veterinary care, or aid. This support, whether through Fleet of Angels or independently, makes a meaningful difference in the lives of at-risk horses and horses in crisis and, in our view, qualifies them as a truly valued angel to horses—our very favorite kind of people!
*WHAT DO WE CONSIDER TO BE AN
'EQUINE IN CRISIS'?
An 'equine in crisis' is a horse, pony, mule, or donkey- wild or domestic, that is in an emergency situation due to a natural disaster, health crisis, or other scenario in which the horse's safety or well-being is in jeopardy. Although a potentially slaughter-bound horse certainly is also 'in crisis', the term does not generally apply to equines in peril in that way.
WHY DO WE CALL THE WILD HORSES WE
RESCUED, REHABBED, AND PLACED,
'THE 907 HALLELUJAH HORSES'?
Backstory summary: In late 2016 at the request of the South Dakota courts, Fleet of Angels took ownership of 907 wild, neglected, starved wild horses that had been seized by authorities from a failed wild horse 'conservation' program in SD. Over a period of 585 days (October 18, 2016 - May 26, 2918) FOA's small staff successfully facilitated the refeeding, rehabilitation, and rehoming of the horses into safe, adoptive homes through a vetted application program. Mindful of both the physical and emotional needs of the horses, adoption coordinators arranged for almost all of the horses to go to their new homes with their bonded equine companion or in a group or family band.
Calling the horses - and the program 'The 907 Hallelujah Horses' started as a joke. Every time some of the 907 horses in our care were adopted and loaded into a trailer bound for their new home, we would cheer and shout, “Hallelujah!”—celebrating another horse finding a safe, loving place to call home.
One day, as the caregivers chatted about giving the entire effort a name, Honor—who has since become Fleet of Angels' grant manager—suggested, “How about ‘The 907 Hallelujah Horses’?” We all agreed, and the name stuck.
Since then, the 585-day mission has been known by that name—a fitting tribute that ties in beautifully with the "Fleet of Angels" theme. And, it always makes us smile to hear it.
WHY DO WE OFTEN SAY 'HORSES' WHEN WE ARE REFERRING TO 'ALL EQUINES'?
The word 'equine' is very common within our cause. In fact, 'equine advocacy', 'equine welfare', 'equine protection', and even 'equine activism' (not our favorite) are the terms generally used to describe this cause and it's participants. However, when writing for the general public, using the word 'horse' is more common and possibly more easily understood. After all, how often do you hear someone say, "I love equines!", when in fact they would confirm if asked, that they do love horses, donkeys, mules, ponies, minis, and even zebra and hybrids. That's what we mean when we say 'We help horses.' or use the word 'horses' anywhere in our materials. We mean all equines. Can you even imagine Fleet of Angels helping horses out of a bad situation, but leaving donkeys behind? That would never occur to us. So, just know that FLEET OF ANGELS LOVES EQUINES. All of them. Every. Single. One.