Guest Post: Buying vs. Rescuing
Jan 27 2012
This guest post is by a regular reader; you may know her from the comments section as “Charm”.
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The Rescue Fetish
I recently traded for a new horse. Believe me, I really tried to turn Sugar into a forever horse; she just wasn’t the one for me. She needed someone younger, who didn’t mind the dancing, prancing, and sometimes manic behavior of an 11 year old mare who consistently wanted to GOOOOO…
Yes, I traded her away. In her place is a much quieter, more laid back little mare who is already squirming her way into my heart. Sugar’s new owner seems very happy so far, I’m happy, and the other people involved are happy. Of course there are a few grumbles, elsewhere—just a few little whispers on the wind—why didn’t I rescue instead of buying? Why didn’t I SAVE A HORSE?
Oh believe me, I considered rescue. I’ve actually rescued horses before. I thought about getting something from Camelot, or one of the hundred other venues that are popping up like Orville Redenbacher in a high powered microwave. So I looked online, and I looked at what was out there. The pressure to rescue instead of purchasing is huge; shopping for a horse is like trying to watch a PBS special during their fund raising period; I try to enjoy the show, but all around are voices demanding that I donate. So I looked at the rescue posts. I looked at the brokered horses. Unfortunately, I discovered that I was far too picky. My list of demands is just too…well… demanding.
- I would like a sound horse. Yes, I know it; it’s really unreasonable for me to want a horse I can ride. And because I want the horse to be sound longer than a week or a month, I’m also demanding a horse without a structural defect that is going to turn into lameness soon.
- I would like to try out the horse first. I get it—the truck is coming! Someone is going to buy her first! I can’t go to the feedlot or babies in Africa will starve to death! That doesn’t change the fact that I want to try the horse out. Otherwise it’s like buying clothing at Walmart without trying it on first—it might fit nicely, or it might not. At least at Walmart my purchase is $3 on the clearance rack, instead of hundreds. Besides, I can return items at Walmart.
- Papers that are up to date would be nice. I don’t need to breed or show, nor do I get a kick out of waving my papers in random strangers’ faces screaming, “Look! Her great granddaddy is Northern Dancer!” However, I do like knowing where my horse came from, who handled her, and whether she has ever actually been ridden outside of a barn aisle in an auction lot. Unfortunately, in this modern day world of genetic diseases, I won’t even look at a stock horse anymore without a set of papers; HYPP is too heartbreaking.
- I want to pay what the horse is worth. I just read a Facebook post that was trying desperately to find this lovely nice Tennessee Walking Horse mare a nice new home. She deserved it! She was in terrible danger! She was going to slaughter! She was ON THE FEED LOT! And for the low low reasonable price of $600 plus Coggins plus shots plus quarantine plus shipping she could be mine.
~insert announcer’s voice~ “Now taking all major credit cards and wire transfers and first born sons”
Folks, that is not rescue. You are buying a horse off of a feed lot from a seller who is checking to see if he can make a lot more money by selling his horses to private buyers like us. We want to save them all, and instead we have created a fake industry in which horses at certain auctions are sold for a higher price, just so a dealer can spin the ‘rescue’ angle and make a few hundred dollars. Think about it; they have companies that will ship anywhere in the U.S., they have people who will quarantine your horse for you (for a price of course), and they can pull blood for a little bit of nothing, almost any day of the week. It’s an entire industry, in existence because we are desperate as an equine society to ‘save them all’.
Some of these organizations are truly legitimate. Some of them truly care about the horses. That isn’t my point. My point is actually this: Why buy a horse like that when you can take your money and go to a quality breeding or training farm and purchase a horse that has been well treated, well trained, and well kept? Imagine what kind of world we would have if we personally visited the farm of the horse we wished to purchase? You go there, and you see happy, healthy horses, owners and trainers and breeders who know how to care for horses, and a facility that is clearly safe and healthy. THIS is where you should spend your money. There may not be that horrid tug on your heartstrings—you know, the one you get when your prospective purchase is standing knee deep in muck, with dingle berries hanging from his belly and hips, nibbling old straw—but this way your money is going to someone who will spend it wisely.
There are great rescues out there, places that carefully vet, feed, and retrain their horses and then offer such horses for a reasonable adoption fee to the RIGHT new owner. Such places take their time to make sure the horse matches the new owner. There is no pressure on the buyer/adopter, and like the better farms in the world, the owners of these facilities are trying to create a long term home for the horse. So tell me, where have you been that deserves a shout out? What farm has well cared for horses? Which people in our industry deserve to get that money you were going to spend bailing out some unknown skinny mistreated wreck? Wouldn’t it be lovely if we changed society so that you received maximum credit for purchasing your horses from a quality caring organization, instead of getting credit for buying a horse sight-unseen from the other side of the country so you could save it?
136 comments to “Guest Post: Buying vs. Rescuing”
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I think you should get the horse that is right for you. (and the same for any other animal – I get really mad with people who say nobody should *ever* buy a purebred puppy from a good breeder…I bump into the PETA crowd every so often and they try to tell me no breeders are responsible).
My trainer rescues. She also owns a very, VERY nice Warmblood gelding she searched the country for and paid 20k for. She came to our barn and did a freestyle demo on him, and there were jaws dropping. Somebody asked how much that horse was worth. I said ‘Probably more than your car’ (with the training she’s put on him, he’s probably worth 30-40k even in this economy). He’s her show horse and she’s schooling at third level with him.
But she also turns sad looking bags of bones into nice, useful horses. She bought her OWN horse because she wanted something she could take to the higher levels. Sure, you might be able to find a rescue capable of going to Grand Prix. It would make a good story. But the truth is, horses of that caliber seldom end up needing to be rescued. Her latest rescues include Bo (unbroken at TEN, but shaping up into a very nice horse…he’s working out this on the bit thing right now), Cashas (who was a BCS 1 and at one point had to be in a sling, but is now working under saddle, demonstrating that he’s had a fair bit of training and will soon be adoptable) and the unfortunate Captain Courageous (also a BCS 1 if not less and so emaciated he lost the muscle tone needed to retract his penis and it ended up having to be amputated…there are criminal charges being pursued in that one).
The decision on whether to rescue or buy depends on what you need the horse for…and it also depends on what the local rescues *have*. Maybe they have what you need or want at that moment, but maybe they don’t, too.
Gee whiz, don’t take PETA advice seriously. I would say instead, DO get a puppy from a reputable breeder that will let you meet the parents and would be willing to take it back if your life situation changes. But not from a pet store.
Yay!!! Someone else gets it!!!! We need reputable dog breeders no matter how bad the over population gets. Maintaining quality within each breed is very important, breeders work their asses off to try an offset the damage done to each breed by mass amounts of BYB’s. Purebred dogs from reputable breeders cost a good chunk of change, but when you follow proper procedure when breeding, breeders are lucky to break even for funds by the time it’s all said and done. Reputable breeders breed because they care about their respective breed and want to improve it, not to make money.
I feel a rant coming on so I’ll stop now, but it will turn into a rant later if any one dare mentions anything about labradoodles, puggles or other such mutts retards consider breeds….. Grrrrr…..
I would not buy a purebred dog of most breeds these days. Health problems are becoming so common that even so-called responsible breeders can’t avoid them. IMO, the fact that a breed name and standard is approved by the AKC does not make breeding dogs with health problems “responsible.” If a lab from a show litter develops hip dysplasia the breeder is just unlucky, but if a labradoodle has the the same problem the breeder is some kind of hellspawn? Please, think twice. I agree that many “designer dog” breeders misrepresent their dogs, but crossbreeding is not evil. Horse breeders do it all the time – why is it wrong in dogs? Crossbreeding is exactly what the doggie genome needs right now.
Perhaps, but do they need to sell the crosses for Thousands of dollars? We had a beautiful PeekaPoo back in the 60′s. Guess we missed the boat.
Yeah, I agree they are misrepresenting their dogs (pretending they’re a breed when they’re not). Creating new breeds is a good idea, but it takes many generations of careful management to do so.
Actually, cross breeding dogs is WAY different than crossing horse breeds. When you cross breed say an Arab and a thoroughbred, you have a pretty good idea of what you’re going to get. Genetics are always a crap chute, but there is a certain amount of predictability when crossing horses. Cross breeding dogs is a very difficult art form, and it’s only used in the process of creating a new breed. Labradoodle “breeders” are hellspawn. Anyone breeding them doesnt have a clue what they’re doing, and certainly has no business trying to create a new breed. The labradoodle originated when a group of breeders and geneticists tried to create a dog that could be used as a seeing eye dog for people with allergies. This never took off because within a few generations the breed failed horribly and there was nothing they could do to stop it, so they called it off. People breeding any breed with health problems are equally as bad.
Personally, I despise CKC and AKC. They promote breeding dogs with health problems. Pugs, bulldogs and the like can’t breathe, yet we’re striving to produce dogs with more extreme faces making the problem worse. Did you know that when you breed an American bull dog, they can’t welp naturally and are a guarenteed c section because of their ginormous heads? Why do they have ginormous heads? Because the kennel club says they’re supposed to. My biggest pet peeve is the German Shepherd. A GSD is a working dog, and the breed standard is what it is to make the dog better suited for its job. The standard says for the dog to have an angled back, which they do need to make them more effective working dogs, but north America took it to an extreme and the dogs now look like this http://static.ebayclassifieds.com/static/1201261440/img/category_info//pets/dogs-puppies/german-shepherd.jpg when the dog should look like this http://www.germandogtrainingcenter.com/photos/Gloria&Riggor075.jpg If you went to Germany with a north American show bred dog you would get laughed out of the country. It’s gotten so bad that you can’t use a show bred dog to work/sport with because they will literally fall apart. I only buy from breeders that produce working lines and both patents need to be tested for eyes, hips and any breed specific genetic disorder before I will even consider a breeder.
“IMO, the fact that a breed name and standard is approved by the AKC does not make breeding dogs with health problems “responsible.” ”
Any breeder who breeds a dog with a health problem is NOT responsible. Those of us who would never breed a dog with a known health issue and health test prior to breeding, place puppies only with approved families and take back any pup, at any time, for any reason are doing our best to be responsible.
My breed is prone to several painful health issues. Because of this, we test and OFA certify our dogs for hips, elbows, patellas and heart, test thyroid, cystinuria, PRA and CERF. If we ever come across a failing test, that dog will be spayed or neutered, as will any dog who just doesn’t have anything positive to add to the breed.
“Responsible” is a much better term than “reputable”. There are plenty of breeders who have a reputation that attracts buyers, but are not necessarily “responsible” as I would define the word. In the dog world, a responsible breeder breeds for mental and physical soundness, follows up, and takes back any dogs that need to be rehomed.
As for the mixed breed “designer” dogs…don’t automatically throw the LabraDoodles and GoldenDoodles in there. Yes, there are an awful lot of people producing F1 (first generation cross) ‘Doodles that are nothing more than designer mutts; there are also people who have stuck with the program long enough to be into the fourth of fifth generation of crossbreeds and have established lines with predictable characteristics. The original purpose of the cross was to create a hypoallergenic dog that had a service-dog mentality, specifically intended to provide service dogs to people who needed one but who are allergic or have family members who are allergic. That there are breeders out there producing thousands of F1 and F2 ‘Doodles for money is an unfortunate reality, but has nothing to do with what a ‘Doodle should be.
I feel like I’m pointing out the obvious here, but you can just get a Standard Poodle and have a guaranteed low-allergy response breed who has a good and gentle personality and is a very intelligent breed who is easy to train.
Breeding a low-dander breed to a high-dander, high shed breed with an oily coat for retrieving always struck me as one of the idiotic ideas I’ve ever heard in dogs, and that’s saying something, because there is a lot of stupid in the dog world.
But at the end of the day, it’s the people paying the stupid prices that are as much to blame as the people selling them… almost 100% of which will lie to people and tell them every Doodle has inherited the Poodle coat. There are tons of perfectly fine service dog lines out there producing dogs and of those, a lot fail. The very idea of thinking you can create a breed that will simply evolve into perfect service dogs every single time is absolutely hilarious. Out of a litter of 10 puppies, you’re going to have probably half of that be incredibly rambunctious, and a couple be too hard to teach with no sense of independent thought. Then you have the nervous puppy whose temperament is not suitable. …. so you end up with maybe 2 or 3 prospects. Of those 2 or 3, probably one, possibly two, and on a bad run of luck, all three will wash out of a service dog program. It is simply not something you can ‘create’. It’s a matter of breeding -well- and stacking the deck as best as you can in your favor, and just going “Lol this is a GREAT idea, let’s breed a Poodle to EVERYTHING and it’ll make hypoallergenic service dogs!” makes me wonder how much beer preceded that plan.
Frost – do a little reasearch on ‘Doodles, please. The mix did not come out of a case of beer or with plans to get rich. The original ‘Doodle (as in the breeding that started all this) was a cross of service-dog Lab lines with Poodle for the express purpose of producing a dog for a client who needed a service dog but whose spouse was allergic to dogs. It was an experiment that worked. There are breeders going back to the 1970′s (or maybe ’80′s) who have worked for (doggy) generations to produce stable lines with predictable temperaments and physical characteristics. The goal being the temperament of a _service_ dog, not just any old Lab, and the skin/coat of a Poodle. There are well-established Lab and Golden Ret. service dog lines. MOST service dogs come from established lines that are known to produce a high-percentage of dogs that can make the grade as service dogs. Poodles, while they certainly have the smarts, are simply too energetic (obviously not all of them, I have seen some service Poodles, but they are relatively rare). To paraphrase an old joke about dog breeds: tell a Lab to change a lightbulb and he’ll change a lightbulb, tell a Poodle to change a lightbulb and he’ll rewire your house.
That does NOT excuse the people producing F1 and F2 ‘Doodles with no intention of eventually working out to stable lines. Likewise to the people who are willing to pay $$$ for them thinking they are getting something special.
Really well put NotaFollower. You are a welcome voice of reason
Note you don’t even need to breed back to crosses to get the right animal. Sheep farmers have proven that the Terminal Sire usage works, and works well. Texel x East Friesan gets you a litter of high yield meat lambs per ewe. Coopworth x Merino gives high quality wool with an improved carcass weight. Well understood breed characteristics produce fantastic crosses.
A Labradoodle sounds like just the ticket for a service dog, and congratulations to the folk who saw the advantages of that cross for that purpose.
Breed a (quality) Cleveland Bay to a (quality) TB and you should have a sporthorse par excellence. I think there’s a galaxy of difference between irresponsible ‘Backyard’ breeders, and thoughtful ‘Boutique’ breeders. Labradoodle for a purpose? Boutique. Labradoodle for novelty/fashion value? Backyard.
I bought my Red off a feed lot 5 years ago…best horse I’ve ever owned. Don’t judge too harshly…I found my daimond in the rough….there’s more out there. Please don’t discourage people to look and learn and judge…not discount them cause their owners consider them “throw aways”. If I’d listened to that bull crap, I wouldn’t have my riding companion today. And he’s not just a horse…I trust him with my life. Think on that.
Very well written, Charm.
I have never adopted a horse from a rescue, but I believe I have “rescued” the two horses I own now. I got Darwin, my ten year old TB, by responding to an ad on dreamhorse.com for a ‘free three year old off track gelding’. A very nice man in his late twenties had Darwin at a barn he rented. He was in the business of buying cheap TBs right off the track, putting 6-12 months of jumper training on them, then reselling for quadruple the price. Darwin was underweight, banged up, and had hocks the size of softballs, but the guy was a good enough human being to take him anyways and try to rehome him for free. Cue me, a poor college kid who fell in love at first glance and took the gangly, rump high fresh off the track 3 year old home a week later. That was seven years ago. When I got Darwin I had the vague idea of training him and selling him, but after the first year I realized that would never happen. I loved him, first of all, and second of all due to old racing injuries (damn those hocks!) he would never be, and will never be, 100% consistently sound. He can’t jump to save his life. He’s too flightly to be a trail horse. But he does love dressage, and I’m able to give lessons on him. I shudder to think what would have happened if someone other than me had taken him — maybe he would have ended up in a good home, maybe not, but at least now he has a forever place, no matter what happens.
Fat Poppy the draft horse all but had the New Holland sticker on her butt when I answered an ad on craigslist. She was a 7 year old belgian x halflinger. Covered in poop and dirt. Underweight (figure THAT one out). Barely broke. I handed $500 over and took her home two days later. Turns out Poppy is 5x the jumper Darwin is and is currently in training to be a low level eventer. I don’t know if I will keep her forever. But if I do sell her, it will be because she has the training to pull her own weight, is 100% sound, and relatively young.
