LISBON – All year, Greene Central School sixth-grader Ariel Hack worked hard to get A’s.

Aside from excelling, she had an extra incentive. For every A she received, her family gave her $1. She saved the dollars, then donated the money to a farm that helps horses that have been been abused or neglected.

“I love horses,” the 11-year-old said Monday.

She and other sixth-graders at the school raised $1,600 this year for the horses at Rockin’ T Equine Rescue in Lisbon.

On Monday, the students took a field trip to the farm, which is home to 38 horses, five goats, one donkey, and assorted dogs and chickens. All had been beaten or neglected before being taken in by the rescue operation.

Before students went into the stables, teacher Nancy Flick presented owner Janet Tuttle with the last of the fundraising: a check for $679.25 students made by holding a dance.

“Thank you so much!” Tuttle gushed as she hugged Flick and smiled at the sixth-graders. “I think this is just wonderful.”

Soon they followed Tuttle into the stalls.

Gypsy, a black filly, poked her nose out when company came near. Gypsy has no hip socket and her knees are going. When Tuttle took her in, she was supposed to live two years. “I’ve had her six.”

Around the corner was Lady’s Adam. “This guy’s an old breeding stallion. Don’t get real close. He’s not mean, but he will grab,” Tuttle said. Adam, who sired many racehorses, was headed for the slaughterhouse when Tuttle got him.

Another horse, Buck, poked his head out of a stall, seeming to want attention. Buck has a shoulder injury that does not allow him to be ridden. His nostrils moved as he sniffed the arms of students standing close. The sixth-graders laughed.

“I think this is heaven,” said Tayelor Gosselin. “I love horses, and there’s so many.”

After meeting the horses, Dakota Duncan and Taylor Merrill said Tuttle is kind to care for horses. “There’s not a lot of people like her,” Dakota said.

Taylor said he’s glad they decided to help horses. “It’s a good feeling.”

Flick explained that last fall she gave the three sixth-grade classes choices on which community project they could do. Flick had heard about Tuttle’s horse rescue efforts and invited her to talk to students about it.

Tuttle told them about how some horses were badly beaten, with broken legs, were lice infested and so underweight that they came close to dying. Many were about to be killed because they were getting older, or weren’t healthy enough to be ridden.

After hearing from Tuttle, the students launched a ‘Hearts for Horses’ campaign, raising money through Valentine’s lollipop sales, bottle drives and dances.

“They’re very unselfish kids,” Flick said.