Willie Nelson's Luck Ranch Is Home To 70 Horses Saved From Slaughter

Take a visit to Luck Ranch about 30 miles outside Austin, TX, and you'll find 70 of the luckiest horses you'll ever meet. Not long ago, they were bound for the slaughterhouse. They had nowhere to go and no hope of survival, but that was before they caught the attention of country music legend Willie Nelson. The iconic rocker and long-time horse advocate rescued them from that life of pain and over years has brought each one to live happily on his 700-acre ranch. The singer's life might revolve around guitars and concerts, but he's also dedicated to saving horses from slaughter.

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The name of Nelson's private ranch is no coincidence. He told KSAT 12 News that he named his ranch "Luck Ranch" for a very specific reason. He said,

"When you're here, you're in Luck. And when you're not, you're out of luck."

With most of the horses coming from rescue situations, Luck is the perfect name. Nelson says his horses are the luckiest horses in the world, and regardless of their backgrounds, they're now safe from slaughter and abuse. All the horses on Nelson's ranch are hand-fed twice a day, and they enjoy relaxing lives with plenty of room to run and roam. 

Spending around 200 days a year traveling and touring doesn't leave Nelson with much time to spend on his ranch, but he manages to make rescuing horses a big part of his life. He's a well-known advocate for rescue horses and strongly supports Habitat for Horses, an organization working to end the slaughter of horses. His recent song, "Ride Me Back Home," is testament to his passion for horses, and in 2015 he released a video called, "The Love of Horses."

Nearing his 87th birthday, Nelson isn't slowing down anytime soon. He's still making music and performing for big crowds, but when he puts down his guitar and heads home, he loves being at Luck Ranch with his herd of rescue horses. 

h/t: KSAT 12