So no, I didn’t go through a rescue to get my two horses, but God only knows where they would be now if I didn’t stumble across them. I think rescuing is awesome. I also think rescuing is very difficult. The good rescues put a ton of restrictions on their horses and make you jump through flaming hoops of fire to get them — that’s not a bad thing, but it can be discouraging to the average wannabe horse owner. Then you have the faux rescues who take your money and look the other way.
Rescues exist to clean up other people’s messes. People who either got a horse did didn’t know (or didn’t care) how to care for them correctly, or people who got a horse who one day failed to meet their standards. Maybe they didn’t sell “sound with front shoes” Polly directly to the auction, but by letting her go knowing full well her potential was limited they did nothing to prevent it.
If you have to sell or get rid of a horse, MAKE SURE IT CAN DO SOMETHING. Some random woman called me up two days ago. She is trying to find a home for her 19 year old standardbred who she “just can’t keep anymore.”
Me: Well, is he healthy?
Lady: Yeah, really healthy. And an easy keeper!
Me: What does he do?
Lady: Uh… do?
Me: I mean, has he been trained in anything? Would he make a good trail horse?
Lady: Well I got him from a rescue ten years ago and I haven’t ever ridden him, but I bet he would be really easy to train. I just really want to find a good home for him. I don’t want him to go to the auction.
Me: [in my head] Where the FUCK do you think an 18 year old standardbred who you never bothered to train and now want to give away for free is going to go? [out loud] Okay.. send me some pictures and I’ll see what I can do.
How many of these people do you think are around? I’m betting enough to fill up all the rescues. Oh, wait….
I have two horses, when I can barely afford one. The first was a rescue, taken from a starvation situation…but I don’t enjoy riding him and he has some soundness issues. He hangs around to be a husband and guest horse, and keeps my other horse happy. My finances would be better without him, but where would he go? It hurts me to think he could be starved again, especially considering the price of hay in Texas right now.
I bought the second horse because he’s what I really want, and I’ve met his breeder online and know all about him. I would love to have just rescue horses, but it’s hard when I am a large and tall rider and looking for a somewhat competitive endurance mount. You just don’t find those every day in rescue, and I may not have the skills to see the potential in some of those horses.
It goes back to what Fugly always stressed. Quit breeding so many damn horses, and we won’t have to feel guilty about not all having a rescue in our backyard.
Whether or not you buy a rescue is a personal choice. I think that for the average person buying a horse that has been cared for and handled correctly is a better choice especially when you do want to ride the horse and be safe. But no horse purchase is guaranteed no matter who you buy them from. Frankly, I have met very few breeders that don’t dump their over supply or unsound horses or “useless” horses at the auction. So I guess it all depends on the buyers situation, experience etc. There is nothing wrong with buying a quality horse but then again there are lots of quality horses at feedlots, auctions etc. There are loads of people that represent themselves as ethical breeders when in fact they are not. PETA really has nothing to do with this at all.
That’s why I prefer to support small breeders, who don’t HAVE ‘oversupply’ to dump. I bought my horse from a small breeder who has a very careful, conscientious program focusing on the health, conformation, longevity, and performance potential of the horses she breeds, and does not breed more than she can support until they are sold. They are all well-handled and well-trained on the ground as youngsters. If they are not sold by 3, they begin light training in harness. At four they begin light training under saddle. They are brought along carefully and slowly.
These kinds of breeders are out there, and they are the ones I feel most strongly about supporting – I want this kind of breeder to survive. There are horses out there who need to be rescued… but the problem can’t be fixed just by trying to absorb all the ‘thrown away’ horses dumped by overproducers and unethical slobs. It has to be attacked from both ends. My personal choice is to work from the front end, supporting small, ethical breeders who are producing high-quality animals and NOT contributing to the oversupply problem.
Great post and really hit the nail on the head. I cringe everytime I see someone wanting to find out what shipping is across the country for a “feedlot” horse. There are horses in need in every state, probably almost every city. Pictures can be so deceiving and it is very hard to judge a horse from 1000 miles away. I applaud the rescues that actually put quality training on their horses, those that limit what they take so that each horse gets the best chance.
For me, when the time comes, I want a horse that is rideable, in the discipline that I prefer. If I can find something suitable that needs an upgrade, great, but more than likely I will be searching outside of the rescue/auction circles. I absolutely must be hands on in chosing a horse, I won’t buy off a picture and an assesment from someone I don’t know. I volunteered years ago for a “rescue” that brokered feedlot horses and I was appalled at the twisting of the truth to get horses sold for horribly inflated prices, it was a real eye opener.
My biggest pet peeve is how people use the term “rescued”. If you bought something at auction, it was a purchase, not a rescue. If you were scammed by one of the feedlot “rescues” which seem to be nothing more than brokers, you bought the horse, and usually at an incredible markup. If you got a horse from a legit rescue, you “adopted” it, you did not rescue it. The term rescue seems to be a giant feel good catch all and often has the tendency to make people run the other way.
I bought a paint gelding quite a few years ago, he was an unhandled 2yo and was very skittish. I ended up one of the only people who could get near him and he was gorgeous in my eyes. I called the owner and bought him, probably for more than I should have. The breeders made some of their horses into riding horses, the more difficult ones were either sent to the bucking string or canned. I am almost positive that my gelding would have been in one of the latter two categories. People always say “oh, you rescued him”. NO, I didn’t, I bought him from his breeder. If a rescue were to try to asses him I am sure his behaviors would make people think he was abused but he never has been, he is just a nutcase, and always has been. His mistrust of strangers and skittishness are still with him and always will be and it has made me a bit of a cynic when it comes to assesments done on horses.
“Rescue” is just a word. Go ahead and use it as long as you aren’t a hoarder and your horses are in good shape We perhaps give too much meaning to it. I “rescued” one of my horses for a great deal of money from a nice farm where they took good care of her — but she wanted to be “somebody’s” horse and is much happier now. I “rescued” a mare I didn’t need because she was $300 and she was not a $300 horse. She was in good health (needed a farrier), just owned by someone who was too afraid of her to do anything with her — including properly presenting her for a sale.
Rehabilitated is the word that should really buy you credit. Rehabbing a horse is taking something in bad shape and making it better. It includes training the horse so that it will be less likely to end up in a bad place later.
“Rescue” is a shiney word with more drama. Rehabilitated is less shiney and usually comes with months of months of work, vet bills and money spent on specialized food, farrier work. But Rehabilitation is the real heart of the matter.
Back to the topic of the original post: buying good horses from people who keep their horses in good shape, handle them with age-appropriate training, and breed smart is good. Putting our money out so that responsible people are able to make a little money is important, too. Reward the people who do it right — and more people do it right (or so we hope).
What astounds me most about ‘rescue syndrome’ is the shipping of low-value horses long distances. There have to be plenty of similar horses much closer to the rescuer. S/he could rescue one of them and donate the difference in the shipping cost to a legitimate rescue.
My 13 year old daughter has been walking dogs and babysitting every chance she can get to earn money to bring her horse to the United States (we currently live in South America). She was given this horse after her horse was put down. He certainly isn’t worth much, but she adores him and he is a perfect horse for her. She came up with the plan to earn the money – she calculates $10K for the plane, quarantine in Miami, and shipping to wherever we end up in the U.S. Could she much, much more easily leave him here? Sure. Could that money go for a new horse in the States. Of course. Everyone whom she has ever told has called her crazy (including all our relatives as all she wants for birthdays/Christmas/etc. is cash). I find it incredible that at 12 years old she came up with this plan to work for 2 1/2 years to do this and has implemented her plan. I think she’s going to make it and so I can understand the complexities of shipping a horse whose worth is priceless only to his owner.
The difference between your daughter’s horse and the situation described is the prior connection. Your daughter already knows and loves the horse and has a pre-existing bond. Someone rescuing a horse from the other side of the country has no bond and probably hasn’t seen more than a photo or two.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that your daughter cares that deeply for her horse that she’s doing all of this to bring him to the US with you.
What a great post, Charm! I too, wish I could be a better “rescuer”….actually it is this blog that started me down the road I’m on today. I currently have 4 cats, three adopted from shelters and one was a “free kitten”. I have a 14 yr old hound mix from the local humane society and a 20 yr old Thoroughbred broodmare I adopted from LOPE here in Texas. However, we needed an additional dog as a companion to our current one, and to replace the much-loved dog we euthanized last Spring.
However, I couldn’t find the type and age that I wanted from our local shelters/rescues and so I decided to “buy” the breed that I really wanted, a black mouth cur. I know, I know, why buy while others die, right? But sometimes, we need to pick and raise our own to make sure we get what we really want….I still love to get my animals from the shelter, and will do so again.
Thanks again Charm for the great blog today. I don’t feel as guilty now about my new pup!
Black mouth cur?
Really neat old southern dog breed. They hunt, the watch your property, and they play with kids.
I’ve always wanted one myself, but I don’t hunt so I got a Presa, haha.
My point to people (and my thought process) has always been…If you are equipped to handle a “project horse”, a “second horse”, feel the need to “rescue”….Go on your local Craigslist, pick one of the many dozen $200 or less animals that are posted on a daily basis, go get him/her, and do your best by them (with TLC, training, and careful rehoming)…BEFORE they ever end up on the feedlot OH MY GOD THE TRUCK IS COMING with an $800 price tag attached. And on the flip side of that, as pointed out, there are too many nicely bred, papered, well-planned-out colts bred toward specific disciplines out there to pick from, to throw your hard earned money around trying to save all the unpapered, no-history, fugly built colts that will never stay sound for anything you personally want to do.
I have both bought and rescued. The horse I bought 14 years ago I still have and he is my *heart* horse. The rescues I’ve come across have all been retrained and rehomed to good owners (except the 2 I have now). When Flash (the horse I bought) passes away (hopefully not any time soon) I will be looking for another quality horse to purchase so that I can do what I love to do… competitively. It may turn out that one of the rescues may fit that bill, but if they don’t you can be sure I’ll be looking to buy from a reputable breeder that has put the time and training in.
Life’s A Beach
http://www.36andsingle.blogspot.com/
Thank you for this!
Here is one of the BIGGEST reasons why I don’t get horses from rescue, aside from the above (this is true in my area, I know it’s not like this everywhere):
You are contracted to never sell the horse – only return it to the rescue. I take issue with this because any horse I get will be ridden, trained, and made valueable. I want to be able to sell it if I must of if it’s a sound financial decision to do so (if someone offers me $20,000 for the horse I paid $500 for, I’m probably going to sell it). I consider all of my horses for sale for the right price to the right person (my price may be unreasonably high however!).
The exception to this is an organization that places OTTBs. They are not really a “rescue” though, more a placement agency. The owner sets the price and keeps the horse till it sells. I’d pick one up through them in a heartbeat.
Horses are far too expencive to let your heart make all the decisions IMO. Yes, you might love little Muffins personality – but if Muffins is a conformational nightmare that will never be able to be ridden – it’s not for me. I will not spend 1/4th of my monthly income on a horse that I will never be able to ride.
I consider most horses that some might call a rescue an “upgrade”. My guy definitely got one when I bought him, and this would also apply to most auction horses and Off-Track types.
http://www.felixfjord.blogspot.com
Ok, its just as unfair to put all rescues in one category as it is to put all breeders into one category. If people have not realized by now there are many variances in the spectrum of either than maybe they never will but I seriously thought this crowd would at least try not to generalize .
Rescues do NOT always have lifelong contracts, mine doesn’t neither do many others.
The rescuers that live in reality understand that a forever home is a pie crust promisn it is easily made and easily broken
Life happens and people cannot always keep their commitments Doing your best to hope that you do not have to re help that horse again sometime soon is what EVERY horse person should be doing. Some rescues or not obviously don’t care and some are trying hard to appear that they are the moral authority . Horses are not always forever pets no matter what we wish would happen , being careful enough to find an “adopter” who is as careful about rehoming as you are is the key
The term rescue isn’t my favorite and Ive avoided it on my website completely because rescues have such a negative rep in our area. The feedlot saves scare me to death for so many reasons and they are popping up everywhere.
People with big hearts giving money to a group with slick heartbreaking ads who turn around and bankroll the very killbuyers that they are against. It make no sense at all when you stop looking at the sad horse pictures and look at the acutal big picture Follow the money and you’ll see you are just helping perpetuate the slaughter buyers . Is that really what you want to do? The answer I get- because the horses are stuck in the middle. I get it , it is sad to see horses going to auction or slaughter but the truth is there are so many horses in their own areas that desperatly need homes too. They will also be ending up dead by starvation put to sleep or at the slaughter plant , it’s just not today so why wait ? You can save them before their bodies are ruined from starvation, or neglect , you can find out their background you can get a horse that you KNOW instead of one you saw in a picture. Those adopters scare the bejesus out of me. Sorry for the rant but just a reminder that not ALL rescues are the same , or even like the word rescue . The ones who are trying to help horses in the long run with training and real rehab and real effort don’t get any recognition because the drama factor isn’t there maybe that is why some people don’t know that the good ones do exist.
Several years ago I read about one danger of rescues that retain ownership. A woman had adopted such a horse. Several years later she was moving out of state and contacted the rescue to come get the horse per their contract. They replied that the rescue was full so they could not take the horse back. She made several more attempts to get the rescue to get their horse. When the horse was still there when she left, she gave (not sold) it to a friend who agreed to care for it and told the rescue where it was. The rescue promptly sued her for breach of contract. I do not know how it came out. Even if it came out well for her, she still had to spend the time and money dealing with the law suit from out of state (and I think while starting a new job).
I sometimes surf the various rescue sites to see what people have and what they’re doing with them. Some rescues are pro-training and offer the horses for adoption, started under saddle and also ‘with an additional 30 days’ training’. I applaud those who take the time to give an education to all their horses prior to placing them for adoption and still offer young, sound horses for under $1000. You’re my kind of rescues!
Then I’ll breeze by a rescue that has saved nothing younger than 18 with most for adoption “as companions only”. Now there’s nothing wrong with saving the old, sick and permanently lame as long as the rescue realizes that they’ve taken on permanent residents. This means that until old dobbin passes on in another 10 years, that spot cannot be taken by another animal.
It’s impossible to save them all. Some rescues will spend thousands on one animal when they could’ve saved 10 horses that only needed groceries, not major surgery and vet treatment. Is it right to bypass 10 for the sake of 1? In my mind, I’d opt for 10 young, sound, unbroke colts and feed them until it’s time to start training, if I had the money and resources to lurk at the auctions. And face it, I have no intentions of going to any auctions when I have no empty stalls. The hay room is staying a hay room and I mean it this time.
My rambling point is that whoever is shelling out the money gets the final say in where their paycheck goes. Charm found the right horse through a seller but I’d like to believe that she would’ve bought the same horse from a rescue if given the chance to ride/meet the horse.
And regardless of whether you’re a rescue, owner, hillbilly deluxe or Prix St George rider, your horses need to be handled and exercised and regularly if you want a chance at rehoming them. Nobody wants a half wild burdock-ridden demon that can’t be caught.
This discussion reminds me of all the people who are upset that I work to rescue/save/help animals instead of people, or non-us citizens instead people here in the U.S., or adults instead of children, or children instead of unborn fetuses. The list is endless. The answer is that there is PLENTY of hurt and suffering to go around- the only thing you can do is go with what touches your heart and makes you feel like you are making a difference. That may mean supporting a breeder who works hard to have a decent happy barn with well treated horse, or picking up a local rescue OR having some weird connection with a critter you never would have met except for the internet and bringing them home. What works for you and ignore the holier-than-thou people that think their decisions are the only ones- you life will be better of and I suspect the whole world will be.
Exactly. There’s no one single way to solve these kinds of problems, and there are more problems than any one person can solve. And none of us can do it single-handedly. You just have to decide what your priorities are, and attack your problem of choice from your angle of choice, and do the best you can.
This post makes many very good points, but I feel like it’s a bit of a straw man argument. Is anybody actually, seriously, saying that people ought to rescue horses rather than buy them from breeders? Because that really isn’t a position that I hear articulated in any serious way.
I think rescue has its place but as the first commenter said, you have to get the horse that is right for you and your situation at the time. If you are looking for a companion horse to keep your horse company, who only needs to be sound enough to give a pony ride to some kids every now and then, then maybe taking in a rescue horse would be perfect. If you are looking for a horse with show experience that you can take straight into the 3′ hunter ring tomorrow, well, it is unlikely you can find that horse at a rescue. If you have only a small budget, but you’re a good rider, up for a training challenge, and want to try to make a show horse out of a diamond in the rough, then an OTTB could be right for you (which can sometimes be done through a rescue). I have never met anyone who has suggested that anyone ought to compromise their goals (ie, give up the idea of showing the 3′ hunters) so they can take in a rescue.
I think my animals are a good example… I compete in the hunter/jumper ring, nothing huge, local adult-amateur stuff… but serious enough that I am looking for a sound, quality horse. My horse came from a small breeder of nice warmbloods, not Olympic calibre, but good, sound, useful, well-bred, registered horses with good minds. I paid a fair price for a quality horse and she is everything I wanted.
My dog, on the other hand… purely a pet. I am not interested in dog showing, hunting, herding, having protection for my property… just a pet. My dog’s job is to go for walks with me and accept my cuddles and preferably not shed too much. So basically, my standards is what I need in a dog are a lot lower than what I need in a horse. I’m not interested in paying a breeder $2,000 for a purebred, registered show quality animal when I just want a companion. So my dog is a rescue.
Some people may have different criteria… the guy in the office across from me is really into hunting, he paid a small fortune for a retriever from known hunting bloodlines and for the dog to go have specializing training. I’d never spend that much on a dog but who I am to judge. And other people have horses just as companions or casual light riding horses, so they’d never imagine spending on a horse, what I did on my show horse.
If rescue works for you then great… if it doesn’t, then pick a good ethical breeder to support.
I DO hear this argument raised seriously with dogs and cats.
‘Do you realize you killed some poor innocent dog by buying that purebred puppy?’
It drives me nuts, because if we don’t support the good breeders, then they will go out of business and there will be nothing left but backyard breeders and puppy/kitten/foal mills (and yes, foal mills DO exist).
It’s not advanced quite so much in the horse world, but I have heard it.
I have a friend who has been guilty of making this kind of comment and it always aggravates me, for exactly the reason given in a below post. “Someone who wants a Mercedes isn’t going to buy a Kia.” (No comment on quality here.. just on wanting something specific.)
I show dogs. I like to compete in dog sports, and I show conformation in my chosen breed. We have an elderly Doberman who will pass on some day in the future (I hope several years off.. he’s still very bouncy), and we have already chosen two breeders from which our next big dog (We keep one big dog with all the speed bump Cavaliers) will come, because we’ve decided on getting a Beauceron. We talked about getting a pet one but I will probably spring the extra money for a show dog, not because I want to breed, but just because I enjoy dog sports and wouldn’t mind showing something different in the ring. He can always be neutered when we’re done showing.
A dog from a shelter or rescue or somebody’s random box o’ puppies is not going to give me what am looking for, because I want something specific. So I buy from breeders that I like, who have the qualities I look for. I am not killing a shelter dog, because a shelter dog was never what I was looking for… and more importantly.. the person killing that dog is the one who bred it thoughtlessly or the one who threw it away. I am not interested in taking the blame for puppy mills and people who think pet dogs need to have ‘just one litter’. Put the blame where it belongs.
Disclaimer: I have owned a number of rescue obtained or personally rescued dogs in the past. But at this point in my life, I don’t have the room or desire for one. I do, however, participate in rescue for my breed of choice and have a list of potential homes should I end up with an unwanted one or someone asks if I know someone who can take one. And one may not see this attitude quite as much in horses… but it does exist, and if you have a lot of friends with rescued horses, you’ll often get “Why didn’t you rescue?” if you buy from someone directly.
I agree SO wholeheartedly with the dog situation. It mirrors the horse world in a lot of ways, too.
I will NEVER judge someone who buys a dog instead of going to a shelters SO LONG AS they have supported a reputable, responsible, caring breeder with their purchase.
You know who I do judge? The bimbo down the street from me who gave some *insert expletive* $400 for her “purebred” GSD who already suffers from severe hip dysplasia at 2 years old, has extreme anxiety, is a fear-biter, etc. etc. etc.
If you were going to take your chances on having a screwed up dog like that, you should have paid $75 to the local shelter and helped clean up the overpopulation mess!
If you were unwilling to compromise or take chances with a shelter dog’s health and temperament, you should have paid whatever it cost to go to a RESPONSIBLE breeder and get a genetically sound animal.
My current (and first) dog is a rescue. He turned out brilliantly as a competitive obedience dog. He fails as a herding dog. I don’t care because I didn’t even count on him doing well in the obedience ring. If I want to get into herding in the future, I will probably go with a purebred Cattle Dog, or at least go through a rescue where I can have the dog tested for instinct before adopting.
Though realistically, ACDs are a dime a dozen in shelters, so it’s not hard to find the “right” one anyway…
Same with horses. I fully support buying purebred horses from RESPONSIBLE breeders. If you pay $$ to an idiot who breeds bad horses, then you are not only a fool, but also helping support the overpopulation problem.
*as a side note, I will add something as far as the “mercedes” comments. I realize that it is a regional thing, and our local animal control is also flooded with pit-mixes and poorly bred hound-mixes (however you feel about the breed, you have to admit the average adopter isn’t looking for them). However, I would hesitate to say you can’t find a “mercedes” to rescue if you take a little time to look!
I am biased, because I really enjoy herding breeds and there are no lack of border collies and cattle dogs in the shelters (young, old, big, small, anything you want). On the contrary, my friend’s parents were only looking to accept a dog that was currently a “baby” (under 3-4 months old), guaranteed to be small (under 10lbs) when grown up, hypoallergenic, etc. After a stint on petfinder.com they bought a dog because they realized they just weren’t going to get the “guarantees” they wanted from a rescue dog.
It does depend on what kind of “luxury car” dog you’re looking for, but I really hate when people automatically turn down the idea of rescuing a dog because they assume all shelter dogs are used economy vehicles!
I rescued a dog through a reputable no-kill shelter, but the one I rescued isn’t the one I came home with, it’s the one who took his place. I went in with a specific dog in mind, a Pit X Rhodesian Ridgeback. As beautiful and otherwise well behaved as that dog was, he and cats were not friends, so he couldn’t come home with me. So off I went, looking at all the other bully breeds (pure and mixed) everyone passes up. There wasn’t a one who showed calm interest in me, even though it was a quiet day at the shelter. They all either ignored me, or growled, hackles up. Some lunged, some cowered. They weren’t the right dog for me. That left me with a small selection of dogs of other breeds, mostly hounds, a few collies, some yappy terriers, and dogs small enough my cat would eat them alive. Okay, great, the hound group is actually my preferred group anyway. I’d been reading extensively on the challenges of being a hound’s buddy, so I had an idea what I’d be getting myself into with a hound. I spent a bit more time walking around. Most were disinterested, or too high energy, or were very young puppies. Then, I found one that was friendly, engaging, and polite. He came to the front of his pen, and truly wanted to be next to me, but wasn’t overexcited. And boy was he handsome, a Coonhound X Beagle (I call him a Beanhound), and he was five years old, old enough he’s not likely to be chosen by the typical adopter at this shelter. He sealed the deal when I walked away. He whined for me. He hadn’t done that for anyone else. I’d been watching. He’s my first dog, and he’s my heart dog, and he’s almost always within arm’s reach of me. I’m glad I left with him, and I’m glad that days after that the pen Riley was in was housing a dog in true absolute need of TLC and groceries.
Hounds are hard to rehome because people want a dog that won’t chase “fluffy the cat” or “fluffy the bunny”. They want a dog they can trust off-leash even in unfenced areas, and they don’t want a dog that bays. I can’t understand why people don’t like baying, to me it’s music, I’d rather listen to a “ro-yo-yo-yo-yooo” than a “yap-yap-yap-yap”, but I can understand why people wouldn’t want to put up with something they can’t stand. The big challenge for me with Riley is that once his nose is on, his brain is definitely off, so much so he’s walked into parked cars because he was following his nose and ignoring his other sense (he can see, he follows visual commands without other cues). Hound ownership presents certain challenges, but they’re the kind of challenges I can happily live with.
I’ve never owned a horse, but I really would like to someday. If my first horse can be anywhere near as good a match as Riley is, I think I’ll be very lucky. I see a lot of nice older horses on craigslist who aren’t useless yet, but with them being in their late 20s and early 30s, who knows how long that will last? That’s the kind of horse that would suit me well as a first time owner, one that’s been there, done that, and preferably in multiple disciplines, and not necessarily to a high level. The kind who’s getting too old for a kid’s mount, since he’ll likely be sold to make way for a more competitive horse when he’s truly too aged to do what the kid wants to do. For me, my first horse is going to be a practice horse of sorts. I know I have the riding chops to keep up with difficult horses, but I don’t know about my stable management skills, so I’d rather start with a horse that’ll teach me what I need to know, and be a pleasure doing it. I’d rather be a last home for someone’s golden oldy gelding, rather than “rescue” an amped-up never-worked-with basket-case. Eventually, it’d be nice to start taking in some of the basket-case badly ground-broke horses I see on craigslist. I can’t deny there’s a certain appeal to me in the idea of training a horse from that into something usable that someone (me, or another, doesn’t matter) can have some fun at local shows with, but I need more experience first.
I helped my ex-boyfriend pick out his hound-beagle cross dog. She was an older puppy when we got her from a shelter that worked with the local feed store. Sweetest creature on the planet. Really wanted to please you but she was not the brightest tool in the shed. She took forever to house train and would often let her excitement to please you get in the way of learning her commands (like sit and stay) though the older dog we had helped her learn those. She would also bark/bay at -everything- that moved… sometimes things that didn’t. When you scolded her, however, she’d look like you broke her heart. I loved that dog, but I don’t know if I’d have one like her without a nice open property with some decent space between me and the neighbors.
I was lucky, Riley came to me house trained, and knew some basic commands. He’s very food oriented, and extremely intelligent, which makes him very easy to train to do other things. He’s quiet as a mouse, I actually had to teach him to sing! Now he’ll bark to tell me when someone knocks on the door, and stops as soon as I acknowledge that he’s barking for a reason. We also have a once a day pack howl, because it’s fun, and because we do it when it won’t bother the neighbors, while they’re all at work.
It sounds like we got dogs who were polar opposites for everything except the scolding. Riley’s hang-dog look kills me every time. It’s the hound eyes that get me!
That bit about the “Ro-Ro-Ro” just tugged at my heart. I bought my first Dobe and bred my second- by a German dog, very high prey instinct. No way are Dobes hounds but, just once, when my bitches were hunting out both sides of a hedgerow, they became so invested in the chase that they gave voice. It was a wonderful thing to hear and I feel privileged that I did. Not only hounds bay, hounds just do it a lot more than “normal” dogs and no, I have no idea why people do not like it. I cannot think of anything more beautiful than a pack of hounds giving voice, I really can’t.
Totally agree with you, whisperplease. The whole post, top to bottom.
I rescued an ACD… she -might- be purebred but it’s possible she’s got a little something else in there, hard to say.. some years ago, and while living with my in-laws while we built our previous house, she glommed onto them. So when we moved (right next door, lol.. I have wonderful in-laws so it was a treat to live by them), she stayed with them.
That dog is amazing. Brilliant, sweet, obedient, intelligently protective, not a barker unless there’s something you need to check out. She’s a 1000 on a scale of 1-10. I’ve never been sorry that I let them keep her.. she and my father in law are thick as thieves. But she is the kind of dog people look for for years and never find, and she came from a backwater farm and was loaded with fleas and worms and covered in smelly mud when I took her. You can find a gem anywhere, definitely, and that dog is pure diamond.
I compete in schutzhund. My first dog when I was learning the sport was an SPCA rescue, the one in the picture to be exact. Great dog, awesome at obedience and decent at low level tracking. He was a great dog to learn with, but I retired him with a sch I title and was more than happy with that. Now I need a dog that can take me to the top level of the sport. The odds of being able to find that dog in a shelter are slim to none. That’s like going to a kill auction to find your next grand prix jumper. Schutzhund dogs need to be VERY mentally stable, so bloodlines with that trait are very important, as well as upbringing. Shelter dogs tend to have some rough backgrounds. Conformation is also important, your dog may have the ability and the heart to go to the top, but he won’t do you any good if he’s always to crippled to do it.
Rescue dogs tend to also be mixed breeds. Now I have nothing against mutts, I’m not a “breed snob”, but purebred dogs have this thing going for them called consistency. As a prospective owner, you can research breeds and figure out what kind of dog fits your life style and go get it. Every dog has their own personality, but if you are a couch potato, you can be very sure the belgian malinois is not the breed for you. You have a pretty good general idea of what you are going to get. When you go to the shelter for a mutt, you really don’t have a clue what you’re in for. The shelter is often pretty accurate about primary breed, but who the heck knows what else is in there. Also, mixed breed pups from the exact same litter can be and often are DRASTICALLY different from each other. I could go to the shelter, and get the dog the shelter says is a German shepherd cross, and end up getting a dog that is NOTHING like a GSD. Many dogs end up being rescues in the first place because they are not what their owners thought they were getting.
To sum it up, get a dog from a shelter or a reputable breeder, which ever you feel is right for you. Dont support byb’s or pet stores, even ones that claim to buy their pups from reputable breeders. NO reputable breeder will ever sell to a pet store. EVER EVER EVER!!! We need to make sure quality purebreds continue to exist for the good of the species, but rescues need homes. Either way you are helping the long term interest of the species.
Oh, Dog, yes! I know of way too many dogs that people bought on impulse through an ad in the paper or a cardboard sign on the street. Papered, not, purebred, mixes… Some turn out wonderful, others become part of the problem, and NONE of them have the support of a RESPONSIBLE breeder to fall back on if there are problems.
Well… I bought my Siamese cat from a breeder I don’t at all support in theory. She’s not a kitty mill, has one litter a year, but honestly these are not show quality cats, some have cross eyes, no doubt probably some have asthma and other typical Siamese issues, and her place is not what I’d call immaculate.
Thing is, I looked all over at rescuing a Siamese first. I was given the option of a blind old cat with herpes or a younger cat that was not Siamese but just had vaguely Siamese points. For either of these, I would have had to qualify by jumping through more hoops than I did to become a foster parent, and the cat would not have been mine but would have been reclaimable, plus made my house subject to being entered and searched at any time.
To buy a nice “pet quality” Siamese from a truly reputable breeder would have meant being put on a year-long waiting list, paying to ship cross country, plus similar investigation and a contract, plus way more money.
It’s a cat. I want a Siamese cat. I am not willing to turn myself inside out to get that, and I am not willing to mortgage my privacy for the sake of a cat. If the redneck lady with the litter is willing to sell me a cat at a fair price and THE ENTIRE REST OF THE WORLD HAS GONE INSANE, I’m willing to overlook the lack of perfection in her breeding program. If the rescues and the reputable breeders want the backyard people to go out of business, maybe they need to make it less painful to adopt.
I am a small breeder of Singapura cats. ( one or two litters a year) I started with the best breeder as my mentor and my breeding cats are top quality. That said, my cats are my pets, they live underfoot and all 6 sleep with me at night. I breed because I love this breed and want it to continue. My buyers do wait for years for a kitten and I do make them jump through hoops to be on my buyer list. Why? I LOVE MY CATS, PERIOD! I do not sell to just anyone as I put a lot of love and caring into my kittens. It would break my heart if they ended up in a bad home. I do have a clause in my contract that they are to come back to me for any reason the family cannot keep them. I am prepared to keep any cats I breed and will do whatever I have to for their safety and happiness.
If one thinks of my cats as “just a cat” they are not worthy of my cats. Some things need to be treasured, my kittens are one of those things.
Hear, hear, Frost!!! That whole “you killed a dog!” (or horse, or cat, or whatever) argument against buying from a responsible breeder is hostage logic. To explain for anyone who hasn’t heard the term, it’s the ugly situation or relationship where someone is forced to do something they wouldn’t normally, or someone _else_ will hurt something or someone. Such as someone who beats a horse then says “look what you made me do” to some other person who had nothing to do with it.
Yes.
I love dogs. I love horses. I would love for them to continue existing. Therefore, there is a special place in my heart for high-quality responsible breeders.
A responsible breeder of horses or dogs strives to produce a genetically sound animal for which there is a place in this world. These people should be supported, and IMO commended, for their efforts to improve the overall quality their favorite breeds.
I think Cathy once said something along the lines of “Someone wanting for a Mercedes isn’t going to settle for a kia”.
If you’re looking for something specific, by God, get it! If you have your heart set on a specific breed like a boxer or a corgi or whatever tickles your fancy, you’re not going to go adopt a random mutt puppy from the pound. If you’re wanting a discipline specific horse, chances are you’re not going to find it at your average run-of-the-mill faux-cue or feed lot. And that’s okay for wanting that! Not everyone can/wants/needs a rescue/feedlotter, and I think rescue/auction horses can be a bit of a chance game. I personally don’t like giving someone money for a “rescue” if I know that they’re not going to use it for that. There are GOOD rescues out there that I would love to get a horse from, just not around my area.
We can’t save them all, and not all of them are worth saving. There are so many damn horses out there right now, so many in my area that people are turning them loose on the sides of roads. Of the ones for sale or in the local “rescue”, there’s some nice ones and there’s lots of ones that are fuglies, with no training, and would probably like to kick your head off. I’d much rather invest in something that I want and can use NOW, not anything that’s going to need extensive rehabbing/training. I don’t want anything I got to fight with or worry about it trying to kill me. I like handled horses.
The cheapest cost of a horse is its price tag, unless you got something fancy. Where I’m at, I see nice horses for sale EVERY DAY for 500-2000 dollars, and some are giveaways.They’re mostly fat, good/decent breeding, broke, easy on the eyes, sometimes w/ show experience. Mostly paints, qhs, and a lot of TBs. If I can get a horse like that for the same cost as one from a fake-rescue or feed lot, which one do you think I’m going to get? I’m sure as heck not going to go for the sight unseen, no-papered, conformationally defective friesia-walka-loosa, or the off the track great great grandson of NORTHERN DANCER, or the backyard special, scrawny butt QH with Leo five generations back and a funny color being his only claim to fame.
I consider it rescue if you take an animal that’s in danger (whether it’s of starvation, being beaten, shipped to slaughter, whatever) and remove it from that danger. How much you spend has nothing to do with it. You could get a free horse that needs thousands of dollars of vet work, or a $500 feedlot horse that just needs groceries. So the feedlot owner makes a few bucks. Do you care more about lining their pocket, or about the horse? If you can’t afford the horse or don’t have the experience to deal with physical or mental problems, don’t buy it. But don’t make the decision based on who owns the horse – its not its fault it ended up there. (Buying from bad breeders is a different story; the feedlot owner will take more horses whether or not they have buyers.)
I own a $5000 show horse, and a 27 year old Craigslist freebie. Guess which one is my favorite? When I’m looking for a horse I consider all available sources that might have what I want. I’m not likely to find a top level dressage horse or jumper in the kill pen, but a nice family or trail horse isn’t uncommon. I have the experience to evaluate the horse’s physical and mental state, and training or lack thereof. Anyone who doesn’t should have a knowledgeable person helping them look, regardless of where they plan to buy from. If I’m helping someone look for a horse I will encourage them to consider rescue horses – whether they’re in need of rescue or have already been rescued – but I won’t pressure them into getting one if a different horse is a better match for their situation, and I discourage anyone from taking on a rescue they’re not equipped to deal with. Major pet peeve.
Very good post! Excellant points all around!
I have purchased a horse with papers, shown him in breed shows and done well. Bought him from a friend who was getting out of horses. Love the experience, adored the horse, and kept him until it was time to send him over the Rainbow Bridge.
My current horse is a rescue, an OTTB bought off the track by a family that suddenly found themselves unable to afford a horse. They sold him to an honest horse trader (yes, there are a few of them around) who contacted me and said he had a horse I needed to look at. I came, saw, and after a pre-purchase exam, bought.
I follow several rescue sites (New Vocations, LOPE of TX, Tranquility Farm, Second Chance, After The Finish Line, etc.) and can see how their SOP works to the advantage of someone looking for a trained horse (broke to ride, in other words) AND who wants to know the history and habits of the horse they take home.
I didn’t know right away that my horse was off the track, so I started from scratch with the shots and worming. I did not know anything about his behavior (he cross-ties but doesn’t tie; he worries and, if rushed, used to rear up and go over backward, never with anyone on his back and never with anyone behind him, but he does need to feel that he is not being hurried into doing something he may not be able to do correctly; he clips, bathes, stands for the farrier, is good to vet, groom, handle; loads well, hauls like a champ, is not fussy about his feed or water, etc.). A lot of his behavior I learned “on the job.”
Horses at some rescues come with injuries (bows, chips, muscle soreness), and x-rays and vet records are available to you. Often you can speak with the vet about the horse in question. If the horse cribs or is protective of its space in the stall, turnout behavior and “pecking order” — all these things are made known to you at these rescues (New Vocations is very good about this sort of information).
As for never really “owning” the horse you get from a rescue, and if training and then selling for profit is your goal, your option is obvious: Look elsewhere. This “return policy” is for the safety of the horse, so it doesn’t end up on a feed lot if it doesn’t “work out.”
To me getting a horse is based on factors that vary from person to person and from horse to horse. Sometimes the horse’s connections make or break the sale, too. Every case is different.
Haven’t read all the comments yet, so maybe someone beat me to this; if so, sorry for the duplication.
Exceptional horses do in fact turn up at feedlots. Champion show horses, decent racehorses, broodmare mothers of successful performers, etc. ForeverMorgans rescue sees them all the time. I do see the value for an individual of seeking just the right horse, and of getting one whose history you know, but it seems callous to me to dismiss rescue like this. Do those horses not deserve a decent life, instead of being turned into frozen steaks for Europeans after brutal torture? Because the broker wants to turn a profit on the Tennessee Walker mare you mention (which he will get, either from the meat truck or from someone who will take her home and use her), does that mean she deserves to be butchered? Of course it is rescue to remove her from the truckload!
Gosh, my first horse came off a KB truck back in the 70s — he was, I think now, my horse of a lifetime. Superbly trained, a gentleman, intelligent — I was very lucky. I never found out anything about him, but that became less and less important as our 18 years together went on. He died at 33 (OK, the one thing I did know about him, per horse dentist, was his age…) and I rode him till his last year. I think I had two vet visits that were not routine in all that time (he cut himself a couple of times out playing and needed stitching).
Fact is, the trucks DO come. They came for more than 100,000 US horses last year! If you can only have one horse, I can see why you don’t want to obtain it in a last-minute rescue situation (although is it that much different from buying at auction?). But please do consider getting a horse from a rescue. It is absolutely true — if you adopt a horse from a rescue you are saving TWO — the one you take home, and the one that will take its place at the rescue.
Finally, you disparage the horses that need rescue, but where do you think rescues obtain them from, and what shape are they going to be in when they get them? If you are not able or willing to take a chance on a horse that is at the end of the line, don’t discourage people who are and do!
That is true, and I personally would check the local reputable rescues first, on the off chance that they might have what I want. But like I said, my trainer, who has been in rescue for years still BOUGHT her high end competition horse…and traveled a long distance to find the perfect horse.
Personally, I think *the* most important thing is finding the right horse. Many animals end up in rescue…or BACK in rescue…because somebody let their bleeding heart overrule their common sense and bought a completely unsuitable animal.
Getting a horse from a reputable rescue is more like purchasing from a breeder. Those rescues tend to know the horses they are looking to place quite well, and are adept at placing them with the correct owner for that horse. I think the idea in this post is more along the lines of actually pulling a horse from a feedlot or low end auction and expecting to strike gold for the “right horse”. You got absurdly lucky with your old man, and congratulations on that are in order.
I don’t see adopting from a reputable rescue as “rescuing” – you’re basically making a purchase with strings attached, and appropriately so. The rescue itself saved the horse – the adopter is the one who gives him or her a home, allowing the rescue to do what they do best – rescue. The advantage there is that the horse is ready to go, with, providing the rescue is good, no surprises or boogeymen waiting in the corner for average joe horse owner. You know what you’re buying, at least when it comes to health, training, and personality.
The point of the post isn’t to knock rescuing or devalue rescued horses – they have their place and some are worth their weight in gold, and we’ve all been privy to the stories that come from the auction floor. The point is more along the lines of if you have something specific in mind for what you want that horse for, don’t take your chances and buy from an auction or feedlot. Chances are, if you do that, that horse will wind up needing to be rescued again.
Well, yes, but, one of the points Charm brought up that I think is very relevant is that (with the very best of intentions) people who buy “The Truck Is Coming!” horses are inadvertently supporting a part of the industry that most of us tend to despise…the kill buyers. And in doing so, logically, it’s to the detriment of those breeders and sellers who have treated their animals well, bred carefully, put a foundation on their babies, etc. Is it fair to the conscientious people who make their living in the industry when their potential customers opt to put money in Bob Kill Buyer’s pocket?
Don’t get me wrong. There are some awesome rescues out there, who also put the time, care and foundation into the horses in their program, (just like the conscientious breeders do) and they re-home them carefully. I have no problem there at all. My problem is with metaphorically throwing kibble to the coyotes that are killing off your flock. Feeding them isn’t going to stop them or even slow them down. It’s going to make them stronger and more active.
Get outa my mind!
This is pretty much what I was trying to say– there is an industry wide sort of ‘pat on the back’ to anyone who ‘rescues’ a horse, regardless of whether they went to a quality rescue or happily gave their $1,000 to Ms. I’mSavinHorsesfromTheFeedlot. It would be so nice if people were applauded for spending that money on a horse that has always been well taken care of. Do we want to give our money to someone who pretends to be a rescue, or do we want to give that money to a breeder/trainer/individual who has taken great care of their horses?
Couldn’t agree more! One of the things I find most endearing about my horse is the fact that he has NO IDEA that life can be anything but good and that humans can be anything but kind. He has lived a charmed life full of people who give him affection, take good care of him and treat him well. His concept of abuse is when dinner is late. I LOVE that bad people and bad treatment simply don’t even exist in his worldview.
Breeders who are bringing up horses like this are the ones I want to support. I want my money going toward more horses who love humans and believe the world is a good place full of sunshine and lollypops – really, can’t even fathom anything different. I’m happy to defend my choice not buy him, rather than rescue/adopt a rescue, to anyone who gives me any guff. Because really, my funny sweetheart should languish and his breeder should go unsupported because she does too good a job judiciously breeding and raising her horses? Nonsense.
“Because the broker wants to turn a profit on the Tennessee Walker mare you mention (which he will get, either from the meat truck or from someone who will take her home and use her”
The issue is the AMOUNT of profit involved. The broker will *not* get $600 dollars at any stage for that horse, because the price at the slaughterhouse is less than that — and the horse has to be hauled either to Canada or Mexico. Giving the broker an enormous profit on a horse he paid maybe $100 — or maybe got free — *does* keep him in the kill-buying business.
I hear stories (and see ads) all the time: “Price $1500, and if you won’t pay it, I’m taking the horse to the auction and the meat buyer will get it.” My response to that is, okay, I’ll pay the meat-buyer’s price, and you’ll come out ahead by not paying the auction commission.
The kill-buyers are laughing all the way to the bank as we make it possible for them to buy MORE horses to send to slaughter. The broker can put a LOT of horses on the truck for $600.
If you can afford the risk, don’t buy from the killer — go to the auction and outbid them. Yeah, I know, they’ll run you up, yadda yadda — you’ll still probably pay less than the “ransom” after the auction.
“Ransom” is a good term for it.
The breeder of the horse the broker sells to the rescuer is equally happy. He made a profit since he doesn’t waste money on frills such has vets, farriers, trainers, and large amounts of high quality food nor does he waste any of his own time on anything beyond the barest essentials of keeping the horses alive. He knows there will be a market for his next crop of horses.
All good points. Honestly, I think “rescue” has become a bit of a discipline in and of itself. To rescue well is an art form.
I really do not feel people should look to pull feedlotters out of harm’s way as a means to finding *their* horse. Personally, I feel the approach should be more like, okay, I have an extra stall or space in my pasture, and I have a little cash in the bank that I would like to use to do something nice. True generosity (and rescue is an act of generosity) comes when you give what you have to spare – not when you cost yourself in the process.
Do some folks get lucky and pull their perfect horsey soulmate out of the feedlot? Sure! Does it happen often? Probably not. I knew what my big guy was like from the moment he hit the ground. He was bred by a backyard breeder and is nothing special to anyone but me, but our personalities match perfectly. I also think he is drop dead gorgeous. I didn’t actually purchase him until he was a yearling, but by that time I knew he was the perfect partner for me and here we are – 7 years later still the best of pals. I truly don’t think I would have found the perfect horse to start my “colt starting” journey with if I’d just gone to a feedlot and put down $150 for a scraggly yearling.
All of this to say is that no, the attitude (and it applies to dogs and cats too, folks, although it’s less important because your life isn’t typically in danger with that 8 week old fuzzball kitten) that you’re a terrible animal owner because you choose to get what you really want over the roll of the dice at the rescue/shelter is illogical and just sets people up for needless guilt trips. Properly researching and finding the right animal for you, BEFORE you look to save a life, adds so much more to that animal’s chances of having that forever home. My boy will, barring external circumstances, always be with me. If I have anything to do with it, he will be a one-owner horse and he will die, hopefully many many years from now, with his head in my lap. Will I rescue someday? Maybe. But I won’t risk the ones I have nor will I have unrealistic expectations on that rescue to do it.
Maybe it’s the Midwest or what, but I don’t feel any obligation to take on a rescue horse. Horses live a long time and if you are going to use them, you need to bond. I too traded a gelding this year that wasn’t working for me. I knew he’d work for some one else so I traded with a good breeder knowing it was a win-win situation for me and the horses. I think it’s foolish to keep a horse that isn’t working for you. It’s not good for you or the horse.
Regarding your question about good rescues. Here in Wisconsin, I keep my eyes on the Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation. They are fantastic in making sure both the horse and owner get what they expect. I wouldn’t hesitate to get a horse from them when I’m in the market. http://www.equineadoption.com/
Well written. One should get the horse that works out the best. Maybe it would be a rescue and maybe it would be a private sale. Ignore those who beat you up for buying instead of rescuing. Both rescue & sales have their place in the world.
Horses are expensive to keep.. it will cost just as much to keep the expensive horse vs. the cheap or free horse. In fact often the cheaper horse is more expensive in the long run due to medical issues.. or training issues that have to be fixed.. if they can be fixed at all. Horses also have the added benefit that they can be “used” for something.. riding, driving etc.
Even in the dog world…. going to a rescue/pound isn’t really all that good of an option. At our local shelters all you have are pit mixes and hunting dogs.. neither are attractive as pet choices (yeah.. I know.. you love your pit.. but generally these aren’t the best choice for most people)… So you go to a breeder.. or maybe a breed specific rescue (if they aren’t asking for 12 home visits and 18 references along with permission to pop in whenever they want.. oh and you better have exactly the type of premesis they require.. or no dice).
So.. you got the horse you wanted.. paid a fair price and care for it properly. I think as a horse owner, that is all that should be expected of you. There is no obligation for people to save the world.. if you want to fine.. but don’t force your desires onto others.
Where I live, if you tell somebody you’re planning on adopting from a rescue or buying at an auction, they think you’re absolutly insane and try to talk you out of it.
My first horse was from a very low-end, unknown small town auction. The reason we were there is because my dad has a rule, that he’s only broken once, that he will not spend over $500 on a horse. Clearly, even though he was buying for his kid, he didn’t have any requirments except for young and cheap. We ended up with a headshy, hardly been touched yearling filly we beat the kill buyer for. Let’s ignore all the things wrong with giving a kid an untrained horse and let me get to the point.
That horse, who I still have today, has turned out to be amazing. She’s been in the mountains, been ridden through town, can work cattle, can do a bit of english. Usually she’s pretty spook-proof, great with her feet and so on. Don’t get me wrong, she’s definitly not perfect, we have our days, but she introduced me to the fact that a horse that ends up at an auction like that can still be great.
That’s why I like to buy from low-end auctions. To give a horse like that a chance it might otherwise not have. We’ve gotten most of our horses from the auction and they’ve all been pretty great in their own ways. We adopted one mare from a rescue, who had purchased her at an auction. I still try to be careful when at an auction, I look for the horses who whinny or move around a lot in their nervousness, things that can help indicate that they were not drugged up. I always try to find something in between calm and crazy; I don’t mind a horse that panics at an auction, it’s a terrifying experience.
That said….I don’t suggest everyone do that. It is a lot of hard work and I don’t believe you shuld go looking for your next barrel racing or showjumping champion at an auction. If you have the room, the experience and the ability, then I’d say go ahead and buy from an auction.
I’d never buy from one of those “rescue” forums, I’m sure some are legit but I don’t trust them. I’d rather go to the aucton myself, see the horse in person and go from there.
I agree whole heartedly with getting the horse that suits you. If there happens to be a rescue that fits the bill, by all means take it home! If not, then no hard feelings!
I know when I’m ready to get a horse again (law school currently takes me away from the equine activities…), I’ll keep my eyes on rescue sites. Currently my needs aren’t that demanding; I just want something that will stay sound for low level dressage and hop over a few cross rails now and then. Reasonably sane, but needn’t be bombproof. Decent, ground-covering trot. So long as the horse is at least green-broke I’ll put the rest of the work in.
Chances are I can find that without much trouble. Maybe a horse at Camelot will tug at my heartstrings and I’ll take a wild chance that I’ll end up with a gem instead of a pile of vet bills. More likely, I’ll go to a rescue organization (the type who have already “rescued” the horse from dire straights) where I can get a really good look at the horse and give him a test ride.
If I can’t find the horse I need through a rescue organization, I won’t feel bad about turning to the private market.
Right now I’m really active in the dog community outside of school (canine = much cheaper than equine) and I see this conflict a LOT. Our local dog club is extremely supportive of all dog owners, whether purebred or mutts, finely pedigreed or fresh from the shelter.
My current dog was an unintended consequence of volunteering at a local shelter (no regrets, though!). He might even be a purebred (Australian Cattle Dog), but no papers, no history. Our shelter pulled him from Animal Control when he was slated for euth at 6 months old. He had been at Animal Control for a while before being put on the euth list.
My dog was a real diamond in the rough. He is an amazing working dog (we compete in obedience and have started tracking and dock jumping). We can stand right up there with the fancy pedigreed working dogs and kick some tail in obedience.
You know what he can’t do? Herd. Fails utterly. He has great chase instinct, but no real talent or drive for it. He LIKES to herd, but from a competition standpoint, he’s awful at it. (and he apparently never read the breed description that labels him as a “silent” herder).
Do I care? Not really! I got him as a companion (and jogging parter, which med-large dog with 4 good legs can be!). I started Obedience training because I knew he’d need a “job.” Turned out we were good at it so we stuck with it.
BUT if I want to get into competitive herding, he’s a perfect case of why I might buy instead of rescue. There’s no guarantee that a finely pedigreed herding dog will be the next great herding champion, but you have a better chance with a dog that comes from a line of excellent herders (not to mention raising it from day 1 to be a herder, instead of nabbing him from a shelter at 7 months old).
For reasons like this, our club is fully supportive both shelter and pedigreed dogs of all types. We all (okay, at least 99%) understand the problems surrounding unwanted animals in our society and want to help. But most of the club members are competitive and picky about what traits they need in a dog to be competitive. I would say that at least 75% of “purebred” dog owners (even breeders) in our club have at least one rescue at home. At least half of these owners do some sort of showing/competition with their rescue dogs too.
Most of us can’t afford to assuage our consciences in the horse world by picking up a “needy” horse along with our purchase. But many of us in the horse world have a long, or at least demanding, list of what we need in a horse. And we want our horse to be, above just about anything else, is SOUND and fit for our purposes.
And although I respect the need to keep unwanted and rescue animals at the forefront of our concerns, we also need to look at ourselves and respect our own wishes and desires. Although I commend the rescuers who spend their lives picking up unwanted horses and doing what they can for them, it’s not for everyone. We aren’t all that selfless, and we can’t all be held back in our wishes because someone ELSE overbreeds crappy animals.
Totally not true. How does one figure the chances of getting a good herding dog from a breeder is better than adopting a 8 month old rescue that has already been tested on sheep? The only problem rescue dogs can have is their lack of reg. papers they may need to compete in certain trials.
I have seen 100′s of rescue dogs compete in agility, herding, dock diving and excel all the way to the top levels.
I always hear people claiming that their dog came from good breeder but I have rarely found it to be true. People seem to believe anything they are told or want to hear on this subject. I have yet to meet one person in the town I live in that considers themselves BYB or being part of the pet overpopulation, no matter how many litters they have produced. Funny how everyone of them always finds good homes for every pup they sell.
I understand why somebody interested in serious competition would want to buy a well bred pup but they are such a tiny % of who owns or wants to own such a dog. I hate hearing people saying things such as rescue dogs come with baggage. I have rarely seen a rescue dog who was permanently damaged to the point they couldn’t become a great dog, not just a pet but a good dependable working dog also. The way I see it 99% of people wanting a herding breed but worries about them having too much baggage doesn’t have the basic skills to prevent the same sort of behaviors developing in any pup they may get. A good rescue takes in dogs and keeps them long enough to access their abilities and needs and matches them up with the proper kind of home and owner. People who want a dog for agility don’t get sent home with a dog with a low drive and people wanting a pet or a “farm” dog won’t be sent home with high drive dog. People with kids won’t end up with a dog who is uncomfortable around kids and so on. When a person buys a puppy, especially a puppy from a high drive bloodline the chances of it growing up and being good with kids isn’t real good. If you need a dog that is good with kids then a well accessed rescue is a much safer bet than buying a puppy. Also most health problems will have started showing up after the first 1-2 years so adopting an adult dog can be less of a crap shoot than buying a puppy.
Getting the proper dog to match your needs from a rescue has many more positives than negatives for 99 % of pet owners out there. Something that can’t be said about buying a puppy.
A few comments in reply if you’ll entertain me.
You point out that only a small % of the population really *need* a purebred dog for competition purposes. For the purposes of those who compete beyond basic obedience or in more specialized sports, yah sure I’ll agree. But I was specifically talking about that % of the population in my discussion.
And that % of the dog population is the % I compare more readily to the equestrians among us. We are looking for “something” in an animal besides companionship. The horse or the dog needs to have certain characteristics in order to be more than just a companion.
Just about any dog, purebred, mix-bred, puppy-mill bred, etc. can compete in basic obedience. Only a certain percentage of these dogs (whether purebred, mix-bred, puppy-mill bred, etc) will have what it takes to compete regionally (let alone nationally) at the highest levels of Obedience. It’s a bit of a roll-of-the dice whether you have a mix-bred or purebred. BUT a dog whose parent’s parents have competed in obedience, is more likely to have those dice show up the way you want them.
And instinct has a lot to do with it. Just like the way we’ve created different breeds, we can breed in or out some of the instinct within a breed. The way I see it, here are the types of Cattle dogs you can get from a shelter: (I leave out the poor-quality/puppy-mill cattle dogs, since they aren’t a “lucrative” enough breed to serve the purposes of those types of breeders)
1. Mixed breed that looks like a cattle dog (as they have dominant characteristics).
2. Purebred cattle dog that comes from farm stock… which could mean anything. Maybe they bred for another herding dog and only kept the one pups or maybe ol’ Bessie just got knocked up by that there Cattle Dog down the street.
3. Purebred cattle dog from a good line, but that line was only bred (or primarily bred) for the conformation ring. There might be some herding instinct in there, but it wasn’t what the dog’s parents were “champions” for and may not be what the breeder cared about passing on.
4. Purebred cattle dog from a good line, and that line WAS bred for herding (either primarily, or in addition to show conformation).
If you want to compete in herding, you need to hope for a lot of luck with #1 or #2, or hope for a little luck with a #4.
Or you can go to a breeder who produces cattle dogs from lines of cattle dogs that are also proven successful in herding. When the only info a shelter has on said cattle dog is “dropped off in box at door,” who knows?
Only specialized herding rescue groups, and even rarely among them, can give you the chance to instinct test your dog before adopting it. How many shelters have a flock of sheep on hand? Or are willing to deal with the legal liability of having you “borrow” the dog? There are rescue groups that do this, and some that even put herding training onto their dogs before adopting them out to ranchers, but they are rare.
There are some things all dogs can do and some things all horses can do, barring truly disabling conformation. But like dogs, all horses are not ideal for all things.
Sure, you can pick up a random (healthy looking and decently conformed) Quarter Horse off craigslist or from a rescue and expect it to jump 2′, compete in Training level dressage, or go for a nice long trail ride every Saturday.
But if you’re looking for your next cutting champion, wouldn’t you want to buy a Quarter Horse bred from successful cutting horses?
There are a lot of things you can tell about a horse’s potential ability just by peeking at them, but there are some instincts that you don’t know about until they’re really tried and true. If you have to buy a horse that hasn’t been tested for cutting instinct, how could you think you have the same chance of good instinct from a random QH than from one bred specifically for that purpose?
Also, we all know the importance of raising on a dog. I fully agree that there are very few irretrievably broken shelter dogs out there. Some require no “rehab” at all, some require just a consistent and fair hand, and some take a lot of patience.
Same with purebred dogs, no matter how good the breeder was. If you let your perfectly purebred poopsikins Akita run the house, you’ll probably have a lot more trouble on your hands than you would if you had adopt an average shelter dog. Dogs are extremely adaptive and are pretty quick to figure out who runs things, regardless of their bloodlines.
But even just competing in Obedience (which arguably is a sport that requires the least amount of “instinct” for a dog to succeed in), I sure wish I had had my Cattle Dog from a baby to get him used to carrying metal articles around from day one. Were we able to overcome it? Sure. Would it have been 3 months of working on it 3 times a day almost every day to make him happy about it if we had played with metal toys as a puppy? Probably not.
Would I get an adult dog again? yup.
Why? I feel the need to rescue when it’s feasible. I don’t feel like the fact that I have to put in a little different (not even always “extra”) work in is too big of a challenge for me.
But I respect those who don’t want to or can’t. I respect the woman who buys a purebred Poodle from working lines in order to increase the likelihood that the dog will be extremely (not just passably) successful in Obedience. I respect the man who buys a Pointer from working lines in order to increase the likelihood that he’ll end up with a good gun dog. I respect the woman who breeds her Australian Shepherd bitch, who has major championships in Conformation, Herding, and Obedience, every couple of years in order to produce puppies that she will keep some of and the rest will all go to competition homes for people with similar aspirations.
You seem to have had some bad experiences with breeders. Yes, most “breeders” are BYBs (for the millions reasons that they are, I still can’t find one to justify it). Many of them aren’t as obviously crazy and evil as the kinds we laugh about on blogs like these. They lie, they cheat, and people get duped. Just like my neighbor with a purebred GSD that already has hip dysplasia at a young age and suffers from really bad anxiety; don’t worry, the breeder showed her “papers” that said the parent’s hips were good. And the reason that she couldn’t meet her puppy’s parents was that “they were enjoying a nice break at the breeder’s parent’s house in the country.”
Yes, there are a lot of those breeders. And a lot of ill-informed people that buy from them.
That doesn’t mean that truly good and responsible breeders don’t exist, and that there’s no purpose in buying from them.
Some of the legit reasons to buy from (what I consider) a responsible breeder do have to do with temperament and soundness. Dogs inherit traits just like us. If both parents (and parent’s parent’s parents) have perfect hips and star temperament, it isn’t a guarantee that the pups will too. But percentage wise, it’s pretty likely that the pup is predisposed at the time you get it to have a solid temperament and is less likely than average to have hip dysplasia.
Same as when crappy breeder hands you a puppy whose parents have horrible hips and nervous temperaments. Your dog is more predisposed to be nervous and more likely to suffer from hip problems than average.
The problem at the shelter is that you just don’t know; you can’t make a decision based on the parents or breeder. When you take home a puppy, it might have come from solid parents, scary parents, or one of both.
Personally, I don’t find this daunting. I realize that most good dogs are “made” not born. I know how to “make” a good dog. Lord knows my ACD had a ton of “issues” when I got him (what 8 month old Cattle Dog doesn’t, though, right? haha). Lots of consistency (and eventually resigning myself to leaving the room every time he barked for attention for a few weeks…), requesting alternative behaviors, and positive training turned him into a wonderful companion and obedience dog.
But a lot of people don’t have darned clue how to fix a dog with problems. Starting with a dog who has an ideal basic temperament (or at least likely inherited this temperament) could be a real blessing for them. I understand that, and I respect that.
Good herding dog rescues test their dogs on sheep or will test any dog before they send it out. I can name more than one in Washington State.
I find so many of these posts sad since everyone here claim to care about animals here but……..
shelters and breeders make it too painful to adopt..
shelters mis lead breeds of dogs
Takes too long to find a Siamese cat
all rescues come with baggage
The lists go on and on.
If you don’t want to go to a shelter or a rescue then don’t but talking shit about people and places that work hard cleaning up after others and save 1,000′s of lives of good animals which provide many people with happy pets is wrong.
No one place is perfect but I do know we have 1,000 of
good horses and other pets that die needlessly because selfish people who chose to breed them when we already know we have more animals than we have good homes for.
As far I am concerned anyone who wants an animal for anything other than a pet first is a shitty animal owner. You will be the first to dump a horse dog or cat because it is no longer useful. People like this should get a new hobby that doesn’t feel pain or suffer when the person who is responsible for what kind of life it will have dumps it.
We all should be grateful that there are all kinds of people who rescue or care about the animals who are suffering for a lack of a home out there. We may not agree with everything they do but we sure as Hell shouldn’t be knocking everything they do. A little compassion can go a long way.
Animalpoor100, you are my hero.
I just had to chime in again and say I agree about the adult dog thing.
It doesn’t take that long to undue bad behaviors, and at least you know what you’re getting instead of taking your chances on how a puppy will grow up.
I can’t recommend an adult to dog ENOUGH to families with children. Yes, there are some breeds that are “good” with kids on average, but it’s no guarantee. When you adopt a 2 year old German Shepherd mix, you KNOW if it likes your kids. Yes your Golden Retriever may come from very docile parents, but it could be the bad roll of the die and be so boisterous that it barrels the kids over all the time and is always taking their toys; only you don’t know until 8 months later.
There’s also the difference between shelters and rescue groups. Wish we only had need for the latter. But at any rate, while a good rescue group properly matches its dogs with their owners, and almost always will take the dog back if life crisis arises and even try to help you out if the dog has severe medical issues in the future. In contrast, most shelters don’t have time to do more than a “okay he didn’t bite me today” temperament test before putting the dog up for adoption. And dogs aren’t always “themselves” at a shelter for various reasons.
Thing is, I agree with 99% of what you’re saying. I think we’re just missing each other based on personal experiences with breeders and the reasons why someone is buying a dog.
I think responsible breeders have a place, and I think purebred dogs bred for a purpose have a place. For the average family who isn’t going to educate themselves and find a truly good breeder or drive the distance to a reputable rescue, the shelter is a better place than most for finding your next family companion.
I once got reamed out for buying a puppy from a great breeder and not “adopting” from the shelter. The person that reamed me out wants kids … but cannot have them. I said, “Why don’t you adopt?” She adamantly refused … saying you never know what issues you might get if you adopt somebody else’s kid with a history …
My point made.
The quality of horse I want is rarely found at auction or at a rescue. There is almost always a ‘hole” in them somewhere – mentally, physically, or behavior wise. That said, I currently show a rescue. She has her “holes”, but she has won regional championships. She won’t make WC, but she has done very well. I took a chance on her and it’s paid off.
Well written- although I do believe there is an in-between. You can also buy a horse from a personal owner who is selling, and while this may not be “OMG SAVE HIM HE’S GOING TO SLAUGHTER TOMORROW!!!” type of rescue, it may be that this seller could take the horse to an auction if he doesn’t sell. This way, you are making a difference, and you can test-drive beforehand. And they can be cheap too.
I suppose it’s easy to get caught up in the terminology, but to me, rescue simply means taking a horse that is currently unwanted and making him or her wanted . If that means pulling from the auction, adopting from a rescue or buying out of someone’s backyard when that horse’s future is uncertain, matters not. For that horse, at that moment, you are his rescuer.
I adopted our gelding (who was pulled from the direct to kill pen at New Holland by a local rescue group) about three years ago. To say I was a bit naïve and wet behind the ears at the time is an understatement. We “adopted” him for way too much money (about $1000) and soon discovered that he was green and chronically lame. He’ll never jump – something that I’d hoped to get into some day, but that was the chance we took. At the time, I bought into all of the “the truck is coming” BS and felt good about pulling a horse that had been destined for someone’s dinner plate. Thing is, even though the wet behind my ear has dried a bit, I STILL feel good about that.
This gelding, though far from perfect, is the most amazing animal I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. He’ll never jump, but he’s the safest, most level headed boy around. He was only 4 when I brought him home and he forgave me and kept me safe during the dumbest of inexperienced horse owner moments. Looking back, I wonder how the two of us made it through my ignorance. The rescue group, to give them credit, saw my inexperience and recognized his temperament and made a match.
But I lucked out and I know it. My needs are limited (light ring work, trails, and the occasional pony ride for my kids, which he is capable of doing) so rolling the dice wasn’t a huge risk. As it turns out, I hit the jackpot, but I certainly understand why others have to go through other means to find the horse for them.
OT, but really??? How dangerous is that!!!
http://athensga.craigslist.org/grd/2818898249.html
“Can be stubborn at times” = no matter how many times we put our three year old daughter on him while tying him to the bottom of the tree with his bridle reins, he STILL sometimes pulls back and flips over backwards. Thank God we have extra kids!
Epic Fail.
OMFreakingGoodness. That photo. The poor kid is just the icing on the cake!
I also love the — this horse is trained to ride, doesn’t buck, doesn’t do anything bad. I am looking for a horse that I can just saddle up and ride. Because, you know, this horse you can’t just saddle up and ride, despite what I just told you about him being trained with no bad habits.
This is my sentiment exactly – I don’t pretend that all horses can have forever homes, for one. I’d love to believe that my current mare will be with me forever, but what I’d like is a second horse to train, have fun with for some years, and *potentially sell.*
But you can’t do that going through a rescue. Doesn’t matter if you’ve established yourself as NOT a bonehead, or someone who will sell with the best interest of the horse in mind (check references, etc) …. So what if I take a sad little green broken horse from a rescue, and train it over a few years into a super solid, handy trail and jumping mount that’ll pack kids around? A horse like that is worth it’s weight in gold, STILL. And what if I fall on hard times and need to sell said horse, and not only that, could really USE the couple grand a horse like that could bring me? How on earth is it fair that I have to give all that hard work and effort *back* ???
I understand no-sale contracts with elderly/retired horses or horses with disabilities – horses that have no value other than a pasture pet and therefore are always in danger of ending up in a bad spot. But for unbroken youngsters and sound green horses, I don’t like the idea that my animal is actually essentially NOT owned by me. But I get to put all the work into them, and pay all the bills. RIIIIGGGHT.
I will always donate money to good rescues cause theyre heart is in the right place, but I won’t go through a rescue when the time comes. I’ll look for diamonds-in-the-rough myself, be at auctions or from low end adds… same with dogs. I don’t “rescue” dogs from “rescues.” I got my dog from the county shelter. The dog is MINE now.
Maybe I just don’t share well.
I don’t think this comment is going to go in the right place – but it is RE: “don’t like that I can’t sell the horse.”
Also, their, not they’re.
Also, I say this to dog people too – there’s NOTHING wrong about buying from a breeder. Rescuing is great, but my rescue dog came with a lot of baggage I wasn’t told about. If I had kids, he’d be out of here. Buying a dog/horse/whatever that you can see the history of, see how it was raised, know its medical history, is totally fine and no one should feel badly for it. If you’re up to the challenge rescuing is rewarding, but a rescue dog/horse isn’t for everyone, especially first time owners.
“but my rescue dog came with a lot of baggage I wasn’t told about”
Agreed! My first dog was from a shelter- a lovely pup, but quite a handful (half chow!), and I loved her for her whole life (I got her at 8 weeks- the mother had been brought in pregnant.) My other dogs have been from breeders I know and respect, and I love those dogs, too (Aussies).
My brother has a pit bull (American Red, I think) that the shelter told him was a “Lab mix.” A friend of mine has a “Lab mix” from a different shelter that grew up to be a Catahoula- possibly purebred! If the shelters don’t take the time to investigate the dogs and educate people about what they’re getting, they are going to get a lot of unadoptable dogs back. And a lot of heart-broken families whose kids were bitten by dogs bred for fighting. Whose fault will it be when these families won’t go to a shelter again?
Well written. I think you made an informed choice, which is more important than the person who gets caught up in the hype, and makes a poorly thought-out purchase.
My only issue with rescues are the ones who spend thousands to save some horses who have issues, when simple euthanasia would have helped the animal more. Rather your vet puts them to sleep permanently, than you spend thousands on rehab, and they’re un-adoptable!
When I first starting looking for a horse last summer, I tried looking at what local rescues had. Few if any were sound. Because I would be boarding, I wasn’t hunting for a large expensive pet. (Although, should the horse end up that way – so be it!)
One horse sounded perfect. 8 year old OTTB who had been ridden after the track and was sound. After several weeks of talking with the rescue lady, I made arrangements to go see the horse. (4 hour drive each way) I was willing to go along with all of her conditions, everything seemed to be in order. At the last minute, she backed out. Then wouldn’t return phone calls. After I did get a horse, hers was listed on the internet with a TOTALLY different story to go along with him.
Through a friend of mine I found Second Start Thoroughbreds – a placement service for horses coming off the track. The owner gives the information to them, a picture and description is posted on their Facebook and website. There is an application and then an appointment is set up for the buyer to go directly to the track and buy from the owner. One mare raced (and lost) on the Tuesday, was listed Wednesday and the owner wanted her gone right away. I brought her home on the Friday. She has been nothing short of amazing.
As much as I would love to say that she was a rescue, she needed a lot of work and so on, she wasn’t and didn’t. There was a long list of people behind me who wanted her as well, she was never in danger. She arrived very sane and sound just like I was promised. A little fine tuning to adjust to a slower lifestyle and she has been perfectly behaved on the ground and under saddle.
And still no shortage of people who want her if I ever can’t keep her.
I got to watch the transition of an OTTB that sounds just like yours. He was dropped off straight from the track and we all held our breath. He was more dependable than the BO’s imprinted mare that she bred for.
She is such a good girl. She remains calm in the arena no matter what. During a horrible storm complete with loud thunder and hail banging on the metal roof a simple pat and a reassuring word she was fine while the school horses lost their minds. Her absolute favourite person in the universe is my 5 year old son and she will do anything for him including dressing up for Halloween and participating in the barn party. A few times after I have ridden, I’ve put him on her back with his helmet on and led him around. It was amazing to see how carefully she moved with him on her back.
Charm, good luck with your new horse, the only thing that matters (of your personal horse) is that the horse is right for you.
I don’t really see this as an “either/or” issue. It all depends on a person’s needs. If you want to buy a horse that you know will be everything that you need and cannot afford to lose out on the deal, then the auction is not the place for you. If you have ample resources and want to speculate a bit or perhaps feel that you have saved one, then have at it. I work with Arabian show horses, so all of my clients have horses that they have bought from reputable trainers or breeders. Nothing wrong with that. However, for my personal needs, when I get a dog I will adopt. I don’t want to compete in dog shows/ agility in any way and just want a companion, plus I would like to feel that I saved one and the one that takes its spot.
THANK YOU!!!!
I just actually had a similar discussion with some fellow vet tech students and instructors. One of the rescues my clinic does charity work for brought in a miniature bull terrier. This happens to be a breed I am researching as I would like to possibly get one or a pair when my elderly dogs have passed on (18 and 15 year old pugs). When I voiced that I had been talking with a breeder in California about purchasing a puppy, the rescue owner jumped down my throat on WHY ON EARTH I would buy instead of adopting. I wish to show AKC conformation shows. Altered dogs and bitches cannot be shown AKC conformation. I was then told that rescues can provide a certificate that allows me to show, and she would not hear that AKC does not allow ANY altered animals in these types of shows, reguardless of where they came from.
I also (with dogs) do not like the uncertainty of a rescue dog. I have a 2 year old daughter, and other pets. I like to see parents, siblings, and if possible grandparents, aunts uncles etc. so I can see what others of the same gene pool turned out like, what (if any) defects they developed and how thier temperments are. I also like having a health guarantee and also the ability to go back to the same breeder if I choose to get another of the same breed. I also like knowing the animal’s full history, because even if they appear nice now, animals remember poor treatment and IMO will react if put in a situation that seems to be similar to the abuse they received. I WILL NOT take that chance with my toddler!
Horse rescue is another ball game, It is YOUR choice and NOBODY has a right to dictate otherwise. All of the horses I have now have been some form of rescue except for one. I have a now 3 year old clydesdale gelding who was not supposed to be a rescue, I actually bought him, but only because I couldnt leave him there another second! He was bones, and mud to his ears, he was very gangly and strange looking and probably would have died in 7-10 days if left where he was! He is now healthy GELDED, and in saddle training. He is intended to be a keeper but if I can no longer support a large draft with feed, I know that he will find a loving home because he will be useful! I have a now 18 year old Paso Fino mare who has LOADS of show points and papers, she was given to me for free because they “couldnt ride her and she needed training”, UMMMM I dont know where they learned to ride, but I have put NO training on her at all and I trail ride her regularly and she is my FAVORITE mount and is a forever keeper! My 3rd is a 9 year old APHA breeders trust paint mare, again a give away that was “headed to a slaughter auction in 24 hours” she supposedly had some issues being ridden (hadnt been touched in 2 years and “”"”SHOCKER”"” crow hopped when the idiot got on her without working her at all. She has been ridden many times and as long as you lunge her first, there are no issues when riding her, and her training is fairly advanced. She will be sold in the spring (I just dont need another horse) and the one who isnt a rescue was actually gotten for my mother and was LIED about. We were told she is kid safe and etc etc etc, and in the beginning she rode great, then she got herd and buddy sour, and now bucks, rears, bolts etc when not ridden at least twice a week. She will also be sold to an ADVANCED rider in the spring and is a 12 year old paso fino.
I have adopted from a rescue, and stand by them 100%. We got an aged Haflnger mare for my mom prior to the above mentioned paso fino, and had her just under 2 years when she suddenly and unexpectedly passed on for unknown reasons. The paso was to replace her simply because the rescue did not have what we wanted, and look what we ended up with, and the people who sold her have no interest in taking her back (imagine that). So if you are in the midwest and want one hell of a nice, honest rescue to adopt from visit http://www.equineadoption.com They have really nice horses and only 10% of them come from abuse, most come from being donated by owners who care more about the horses welfare then the money they could make off it.
Vetech, So you are going to purchase 2 BT puppies for the purpose of showing and because you want to be sure you will get a good child safe animal? Surprise!! YES,buying pups from a show breeder will improve your chances of getting a show quality dog but it is NO WAY a guarantee. If somebody gets one successful pup out of a litter they are doing well. reality is almost all breeders keep their best pups for themselves. So how will you feel when your pup ends up more pet quality than not?
Thinking that anybody can predict what a pup will grow up to be like (good with kids,high strung etc) just may leave you disappointed. The only way you can be sure if a dog is good or comfortable with kids, or will be animal aggressive (important in this breed) is to adopt an adult dog who has been accessed by somebody with experience.
I can say I once owned one of the top winning female BT in the nation, bred her to one of the top dogs in the world and ended up with a litter of 7 pups that ranged from just plain ugly to close to perfect. Even though the parents had good temperaments, I ended up getting 4 back because they were more dog than they could live with or feel safe with. .I agreed and put everyone of them down. They could have been rehabbed and placed in a home better suited for them with a lot of effort but it didn’t happen. I spayed the female after that. Trust me most breeders would have never even considered doing this because of her impressive show winnings and fame in the BT show world. If you really are concerned with getting a dog that is good with children then I suggest you adopt an adult rescue that is proven to be good with them. When you buy a pup it’s always going to be a gamble.
It’s worth noting that this is the second time this rescue has been listed as an example of a great rescue in the Midwest. I’ll have to go check them out now!:)
It’s a very good point, and handled nicely in this post. I normally don’t comment, but this particular issue is one I have asked myself about 7 times now. I have 7 horses, the first I “bought from a local breeder for next to nothing. He was a weanling and quite highstrung but my husband loved him so we bought him. I decided to buy a second horse the following year for the dual purpose of riding and driving. A shire gelding from a very famous breeder with top quality stock. I got a lot of flack for not adopting a draft from somewhere and why spend the money. I got what I wanted, and soundness in drafts starts with what the mare is fed, the only way to ensure that I had a quality sound shire was to buy from a reputable breeder. All in all I bought 3 shires, 1 friesian, and 1 pinto.
I adopted a mustang from HfH that came from 3 strikes ranch also. She’s not as smooth as I like my horses to be, but she is quite fun and very much my little girl.
We also took on a 26 year old shire mare who just desperately needs some weight and to be babied and retired from driving. She was free and I have to pick her up this weekend.
It boils down to what one can afford in my opinion. I have room and feed for lots of horses and a stable financial situation. Meaning that I can have both what I really want in a horse, and what pulls at my heart strings as well. For people who board or can only keep one or two horses, then it is unreasonable to expect them to take on a rescue or rehab if the type of horse they would really enjoy isn’t available from a rescue.
I should add that I am aware that quality horses end up in rescues all the time, but for some people it’s a gamble that they can’t afford to take. I would also like to add that knowing where a horse has been can be incredibly helpful. I purchased my shire geldings dam about 3 weeks ago and I am having some interesting problems. But, I was able to track down one of her short term previous owners to inquire about these things and ask a little more about the mare (since in the end they sold her back to the original owner). I was able to work with her better knowing some of what she had already been taught and find out about her “trigger” the easy way.
Not to mention I am a fairly experienced horse person (nowhere near an expert), and when my mustang came off the trailor all I could think was “I may have bitten off more than I can chew this time”. Now she worked out great, but mostly because I was stubborn and I refused to fail. The average “one or two horse person” may not be so patient and stubborn. Ii run an exotic bird and parrot breeding aviary (and a rescue on the side as well), I do get the “why would I buy a handfed baby for 1000 when I can pick one up at auction for 100?”, At that point I tell them that it is a personal choice, but there is a difference. One lady decided she would go pick up a rehomed rescue bird, after 2 years and over 3000 in vet bills she gave the bird to me because she still couldn’t figure out how to correct the behavoiral problems. The truth is some people have the skills and financial resources to rescue and some do not, this is a decision for that individual and not really anyone else’s business.
I rescue, but I definitely don’t think it’s something everyone should do. If I ever saw a novice buying a rescue, I would get the urge to bang my head against the nearest wall!
When people rescue, they need to have a good set of skills. Training is very important and I would not recommend ANYONE buy a rescue unless either they can train a horse, or they are working with a trainer – when you buy a rescue from an auction, you have NO idea if the horse has been broken in. They might SAY it’s been trained, but really, how trustworthy are most people selling at an auction? It also helps if you can spot soreness, lameness, what’s causing it, judge conformation and age by teeth when buying from an auction. Don’t forget that you have a limited amount of time to decide which horses are worth bidding on, and then there is always the danger of getting attacked by a less than friendly horse. .
Then there is the fact that you need a quarantine area. It’s not exactly hard to bang one up, but quarantine can be a real bitch. You need to shower after you visit new horse, before going to any other horses, you need to buy a new set of everything for the rescue and you need two have to sets of boots. The list goes on. Quarantine is my least favourite part of rescuing; it’s a pain in the ass.
Basically, I think rescuing is a great thing, but it’s not for everyone. When people don’t KNOW how to rescue properly, they compound the problem. Take this as an example –
Girl rescues horse.
Horse bucks girl off on the first ride.
Girl is now afraid of the horse.
Horse sits in paddock and is left without training or proper care.
Girl can no longer care for horse and needs to find it a home.
People don’t want to buy that horse – most people want a horse that has good training and is well cared for.
On the flip side, many people DON’T want to rescue, because it can be risky, which is exactly why I rescue and then sell. I’ll buy a horse, make sure it’s up to date on dentist, trims, wormer and vaccines and see what I can do in the way of training for it before I try to sell. Then, when I find a buyer that fits the horse well, I go and look at the property and make sure they aren’t hoarding 12 skinny horses and six litters of wormy, flea infested pups. People are willing to pay a lot more for a horse that has been looked after and that they can try before they buy, so I even make a little cash doing something I love.
I’ve got a little rescue at the moment. He’s a cute little guy, supposedly done trails, dressage, jumping and ARC. I had to walk him out of the paddock yesterday and he spooked at a bridge, spooked at some paper on the ground, didn’t want to lead – trail riding my ass lol. He also bucked while being lunged, although other than that he’s been very well behaved. I guess I’ll just have to see how our first ride goes.
Then I have my personal gelding – big QH x Appy. I didn’t buy him from an auction, but he was about to be shot, so I still rescued him. My mare had not long ago become retired, so I needed a riding horse anyway and I think we are a perfect fit. I trained him and mostly we just hack around for fun.
My boyfriend’s mare (also named sugar) I think was bought by a rescuer from the auction. She’s a shithead under saddle. I’ve put months into her and getting her to just walk on a nice loose rein is STILL done with difficulty. Personally, I think the guy who bought her from the auction was WAY too hard on her – I saw him riding a horse a few weeks ago at the auction and he hauled on its mouth and pulled it into the rail when it was doing exactly what he wanted. Probably explains why Sugar is afraid of the bit and is now ridden in a bitless bridle. .
http://www.operationhorserescue.blogspot.com
THIS.
A riding instructor and trainer with many years of experience needed more horses and was short of funds. He went to the auction and came back with a dead quiet, papered Quarter Horse mare…the only thing he could determine was wrong with her was that she was rather, shall we say, homely. Not of poor conformation, just not very attractive.
He got on her. Dead quiet. So he put her straight into lessons. Dead quiet…and with time she got quieter until he started to think something might be wrong with her. So he called the vet.
She turned out to be…you guessed it. Pregnant.
He called the auction, the auction found the original owner and he called them…hoping to find out what stud covered her so he could see if the foal could be registered. They only had one stallion on the property who could have got to her, a Paint.
Then they asked him ‘Who broke the mare?’
Yes. She was *completely unbroken*. The real reason she was dead quiet was because she didn’t know what to do! Poor girl…but what a saint.
She’s still there…still teaching people to ride, with all of her quirks – she hates her right lead, has to have a stretch girth or she bites when you saddle her up. She hates other horses. Especially male Paints (maybe that stallion was a little rough with her, eh?) Likes her personal space. But she keeps packing people around the arena and is a candidate for equine sainthood as far as I’m concerned.
