Siberian Woman Saving Abandoned Horses: 'I Believe This Will Be Our Year'
Half an hour«s drive from Novosibirsk, deep in the Kudryashovsky Pine Forest, there is a place where time seems to stand still. Here, horses that have been written off find peace. Some were injured in sports and became unnecessary, some were simply abused and thrown away like a tired toy, and some were raised specifically for meat. But now they are under the care of Tatiana Shelestova. On the eve of the Year of the Red Fire Horse (in the Chinese zodiac), we recall the story of a compassionate Siberian woman—she has created a unique place where animals once again feel love and care, and visitors receive a share of heartfelt warmth.
«The Lord Gave Me This Burden to Bear»
There are many shelters in the Novosibirsk region, but only one is for horses. The equestrian club and shelter «I Believe in Life» has become a haven for aged, injured, and unwanted horses, along with goats, sheep, cats, and dogs. This place was created by Siberian woman Tatiana Shelestova.
The woman fell in love with horses at the age of eight, while training at an Olympic reserve school. But even then, her child«s heart ached at how the noble animals were treated—like living exercise machines. Years passed, and fate took a sharp turn: the stable where she worked was being closed, and the horses were being prepared for slaughter.
«I couldn»t allow that,« Tatiana said simply. »I bought them.« Thus began her journey, which has stretched over two decades.
The first refuge was provided by a neighboring stable, and then an old plot with a former vegetable storehouse in the pine forest was found. The owner provides the land for free—Tatiana only pays the utilities.
«The owner of this plot is a very good man, I bow to him,» Tatiana acknowledged with warmth and anxiety. «But he is selling his plot, and we don»t know how long he will be doing it, a year or ten years. We are like sitting on a powder keg.«
The search for a new home runs into a harsh reality: millions of rubles (over $33,000 at current rates), which the non-profit shelter does not have. Starting fundraising is scary—there are many ill-wishers.
Today, the shelter is home to 15–17 «permanent» residents—elderly horses, disabled ones, victims of human cruelty. Another about 20 are private horses, and their board (16,000 rubles per month, about $178 at current rates) helps support the former. This is a model that Tatiana built herself.
«We have two departments: a riding school and the shelter department. We support the second with the first,» she explained.
Both adults and children come to the school, and lessons cost from 1,000 rubles (about $11 at current rates).
«Children learn not only horse riding, but also kindness and humanity,» says Tatiana.
A special focus is helping people with disabilities socialize. Next to the animals, they find peace and meaning.
The shelter«s territory is also a spontaneous home for all who have been abandoned. A separate pen is for sheep and goats that were once given as »birthday presents« and then brought here. More than 20 dogs are regularly tied to the trees at the gate.
«They know we won»t pass by,« Tatiana sighed.
Feeding this large family is a daily feat. Help comes from the restaurant of a neighboring sanatorium and rare but generous donations.
«Once a man from Moscow called and said he wanted to give a million rubles (about $11,100 at current rates). We thought it was a scam. It turned out his wife saw a report about us on NGS. He really did transfer the money. We used it to lay asphalt—it was very much needed,» Tatiana recalled the miracle.
She does not hide it: the work is grueling, there is no income, and her family does not always understand. Several times she wanted to give it all up.
«But everything always came back. So, it must be. Apparently, the Lord simply gave me this burden to bear,» she resigned herself.
A Year of Severe Trials
On the eve of the Year of the Red Fire Horse, we decided to find out what changes have occurred in the horse shelter over the past year, and whether Tatiana expects luck in the next—2026, being surrounded by symbols of the year. The conversation ultimately turned out to be not about hope, but about survival.
«You know, 2025 was a very difficult year,» Tatiana«s voice sounds tired. »In twenty years, we have never had it so hard. We had a lot of deaths this year… We thought we would close this year. It was difficult. No money, no food. A lot of deception, a lot of people set us up.«
Despite the fact that after the «NGS People»s Prize« more people learned about the shelter and even help appeared from the »Diktur« plant (its management donated a tractor), the fundamental problems are not solved. The land problem hangs over the shelter like the Sword of Damocles.
«It is at the same stage, no one can help. »Buy it yourself,« but we don»t have our own money. We continue to sit on a powder keg,« Tatiana stated.
The owner has set a price for the plot that is unrealistic for the shelter«s owner: about 30 million rubles (about $333,000 at current rates). And the main problem that those wishing to help face is the scale.
«This is not a little dog or cat that you can put in a cage. It»s hard for people,« the woman noted.
Volunteers, especially in winter, come rarely, unable to withstand the physical difficulties. And those who offer help with legal issues regarding the land often retreat when faced with the need for even small financial investments.
«For example, we need money to go to a notary, four and a half thousand rubles (about $50 at current rates). But for me, it»s more important to direct that money to treatment,« Tatiana explained.
Such situations often end in conflicts and resentments.
Nevertheless, life goes on. Two new horses appeared: one was taken from owners who left and could no longer care for the sick animal, the other—young and healthy—was bought from a classified ads website, saving it from a dubious fate.
The burden is growing. This year, 832,000 rubles (about $9,244 at current rates) were spent just on hay preparation, and this money must be repaid by July. Paradoxically, the approaching Year of the Horse did not cause a rush.
«I didn»t feel anything at all. We announced a photo shoot with the symbol of the year, people came, but somehow not actively,« Tatiana shared her observations.
Despite the problems, Tatiana«s voice does not sound broken, but rather a deep, philosophical resilience.
«I am generally a positive person, I try to find the positive in everything. We must live through every situation, every person, the Lord sends this to us,» she says. «You know, I truly believe: the Year of the Horse will come, and it will be our year.»
What Else to Read
Betting on a horse: a Siberian woman invested 1 million rubles (about $11,100) in horses with character. Did she manage to earn from it?
«They teased me for cleaning manure»: a Siberian woman found a hobby that is considered elite in Europe. Can you earn money from it?
«I stopped his actions with a horse»: a beauty on a white stallion—about service in the police, love for animals, and why she bit a horse.
