Country music legend Willie Nelson owns a 700-acre ranch in Texas called Luck, and the name isn’t a misnomer, especially for the 70 horses that live there.
They are fed by hand twice a day and have wide arable land to roam. But most importantly, almost all of them were saved from sIaughterhouses. Nelson’s horse rescue mission has been ongoing for the past few years and is actually a big part of why he named his property Luck Ranch.
“When you’re here, you’re lucky, and when you’re not, you’re not,” Nelson told ABC’s KSAT 12.
Horses are much more than a staple of his life on the farm – they also feature in his music. Nelson recently wrote a song about his beautiful rescue horses called “Ride Me Back Home,” which will appear on his album due out this summer. The 87-year-old singer-songwriter spends around 200 days on tour, so it makes sense that he would want a quieter life on the farm with his beloved horses.
However, rescuing horses is not the only type of philanthropy to which Nelson is committed. He also supports struggling American farmers through a non-profit organization he co-founded called Farm Aid.
For more than 30 years, Farm Aid has been committed to building “an agricultural system that values family farmers, good food, land and water, and strong communities,” according to its website.
Farm Aid also hosts annual food and music festivals where some of the biggest names in country music come together to raise money for farmers and show appreciation for all they do for this country.
Celebrities and public figures often give money to support causes they care about, but when they step out and make giving back part of their lives, it’s especially inspiring.
If you are interested in helping Nelson promote family farmers and the good food movement, there are many ways to get involved. If helping horses that need to be rescued and rehabilitated is more your thing, Habitat for Horses is a great place to start.
You don’t have to be famous or have a lot of money to be influential. All it takes is a little effort and effort to make the world a better, more humane and healthier place.
Watch Nelson’s full interview with XSAT here:
