(first published in the September 2025 issue)
This month celebrates the 20th anniversary of Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue in Mt. Airy. We caught up with Christine Hajek and asked her to tell us a little about the history of the rescue.
Q: What got you to start Gentle Giants?
A: Several things! I grew up on a small hobby horse farm in Howard County that bred warmbloods. I was drawing horses before I could even write, and a pony was the only item on the Christmas list until I got my first horse at 6. My first pony was from Eyler’s Stables in Thurmont, a little bay with a blaze I very creatively named Blaze. I bought her for $60. As a child, I had no control of when or how a horse would leave the farm.
At 28 I learned about the dirty little secret that is the horse slaughter industry, and at that moment I realized that slaughter was likely a fate that many of the horses I grew up loving faced; either by being sold at auction by my family, or by meeting the same outcome as they aged and ran out of viable homes.
Q: Was Manhattan your first out-of-area rescue?
A: Manhattan was our first New York City carriage horse, and finding him was a pivotal moment for Gentle Giants. The story of finding Manhattan at a slaughter auction and rescuing him for a only $360 made national news. His story led to a partnership among Gentle Giants and several of the carriage owners in New York in which Gentle Giants offered lifetime retirement of carriage horses. We have since expanded that service to New York City police horses. Now we offer that same retirement service to carriage and police horses in NYC and several other major metropolitan areas.
Q: Why draft horses?
A: Draft horses are over-represented in the slaughter industry. Drafts comprise less than 1% of the US population of horses if we look at breeds. But when it comes to horses exported for slaughter, between 6-10% of the horses are recorded as being drafts. The fact that drafts are easy to acquire, often are inexpensive, and have twice the mass of light breeds makes them easy prey for the horse slaughter industry. I also happen to love draft horses. I grew up riding mostly Thoroughbreds which meant I was well acquainted with the ground. It took one lesson on a Clydesdale to convince me that drafts were for me—wide, smooth, slow-strided, forgiving, and really hard to fall off of. I love riding and training, but I am not particularly talented at either, so drafts are a match made in heaven for me.
Q: What are some of Gentle Giants’s future plans?
A: Gentle Giants has many exciting plans on the horizon over the next few years—from a Center for Connection to introduce humans to the healing power of horses, to a specialized farrier center focusing on canker treatment, to an expansion into Ohio, to an active veterinary internship program, and much more. Gentle Giants is far from done growing!
Q: How can people best support Gentle Giants?
A: We would love for you to get involved! We always welcome volunteers to come help in person, with a very hands-on and encompassing volunteer experience that includes riding and driving! If that isn’t your cup of tea or you live too far away, we would welcome you to visit for a tour or attend one of our annual events. You can also offer your support through adoption, fostering a horse, or by simply sponsoring or donating! Gentle Giants also welcomes donations of stock and securities. You can also consider a legacy bequest to ensure the ongoing success of our mission.
