BAY CITY, Mich. -- Two kids with big hearts are helping former show horses live out the rest of their lives.

Reese and Parker Haller, ages 11 and 8, are only in grade school, but together they are keeping dozens of horses from being put down.

“Every horse has a story and they can end it with us,” said Reese Haller, one of the founders of Healing Acres, a nonprofit organization in Bay City.

Think of it as a 15-acre retirement home for horses.

Parker also helps out on the farm. “They usually get up to 25 [years old],” said Parker. While many horses can live to be that old, they often retire by the age of 18.

One horse at Healing Acres was purchased for a child many years ago but every time the girl tried to ride her, she would collapse.

That was because the horse, aptly named Toughy, had arthritis in her joints. Toughy is now living out her life at the farm, which is also Reese and Parker’s home.

The two boys are responsible for many chores on the farm.

“We really take care of the horse and just feed them,” said Parker. “And then let them eat so that they can have a happy life.”

“We have to wash them a little bit, maybe once a month, because they are horses, yah they do get dirty,” said Reese.

For more information about Healing Acres, click on their Web site here.