A home for the 'misfit' horses

By Amanda Dyslin
The Free Press

GOOD THUNDER January 06, 2007 11:59 pm

— The “why” is easy.
Why did Bruce and Jody Thisted purchase a farm south of Good Thunder and spend years collecting and caring for old and sick horses? Because of Jasmine and Trixie and Cookie and Dandy and all the other animals whose quality of life has been improved and probably prolonged because of the Thisteds’ care.
It’s the “how” that’s a little more complicated.
At the Thisteds’ farm, Misfit Acres, days begin early, they end late and there’s no such thing as a day off. The nine horses have to be fed — a couple of the older ones three times a day to keep on weight — and medications and treatments have to be given on a schedule.
There are chores to do and afternoon snacks to distribute, not to mention time needed to pet and play with their friends who they have grown to love so much. And, in the meantime, both Bruce and Jody have full-time jobs to support themselves and their “misfit” friends as a truck mechanic and bookkeeper, respectively.
But the time isn’t the couple’s main concern. It’s the money.
Each horse costs about $1,800 per year to care for, and that’s if they don’t have conditions that require special medications. Conservatively speaking, the Thisteds require more than $16,000 to care for the animals per year.
To help foot the cost, the couple has applied for and received grants, and receive donations from area businesses, such as Midwest Wireless, which donated $500 and a year of cell phone service on two phones.
They also utilize various fundraising methods. By collecting and recycling inkjet cartridges and cell phones, the couple raised about $1,500 in 2006. They also ask people to donate aluminum cans for recycling.
Their latest push has been the TerraCycle program. The couple is asking for donations of empty 20-ounce beverage bottles to be recycled by TerraCycle, a New Jersey company that makes all-natural plant food out of worm droppings and packages it in the bottles. Misfit Acres will receive 5 cents per bottle. And, as Jody can attest, every cent helps.
“We paid out of pocket at first,” Jody said. “Sometimes, when the checkbook’s low, we still do.”
The Thisteds say their passion began in 1994 when they met Lucky, Misfit Acres’ raison d’être and official mascot. The then 8-year-old horse was no longer wanted and wound up in the “kill pen,” meaning she was to be slaughtered in the United States and processed for human consumption in Europe and Asia. About 100,000 horses are sold and slaughtered for their meat per year, according to The Humane Society of the United States.
A man bought the horse before it was killed and resold her to the Thisteds. That’s how they learned about the horse slaughter industry in the U.S. And that’s when they decided to begin a horse sanctuary and save as many horses from slaughter as they could.
“I just fell in love with her beautiful eyes,” Jody said.
The couple moved from their home in St. Peter to their farm, and many horses moved in after them. As word of mouth spread and the couple became involved in animal sanctuary networks online, they learned of horses and even two dogs that needed a home, and they took in as many as they could.
Among the horses’ ailments are arthritis and moon blindness, a disease that may cause partial or total blindness. A couple of the animals are simply old. One has a rare hoof disorder that requires special attention.
Neither Bruce nor Jody has veterinary training. They learn as they go along, Jody said, and give the animals the best care they can.
But sometimes, there isn’t anything the Thisteds can do. Four horses have died since Misfit Acres began. Except for one, they were right by the animals’ sides.
“Horses that arrive at Misfit Acres will live out their remaining years here,” the couple wrote on the Web site. “We believe they enjoy being here as much as we enjoy having them. They seem to know that they are the ‘stars’ here and most of the cars that drive in are visitors for them.”

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