More than a decade ago, when Spring Valley’s Christa Cooper was searching for volunteer opportunities that she could do alongside her young daughters, then ages 5 and 7, she found a nonprofit that needed their help — Days End Farm Horse Rescue. There, she and her girls could work together filling buckets with feed and bonding with the horses — tasks vital to the operations of the farm, a special place dedicated to rehabilitating neglected horses. The experience sang to lifetime equestrian Christa, who rode her pinto pony as a child in Massachusetts, and often spent time riding at her grandparents’ farm outside Pittsburgh, where they bred quarter horses.

The Coopers moved to DC from Bermuda when Brian founded Potomac Elevator Company. In 2006, they established roots in Spring Valley, where Christa, an exercise physiologist with a masters degree in rehabilitation, is known for coaching morning strength workouts in the neighborhood and speed workouts at American University’s track as well as for volunteering at Horace Mann Elementary School's science program.

After working with her daughters at Days End Farm Horse Rescue (known for its acronym DEFHR), Christa joined their board of directors. She and many others have helped the Woodbine, Maryland, farm grow into a nationally renowned full scale rescue and rehabilitation 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which shelters an average of 125 horses per year. DEFHR is a trusted resource for law enforcement, assisting in equine cruelty cases and providing critical support and rehabilitation for horses seized from neglect situations. The organization's success is driven by their mission --  intervention, education and outreach -- ensuring that horses in need receive the care and second chances they deserve. 

DEFHR's mission is further strengthened by its motto: “kindness is an action, compassion is a solution and change is on the horizon.” It’s this spirit that drives volunteers to help with filling upwards of 150 buckets of feed a day full of each horse's unique and specific diet. Under staff oversight and direction, volunteers help make up the feed and then distribute it to each of the feeding stations. When the barns are full with critically ill horses or super-seniors, feeding can happen four, even five times a day. 

Horse experience is not required for becoming involved. Some volunteers only have as much knowledge about horses as what they learned from watching Secretariat! Volunteers play an integral role in supporting the rehabilitation process, providing hands-on care, and contributing to the horses’ overall well-being. 

At the start of 2025 DEFHR team was caring for 68 horses. One of those is Qelty. When Qelty arrived in 2023, she was lethargic and severely emaciated. Infested with lice, she suffered from acute dermatitis and battled a raging, medication-resistant sinus infection that required extensive medical intervention. Despite these challenges, Qelty defied the odds. She is now a stunning mare and on her way to being ready for adoption. As of mid-March, 14 horses were ready for adoptive homes. Horses not ready for adoption also need angel adopters for care and bonding as they go through rehabilitation.

Christa also is co-founder of HorseHubDC, a vibrant social media community on facebook and Instagram dedicated to connecting equine enthusiasts of all disciplines inside and outside the sport. It promotes regional equine events, has regular fundraisers and accepts donations for horse supplies to help stock DEFHR’s used tack shop. Christa teaches early horsemanship through PonyLOVE, Horsemanship for the Very Young, an on-farm pony experience focused on teaching children how to communicate and connect with ponies. Many Spring Valley children may remember meeting PonyLOVE's Biscuit. Now sadly deceased, Biscuit's popular appearance at the Spring Valley's Halloween party also helped raise funds for DEFHR.  

Even if the only thing you know about horses is that they neigh, Days End Farm Horse Rescue would love to host your business, school, or group of friends. Anyone can help, whether for a couple of hours or a whole day. You can even sign up to participate or volunteer for their annual Equine Welfare Golf Tournament held June 12th.

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 Days End Farm Horse Rescue

Days End Farm Horse Rescue (DEFHR) was founded in 1989 by Kathleen Schwartz Howe when she was faced with an emaciated and abandoned buckskin gelding named Toby. Through the process of bringing Toby back to health, it became clear that someone needed to be held accountable for the neglect he suffered. Law enforcement lacked the necessary resources to take on equine cruelty cases, highlighting the need for a dedicated organization to support their efforts. DEFHR became a safe haven for at-risk horses as well as a critical resource in the legal process--providing expertise, documentation, and testimony to ensure justice for equines in need. Early on, DEFHR was a small volunteer-run nonprofit, but through hard work it has become a full scale rescue and rehabilitation facility, sheltering an average of 125 horses per year. 

The first step to impacting a horse's welfare is intervention. Once law enforcement rescues a horse from neglect, abuse, or abandonment, DEFHR  supports the legal process and provides immediate care, ongoing monitoring, and thorough evaluation to ensure its path to rehabilitation and a second chance at life. Everything is meticulously recorded and monitored, as the majority of the horses arrive as part of an ongoing investigation, and their health-or lack there of- must be documented for court proceedings. Once a horse is stable, they begin receiving focused, comprehensive horsemanship training to help them become ready for adoption, whether as a riding partner or a companion for a loving family. 

Another step in impacting equine welfare is through education. 

DEFHR offers many ways to get involved including onsite internships, youth camps, scout days, homeschool education, field trips, farm tours, corporate volunteer impact days, basic horse care classes and continuing education for industry professionals such as equine cruelty investigation classes, and large animal rescue training.