Rescue - What makes a good one?

Rescue is one of the things that is near and dear to my heart. I spent years of my time and thousands upon thousands of dollars in helping horses.

First of all – there is no money in rescue. Not even a little bit. If you are lucky, adoption/rehoming fees will cover the feed bill – nevermind the vet or farrier. The most successful rescues have lots of volunteers, lots of land, and a great fundraising strategy. (This means actual events or organized mailings/flyers/word of mouth/sponsorships – not just begging for money online.) There is a limit on the horses they can take in, and a limit on the rehabbing efforts they will put into any one horse. It would be nice if rescues could spend $5000 for surgery for each horse, but that $5000 spent to keep a permanently lame horse alive might be better spent feeding several otherwise healthy, ridable horses.

In my opinion, a REAL rescue rehabs AND trains the horses before rehoming them. There is a place for retirement farms – hopefully funded by those who used the horse for years before providing that green pasture. However, a horse has the best chance at a good life if it is trained. Plus, rehoming horses leaves a spot open for the next, and the next, and the next…. There are always more in need out there.

When looking for a rescue to support, I do a lot of research. There are several things I like to see before my money goes anywhere.

1. Is the rescue 501c-3 certified?
This is not necessary for a good rescue, but most of the good ones have gone through the trouble to get certified. Plus, you can easily look up previous year’s financial reports.

2. Can you visit the facilities?
If they will not let you visit, this is a red flag. Expect to have to make an appointment. They might have to arrange for a knowledgable volunteer to be there to answer questions. They may also require you to sign a hold harmless form – accidents do happen, especially around horses. The facilities should be clean, and in good repair. They do not need to be expensive -just adequate shelter, safe fencing, clean water. Stalls should have been cleaned in the last 24 hours.

3. Can you see pictures/hear success stories?
Online or in person, they should be brimming with pride at their successes, and ready to show the kind of difference they have made.

4. Is there an adoption contract?
Read it all the way through. It does not need to be iron-clad, but it should show that some effort is going into rehoming the horses. It is personal preference whether the adopter owns the horse, or if title remains with the rescue.

5. Is there a regular vet on call?
A rescue is usually tight on funds, and I would expect them to be able to care for minor issues on their own. However, they should have a good working relationship with a vet for those larger problems. This also holds true for a farrier. It is nice to be able to do trimming without the expense of a farrier, but one should be available for big problems.

I also do not think that a general rescue should be breeding. There are exceptions – if there is a breed rescue who also provides well-bred foals for a specific purpose – but there should certainly not be any questionable/random breeding going on.

I have found that rescued horses are very greatful. They make excellent mounts. If you are looking for a horse, think about adopting a rescue. Just research first!