But her story proves that even if you KNOW HORSES auctions are a risk. I for one wouldn’t buy a mare from auction unless I had facilities for a foal…just in case. (And yes, you can lutalyse, but only up to a certain point…I’m not sure when it stops working). And I wouldn’t get on an auction horse for the first time without a trainer present and plenty of ground work first just in case they aren’t actually broke. It can happen to anyone. Auctions are a risk…if you’re experienced and know what you’re doing they’re a calculated risk.
(I’d say I’d love to know why that breeder dumped a perfectly healthy mare, but I’m betting they didn’t like her quirks…they have to be very careful who they turn her out with so she doesn’t attack anyone…so my suspicion is she was going for other broodmares)
And before you ask about the foal, he was sold at weaning to a very experienced teenager who wanted a colt to start…and that’s all I know, but they DID manage to get the little guy registered and gelded, so he had a good chance.
I agree with much of what you say, Charm, but you sound pretty negative.
“Yes I would like a sound horse.” Not all rescue horses are ill-conformed, un-sound nags.
“I would like to try out the horse first.” Many rescues would LOVE to have you foster a horse for a while first.
“Besides, I can return items at Walmart.” Quality rescue organizations will accept a horse back if things don’t work out.
Not until the very end do you tack on this part: “There are great rescues out there, places that carefully vet, feed, and retrain their horses and then offer such horses for a reasonable adoption fee to the RIGHT new owner.” Yes!
I think if you are seriously into a sport/discipline that requires a top-notch horse, there’s nothing wrong with buying one. But honestly, I think most of us spend our horsey time trotting around the arena or loafing around the trails, with maybe some low-level shows. For that kind of stuff, there’s nothing wrong with a rescue horse.
My shout out: Midwest Horse Rescue, based here in WI, is an EXCELLENT rescue. All of their horses get training, the best medical care and a thorough evaluation before they’re offered for adoption. They are completely up front about a horse’s abilities and health, and if a horse doesn’t work out, they will take it back. Each broke-to-ride rescue horse is almost always $500 or less. Their adoption application includes questions like, “What is ‘floating’ a horse?” “What is colic?” “What is founder?” Two thumbs way up. http://www.equineadoption.com/order.htm
I don’t think anyone, including Charm, was saying there’s something inherently ‘wrong’ in rescue horses. But there’s also nothing wrong with just buying the one you want from a private sale or a breeder. I mostly loaf these days, trails and a little arena work. But if I want to buy a 40K Dutch Warmblood to do that on, that’s really my prerogative and comes down to what -I- want to spend my money on and the next 20-30 years with.
I don’t really see why one approach needs to be wrong for the other to be right. Both paths are right, and people need to choose which one works best for them. It’s really not necessary to act like people are doing something reprehensible by not going to a rescue.
Midwest Horse Rescue sounds like a wonderful place to get a horse. My negativity comes from the extreme number of ‘the truck is coming!’ posts showing up on social networks now, pushing people to buy some unknown, untried horse from a feedlot because otherwise it’s going to die. I never have liked that kind of pressure buying; you are right to think I would condemn that kind of selling tactic from ANYONE, rescue, fake rescue, or qualified breeder/trainer.
Give me a chance to love the horse for all its values and faults, and that (to me) is the mark of a quality establishment. I certainly don’t disparage all rescuers. I just wish there wasn’t an entire industry developing that makes its money from putting up horses that are supposedly in need of rescue, when in fact any purchaser is putting money directly into the hands of the people who put them at risk for slaughter in the first place!
Great topic!!
My story: I needed to purchase a young colt to be a companion to my warmblood colt. I thought how wonderful it would be to rescue from an auction. I didn’t need anything special, and didn’t have much for a budget. For the price, I could have a 2-year-old untouched, un-cut, un-registered, never vaccinated, dewormed or feet trimmed, never touched by a human, stud colt. No thank you! What I found for the same price was a lovely young Standardbred colt who would not pace! He was healthy, well handled, feet in great shape, utd on shots, worming, and already started in tack. Ummm yes please!
I’ve had rescue horses too, but I completely understand the turn-off factor behind “saving” a horse. It was just looking to be too much work for me. And why not buy a well-bred and well-mannered GELDING for the same money?
And, if you’ve never hugged a Standardbred, you really should!! <3
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve heard the sniggling undertones, too. “Why buy when you can rescue a perfectly wonderful horse.” Sorry, there are plenty of “cute” and even useful horses in rescue (and various feedlot scams) but not even one that I’ve seen (and I scan quite a bit) fits my bill. Yes, I am picky. I am going to spend many years of my life training and competing on my horse(s) so I’m going to pick out horses that I have a good chance of getting the most enjoyment out of. If I buy a 3yr old prospect, I will have about 25 years with that horse if I keep it. That’s a pretty big investment.
My dog is a pet. I don’t mind owning a mutt and/or rescued dog as long as I can teach it basic commands and it doesn’t try to eat my cats. If I was showing dogs, I would shop for one like I do my horses.
I’ve also thought the same about the feedlot “rescues.” I’ve been to a “local” sale in the last few years. The horses at the bottom end of the scale sell for $20-$50. Why are feedlot rescues online needing $300-800 for those horses? $500 in my area can get you a halfway decent trail horse off of Craigslist if you’re a savvy shopper. You can even test ride it AND you don’t have to travel more than 25 miles
I would say that giving ANY horse a home reduces the unwanted horse population by one.
Both of my horses are “rescues” (not from a rescue, but rescued from bad situations that likely would have led to auction) — I was lucky enough that my first rescue horse turned out to be my soul horse, but I know that isn’t going to be the case for everyone. Regardless of whether your horse is a “real” rescue, though, you’ve given another horse in this world a home — and if you’ve taken the time to choose a horse that suits you rather than the next one on the chopping block, it’s all that much more likely that it’ll be a long term home, which I think is equally as valuable as rescue and rehabilitation.
Charm, you have rung the bell girl! This has been on my mind for months. Today I trolled CL and a local rescue is advertising rescues for….I shit you not….untrained, unpapered (albet OK nice looking) horses for $3000.00!! I had to stare at the screen and re-read more than a few times. And cleaned my glasses. If I put it out that I seriously wanted a horse I could probably get a nice one for free. Ridable horses, with a known history.
I’m still on the fence about getting another horse, but as much as I would like to “rescue” I don’t think I could. I want a good riding horse and I know friends that can help me get one. I like to Ride, not play games with horses or humans. If I had my own place I could see myself having an “extra” but I would have to board. And there’s the rub.
Well said Charm!!’
I am now 56 – and wanted my own horse ever since I knew what one was. It took me until I was 54 to get one. Would I have liked to rescue a horse in need – sure. But, like Charm, I want something I can ride, possibly show and enjoy. At my age, there is the possibility that this will be the only horse I ever own. Add to that – I am a sucker for TBs.
Well, I got lucky. As it turns out, my trainer/BO had for sale a 10 yo TB that she thought would be a good match for me. I have known this horse for several years, FL bred, raced (badly), sold to broker, purchased by two ladies my trainer knows, brought to trainer for training, bought by one of the barn kids, sat for a good while cause barn kid discovered jumpers, came back to the barn for a year to be sold. That’s where I come in – shopping for my first horse. My trainer suggested this one, I test “drove” and wrote the check. We have developed a wonderful relationship.
To me the term “rescue” can have many different meanings. I have a trainer that cares about what happens to her horses when they are sold, or placed in her care. Case in point: a few years ago, a boarder comes in with an approx. 16yo TB – nice horse, but arthritic and stiff. Boarder abandons horse. Trainer could have sold him somewhere – but didn’t. She rode him, found out he was dead broke on the flat and put him in her lesson program. Win win for both – horse is off the gravy train and has a job. And he loved his job and took great care of his riders (me being one of them). He ended up being put down about two years later, an injury that I could not fix ( he was rather accident prone and I took care of him – in return he gave me his heart). And, yes I was with him at the end. But, his quality of life those last two years was probably so much better than what he had known before – he had a job, he had a person he loved and who loved him, he was happy.
Isn’t it a little like getting your dog from a puppy mill vs a reputable breeder? The ones from the mill may really need your help, but you’re also helping the puppy mill stay in business. And you don’t have any real idea what kind of pet you’re getting.
I would prefer to live in a world where every dog and every horse (and every child, for that matter!) was wanted and loved, but, sadly, we don’t. If I had the resources for two horses, I might rescue one as a companion. But I don’t. I picked my horse becasue he suits me. He has no papers, and I paid too much for him, but he is the right horse for me and will have a lifetime of interesting work and good hay with me. I can’t help but think that’s better than getting an unknown “rescue” and being frustrated with the horse and taxed with the extra health bills.
Buying a horse out of the kill pen is not the same as buying a dog bred in a puppymill. Chuck Walker is not the cause of the problem, he doesn’t breed horses. He has only found a way to profit off the irresponsible horse people. The blame belongs on those who breed anything that has balls and a uterus. The only way to put him out of business is to stop breeding every horse capable of producing a foal.
I bought a horse out of his kill pen knowing she was over priced but at that time I only cared she didn’t have to go though Hell before she died. Even though I have a horse that will only cost me money till the day I put her down, I am not sorry I did. I went into it fully knowing she was way more than I myself could handle and I would have to pay somebody to help me and I don’t blame anyone for the problems we now have. When people get a horse or a dog from a shelter it is their responsibility to do their research. Blaming a shelter for not giving the correct information on what breed a animal is or what it means to own certain breeds is BS. Also not every dog that is timid or shy was abused, most were not. Its called genetics. Most abused dogs once trained correctly, gain confidence and live a normal life. Dogs live in the now and don’t dwell on the past. Sorry but I can’t imagine adopting a dog and not notice it was a Pit Bull just because it was labeled as a lab. Doing your homework before taking on an animal is the right thing to do. Expecting others to do it for us is unrealistic and irresponsible.
And what is wrong with adopting a pit bull? I hope you aren’t implying that labs make better pets than other dogs. You can’t generalize and assume a dog’s temperament based on a stereotype.
Buying a horse from the kill pen, feed lot, or slaughter broker IS the same as doing business with a puppy mill. If you want to save a horse, get one from a rescue or get it BEFORE it goes to the kill pen. Doing business with people like Chuck Waller isn’t helping anyone, especially the equine industry.
“buying horse from Chuck Walker is like buying from a puppy mill” DISAGREE. I am not a Chuck Fan believe me but blaming Chuck for the huge amount of excess horses is silly. Put the blame where it belongs…on the people who keep breeding the less than the best, never train them or do it wrong, then dump them.
As far as your comment “buying a horse from Chuck Walker helps nobody” tell that to my horse who standing out peacefully eating her dinner at this moment.
If you want a pit bull, there’s nothing wrong with getting a pit bull. Obviously, there are many healthy happy families with pit bulls in the country, and they can make great dogs. My issue is with shelters (both of the ones I cited are SPCA) that are so desperate to move the puppies out that they call any short haired puppy/dog a “lab mix” because they think that will convince the adopters that it’s a perfect family pet. I object to the misrepresentation. We have several shelters near us that don’t do any rehab or training with the dogs, only adopt them out.
“Show breeder” is not synonymous with “responsible breeder”. If you are able to find a responsible (not the same as ‘reputable’) then your puppies will not be ‘unknown quantities’. We have 4 Airedales – three came from the same breeder – a responsible one who did her homework, but NOT a show breeder.. and because of this, other breeders badmouthed her. As ‘listowner’ for the first Airedale discussion group ever formed, I’ve heard MANY stories, in private, of of breeding foibles amongst ‘show breeders’ hence.. as reputable as they may be, not ALL of them are responsible.
Yes, three of our dogs are from the same breeder, but from different lines… one of the three came to us as a rescue, after a year with an owner who had no clue that puppies don’t come ‘pretrained’. At 14 mos, she weighed 30 lbs. Her best weight is FIFTY. She’s LEAN at 50. Even now, 8.5 years later, she cringes if you raise the broom, or a cardboard roll, or anything, quickly. OBviously had the crap beat out of her somewhere along the line. The fourth one – a rescue, with a roached back due to being kept in a crate she could not stand up in for up to 12 hrs/day while owner was at work,a nd then again overnight. Didn’t know her breeding when we got her, but I was able to find out… not ‘show bred’… but healthy lines.
Unfortunately, many ‘show bred’ litters are bred with pretty one-dimensional goals (kind of like horses bred solely for ‘halter’!) But if you are able to check reputations carefully, you help keep responsible breeders in business. If you look at lots of statistics (which few people do – most read articles which mention statistics without actually checking. KUDOs to those whe do their homework!) it is clear that pet-shop pups and pups from indiscriminate breeders are most often the ones who come complete with temperament (from birth) problems and physical problems.
It takes patience to work with a rescue – nearly all of them come with baggage.
My horses are rescue-ERS. They rescue me from the insanity of life as a public school teacher in an age of finger-pointing (by politicians) and butt-covering (by high level administrators and state officials)
“My horses are rescue-ERS. They rescue me from the insanity of life as a public school teacher in an age of finger-pointing (by politicians) and butt-covering (by high level administrators and state officials) ”
Amen!! When asked why I spend so much money on horses, I always explain that they are still cheaper than a good psychiatrist.
LMAO! I work in a male dominated field, isn’t that like working with children too?
Totally relate on the psychiatrist comment, I’m heading out in the woods on horse #2 shortly. I felt I needed two therapy sessions today but only have to pay once. Find a shrink that’ll do that!
I really liked this article. I’ve always wondered which way I’d sway when I’m finally able to get my own property (a year or two yay!). Rescue or purchase? My only experience is petfinder.com, which I find far,far worse than any Match.com in terms of judgement! “Skippy likes long walks on the beach, but cannot go to a home with cats,dogs, any children, men, or women over the ages of thirty. He prefers blondes and having his own pool.” Not a true entry, but my gosh, that pretty much summarizes how selective these postings can be.
My boyfriend’s father was looking for a companion animal and was ideal–has experience with dogs, approx. 4 acres of rural property, and is home all day. His trip to an animal shelter was similar to another car analogy except he wasn’t looking for a Mercedes. He scoffed at the idea of a puppy, but didn’t want a senior dog. He had two breeds in mind walking in, but every dog he mentioned on Petfinder.com was already adopted/not on the premises. He didn’t really like a date, he needed to call in advice! Wily internet! Similar to a used car lot, he walked in knowing what he wanted, yet being constantly re-directed by the rescuers into something he did not want. Like previously mentioned, there are a lot of pitbull/pit mixes/and coon mixes in the world–my sister has a wonderful one–but it wasn’t his cup of tea. Frustrated and unable to actually meet any of the dogs he came to meet, he finally left.
I understand that some people at rescues get more attached to some dogs over others, but if someone walks in knowing they would like a labrador/lab mix to be a hiking companion, by all means don’t try to get them to take home a chihuahua. Does that sort of thing happen with horse rescues as well?
I believe people should get the horse that they need from the best possible source out there, be it breeder, rescue or auction. Some people have a great skill set for buying from the auction and turning a skinny bag o’ bones into something anyone would be happy to ride. I couldn’t do it, I’m just to much of a sucker for a sad face.
When I was in the market for a new horse I did a lot of searching around. The only reputable rescue in my area is for OTTBs and I have done my stint of riding OTTBs and greenies and I’m just too old for it now. My retired gelding is an OTTB and was a handful even on his last ride at age 18! I don’t bounce like I did when I was younger. I went to the most reputable breeder in the area who did not have a horse for me (I didn’t care about breed, color, age or sex, I wanted a nice, quiet, rideable horse but I also wasn’t willing to pay show horse amounts of cash). So I scoured the internet and looked at a lot of horses. One mare showed up on lots of the equine sites but wasn’t marketed for me as she was listed as an A level show horse, 10 mover, etc. I wanted a hack around and do all sorts of stuff kinda horse. And then the mare showed up on craigslist. So I went and looked at her. She tugged a little at my bleeding heart with her draw rein created neck and shoulder. So I bought her. And that is how I ended up with another OTTB! You never know where you’re going to find the next ‘right” horse. She will be my last riding horse. When she’s ready to retire my plan is to adopt pasture pets only and free up room at a rescue and fill my back yard with grass eating lawn ornamants so I can still get my horse fix. I’m hoping my two current kids will be around long enough to be part of that plan.
My OTTB is still a handful at 19!
You’ve hit the nail on the head with rescuing! It sickens me that a bill buyer pays meat prices (which is, on a good day, no more than $250) for a horse then gets a rescue to find buyers who are willing to pay 500-900 plus coggins and health certificates. You are saving one horse so that buyer can buy three more with that money you saved one with!
It’s a bad situation all around, but I everytime I get one of those emails saying a Morgan is in a broker lot I still check to make sure it’s not one I know. And even though I hate the prospect of giving a kill buyer three times what they paid for the horse, there’s a pretty good chance I will if it means that horse I know will be safe.
The most important thing to me would be that the horse and I are a good fit.
I do not own horses nor am I in the market for a horse, but when the time comes, I know exactly how it’s going to go with me. I have a certain set of criteria which a horse must meet. They must be SANE, no kick, bite, buck, rear, or bolt on the ground or under saddle. They must be sound enough for consistent WTC and maybe small crossrails and must not be put together in a way that lends itself to chronic or crippling lameness. I must be able to take them in the ring or on the trail without worrying about them getting stupid in either area. The horse must be suitable for an adult intermediate rider. Mare or gelding, 15hh-17hh, breed doesn’t specifically matter as long as it is not a draft, draft cross, or gaited.
I also want to be able to get on the horse before I commit to it. I want the current owner or trainer or rider to get on before me, too. I want to be able to take the horse on a trial period so I know if it’s going to work before I commit my money to it.
After all that, if the horse and I simply do not fit, I do not want to commit to it. I’m not going to limit myself only to rescues in the search for the perfect horse. With something as expensive and time-intensive as a horse, I want to make sure it really is a perfect match – if the perfect match is for sale by some random person and in no immediate danger of being slaughtered, fine. I’ll take it. If it’s a rescue? That’s great! Awesome. But I’m not going to limit myself to only looking at rescues. My dog, after all, was bred for the show ring but bought as a pet.
I don’t know if you’re alluding to the Camelot Horse Weekly thing in your post, Charm, but that is a situation I would not touch. Most of those horses came from New Holland for a fraction of the price they are ultimately sold for online by the auction house’s owner. The truck isn’t coming but people are suckered into believing it and they open their wallets without question, and often enough they get a horse that is not quite as advertised. Shock and awe.
Charm,
I agree with much of what you have written, especially about the long distance, nationwide “rescue” movements. Anyone who charges $600-$1200. or even more, plus shipping, plus vet work, plus QT, is just trying to make a buck. You know they only keep these horses for days before turning them arund as quick as possible. It only give the truly hardworking, heartfelt rescues a bad name when these transactions go bad, and lines the pockkets of those underhanded low lifes who play on a horse loving softy’s sympathies.
My shout out goes to Begin Again Horse Rescue in Lima, NY. They are small, limited to 10 horses tops at one time. They are fairly new, just started in 2010. In 2011 they placed about 25 horses. Not a high turnover, but it meant alot to those 25 horses and the new families who love them. They just started charging an adoption fee to cover the vet expenses of the horse, since every horse leaves with new coggins, fully vaccinated, dewormed, farrier work done, dentistry done. Yet no horse’s fee is over $350. Before adoption a 4 page application must be on file with references, a farm inspection is done by a volunteer to check for safety and suitability, and a no sale contract is signed. The horse must be returned if it is ever not wanted in the future. The horses vary from unbroke youngsters, to blind, to geriatrics, to prime age, sound, riding trained horses. Local trainers have donated services and put 60 days training on the unbroke ones so they can leave with the basics. Begin Again is doing it the right way, caring about the future of every horse and doing what they can to ensure it’s worth to the world in hopes it will find it’s forever home. The rescue is run 100% on doantions and by volunteers. No one makes a penny on these guys. You can see the website at http://www.beginagainrescue.org or look them up and “like” them on Facebook.
Thank you! This is my area and I didn’t know they existed!
hope my above post came out the way I meant it. If not I just saw this and Im a little shook up . I know its not just slaughter or the economy or one specific reason but I am sorry to say this is happening way way too often now and it still shocks me- warning :graphic
http://www.kget.com/news/local/story/Dozens-of-horse-carcasses-found-in-field-near/cz5Bw7Vw5Uabs09Y45kDeg.cspx
Over 30 carcasses in different states of decomposition sounds to me more like a small time kill buyer or shipper who is returning with a few dead or dying horses still on the trailer. I’m rather confused on why they would put this in the news, when setting up a video camera in the area would have garnered them an answer much faster, along with providing them evidence that would convict whoever did the dumping.
Exactly!
I am guessing that because the news heard about it they came out for the story , but keeping this under wraps until the person dumping the horses was found should have been the priority. Now if that person who did the dumping heard about it they will be trying to find a new place to dump horses. Very poorly thought out I really hope the police at least tried to keep the media out of it .
Just when you think you’ve heard or seen it all, something like this jumps out at you! Hope they find the bastards responsible!!!
Longmeadow Rescue Ranch
definitely deserves a shout-out and all your support. Located about an hour southwest of Saint Louis, MO, Longmeadow does an /incredible/ job rescuing, caring for, and training horses. Their trainer is fantastic, he trains using natural, relationship-based horsemanship methods to teach horses communication and to teach new adopters how to communicate with their new horse. They’ve got horses suited for any level of rider, size of rider, and a variety of disciplines- on top of that they have just about any color or personality you could desire. Apprentices work with the horses to ensure they are just as good with the novice ‘communicator’ as they are with Longmeadow’s trainer. I would definitely say if you are in the midwest, Longmeadow is THE place to adopt from. They also host riding and training clinics nearly monthly, both from the farm trainer and from other local trainers. Visit their website, come visit the farm, it’s beautiful and everybody is friendly and wants to see good adoptions take place. I love it, can you tell? They do things right: they don’t just say “here, take away this horse we rescued!” They say “Let’s make sure this is the /right/ fit.”
A couple thoughts, in no particular order:
1) A rescue horse does not necessarily equal a horse inappropriate to athletic pursuits including showing. One would have to evaluate the horse (as any horse considered) in light of your putative requirements, but I don’t see that looking at what a reputable rescue organization offers is unreasonable.
2) I really, really don’t understand ANYONE buying a horse sight unseen. The idea that one is looking for a riding animal and thinks sending hundreds of dollars across the country based on a photograph and plea (“The truck is coming!”) is an appropriate way to find a good equine fit just seems kinda…insane. I guess if you have lots of money, lots of pasture and barn space, but seriously, this seems to me the flip side of backyard breeding, acquiring a horse with absurdly limited knowledge.
3) I don’t see anything wrong at all with buying a horse of a particular breed/training level/athletic potential from a regular sale barn or breeder. Again, the key to me is not buying a pig inna poke: getting on the horse (or having your trusted trainer evaluate the horse), having a vet give it a once over, and so on. This is not to say that jewels with breeding, training, and athletic prowess aren’t to be found in the kill pen (OR on a good rescue’s adoptable list) but the wait might be a good bit longer.
Someone else said this particular blog essay seemed a bit of a strawman, and I agree with that.
Really interesting topic today . I have had both kinds of horses .Ones I paid top dollar for , and ones that were given to me . In the end they all cost about the same , one costs more up front , and the other cost more in meds, special shoes, or extra training to get it over the fears etc…so cost wise i see very little difference. I suppose it really depends on how much pacients you have for the “rescue” I have never met a rescued horse that DID NOT have issues that needed to be worked out slowely . I guess my oppinion on this is if you are going to rescue a horse , it better be next to free, because its going to cost you in the long run to get the horse stable , mentally and physically. Anyone selling a “rescue” horse should be giving a training package to go along with it ; )
Rescues are in a way enabling people to NOT care for their horses …. they know someone or , some organization will come along and clean up their mess. If people that didnt want their horses were forced to either sell it for dirt cheap , or euthanize it , they would be be accountable for their horses welfare . hmmm.. rescues are great , but they make it too easy for lazy horse owners ; )
In my younger years I worked on a farm (paying off my horses board) where the truck would stop on the way to the plant. The lady who owned the place would grab a few old quiet horses for her trail/lesson string and often a younger unbroke prospect or something fancy with a behavioural problem if she thought she could resell it.
She wasn’t rescuing the horses however. Once the old quiet guys navicular or heaves caught up with them they promptly went back on the same truck-after earning her however much money in the year or two she had them (she lied to me about it for years though-said they went to a “farm up North”). The projects were my deal, and I had to get them going well in a short amount of time or she lost patience with keeping a horse that wasn’t making her any money and they went to that same imaginary farm. Some I managed to get going well and she sold them for a profit, some needed more time that she wasn’t ready to give them-I’d get on anything and deal with any amount of lunacy to try to save them.
My own first horse was one of the projects who never settled down enought to resell, a spooky OTTB who’d jump 30 feet sideways at anything out of the norm LOL, he wasn’t going anywhere but back on that damned truck. So I suppose from a very young age I decided I’d clean up the messes others made. I don’t condemn anyone who goes out and buys their dream horse rather than a project however, they can do their thing and I can do mine
I cannot see ever having the financial resources to show much past the little schooling shows close by, so for me the not so fancy and not so talented horse is OK! I measure our progress against ourselves, a fourth place at a small show from a former chronic rearer/bolter/lunatic or a greenie I brought along from scratch is good enough for me, I’ll never be in the running for any spot on the Olympic team haha or an A circuit high point award. Some horses I reschooled did go on to bigger things with new owners who had bigger budgets than me, people who would not have taken them before the retraining they received.
So I don’t know if I “rescue” or not, I just know I like what I do and think it has a place in the horse world. I do volunteer at a proper rescue, and think if people want to help they can take a horse from a rescue where they will be upfront with its health issues and temperment and leave it to the rescues to deal with the feedlots and auctions and the unknown quantities that come with it. Adopting one makes space for another in need.
My shout out: Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue of Mount Airy, MD. I have volunteered there for several years and I can attest that their #1 priority is the horses. We get a lot of “returns,” which is both good and bad–good for the horse because it is guaranteed a home for its entire life, but occasionally bad for its prospects of re-adoption. I can understand if an adopter returns a horse because of circumstances out of his/her control–losing a job in the bad economy, debilitating injury, etc. However, I have less sympathy for those who dump their adopted horses back to us after they have become lame and unrideable, or after their fear of 2000-lb animals/ ignorance of training and sometimes ignorance of the NEED for training (yes, even for that feathered lawn ornament) creates a rude, nervous, or even dangerous 2000-lb monster that is MUCH more difficult to rehome, especially since many of our adopters want easy, comfortable trail horses.
Gentle Giants is dealing with this problem in a way that puts the needs of the horse first. Their motto is: Rehab, Retrain, Rehome, and they do put equal focus on each of these areas. They have rehabbed several starvation cases up to healthy weights, including a 30+ year old Belgian mare and ten of the Canterbury Arabians (they will take in non-drafts occasionally). They also invest a substantial amount of time and money in putting training on unbroke horses and ones with behavior problems. Those with severe behavior/fear problems have a home at the rescue for as long as it takes. As for “rehome,” the rescue does its best to make safe and responsible matches of horses and adopters–no matter how much a rank beginner might want a gorgeous TB/Percheron cross like Chase, for example, it’s just not going to happen. Green+green= black and blue, and Gentle Giants tries to do their best to assure forever homes.
Here is their blog: http://saveadraft.blogspot.com/. I would be thrilled to see them featured on FHOTD or Snarky Rider some day.
x2 your columnist.
Have copped the same criticism, because I have a fabulous old mare and have bred two foals from her. For my own use.
Same reasons as above. Do I feel in anyway responsible or guilty about the large numbers of unwanted horses out there? Nope.
I do, however, feel totally responsible, in every which way, for the horses in my paddock.
I kind of disagree with the “don’t rescue” portion of this topic.
I rescued a mare and foal from a broker – who were being shipped to slaughter the next morning. The foal may not remember being in touch conditions, so he acts like a normal frisky colt.
But his mom, I swear, KNOWS she was rescued. She was so scared, and skiddish, and untrusty when we first got her. But her and I formed a bond. She knows I saved her. She knows I’m never going to hurt her, or sell her, or let her go in those conditions ever again.
She is the BEST horse I’ve ever had/ridden/handled. She does anything to please me, and I’m pretty sure she loves me just as much as I love her.
I will continue to rescue my animals (not just horses, but dogs and cats too) because I believe they know they have been given a second chance, and they become the best friends you could possibly imagine.
Just to add a little to the “where to get a dog” debate here. I “rescued” or bought my purebred Keeshond five years ago from the breeder who also showed most of her puppies. My boy became a Champion but was not the VERY best example of the breed to carry on his genes. Also, he didn’t like the breeding idea….LOL I bought him as an almost five year old dog, had him neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, and have loved him since. He is such a good boy….a bit “socially retarded” as show dogs can sometimes be when their early lives with humans was mostly training and showing with not much affection. I love the Keeshond breed and when my sweet boy is gone someday, I will contact the same breeder or one she recommends and do the same thing….rescue a retired adult show dog as my new buddy for the rest of his/her life. It is another good way to get a great dog AND maybe save a life too.
I don’t even go to the rescue / broker sites any more. I can do basic stuff, but I would never take on trying to rehab a horse with an unknown past.
I sold my horse last summer because its problems were too much for me to help it overcome. Though I had bought it basically sight-unseen (internet pictures and lots of phone calls back and forth with the owner), and boarded with a trainer for more than six months, a fear issue kept coming up that we couldn’t fix. It was not a medical thing, nor was it a predictable thing, and it wasn’t something consistent so we couldn’t nail down exactly what caused the blow-ups. The horse did fantastic—until it didn’t for a few minutes every so often. By the time we sold him I had already had three big fall-off wrecks (broken rib and twice-broken tailbone).
Previous owner had him about six months and broke to saddle. The horse had been basically left unhandled in a pasture for the first two years, then sold to previous owner. We think that the process of gathering this horse up for the initial sale was traumatic enough to stick and perhaps became the source of the scare problem down the road to me.
It was awful to sell my horse. I lost sleep worrying who would get hurt down the road, I lost sleep thinking I had failed him because I couldn’t fix him. It was a terrible feeling to load him up into someone else’s trailer and I swear he looked right at me and he knew he was going away forever. He was my lovely, personable, sweet, affectionate guy but he was also a 1200lb, eyes-bugged-out rocket if circumstances were wrong.
It breaks my heart sometimes to see sale barn / auction / broker / rescue horses, but I don’t want the added risk. Yes, I realize sometimes great horses end up at auctions; yes I realize that you never ‘really’ know what has happened to a horse before you get it, no matter how much you know about its past. But being able to get detailed information about its previous life before I buy a horse improves my odds dramatically of having a success.
I am not a super-super advanced rider, nor am I financially able to let a rescue horse retire in the field if a rehab fails. I try to be realistic about the fact that I may not be able to deal with a horse with an unknown past.
Horses ‘know’ when they’ve been saved. I think about that look on my horse’s face when I sold him— and I don’t want to put that look on a rescue horse’s face if I have to sell him six months later because he isn’t safe to keep.
Maybe somebody will invent a mind-wipe for horses’ brains someday, and then I’ll start buying rescue horses. Right now I don’t want to risk any more broken bones.
Just to add, my ‘sight unseen’ purchase included the previous owner driving him down to my house and then staying two days so I could try the horse out.
So it was ‘sorta’ sight unseen, but we did the best we could…
I am glad you wrote this article, and appreciate the candor. I think a horse needs to be selected based on the owner/rider’s skills and abilities, as well as their current life situation (how much spare time do you have on top of the usual eleventy-million hours a horse consumes) and what the horse will be used for. If you want to do an equine sport, make sure the horse (rescue or not) is sound or it’s unfair to the horse.
I admire the heart of most rescues, out there taking horses that are in need. If only there was a better system for monitoring nonprofits so the crappy ones would get shut down, there would be more resources for decent rescues. Once a group gets the 501(c)3 there is little chance they’ll lose that status…
Honestly, I have no idea if I would ever try to “rescue” a horse – at least if I did not know this horse before. Why? Basically, the need for horse meat is quite stable. If I buy one so it won’t get slaughtered, another one will be bought to fill its place. Sure, maybe this special horse didn’t deserve it to die – but which horse does deserve it? At least in my country, there are basically two groups of horses getting slaughtered: Those not fit to ride (psychical problems) or with chronical illnesses and the horses that go to slaughter, if they are not good enough (usually foals, first advertised for sale normally). Most of the horses of the second group would surely make a good ride – but who will fill their place? Why should I not support a responsible breeder who breeds only as much as he can keep in worst case until he found the perfect place? A breeder who tries to breed horses with good conformation and character, cares for the horses, lets them grow up carefully and trains them? If something went wrong in the first few years it will have big influence later – not enough space to move freely and get strong limbs, not enough or wrongly fed, untreated defective positions, not properly vaccinated/dewormed.. I know just too many horses having chronical health problems just too early.
I think you can put the saying the other way around as well – every horse bought from a breeder takes a place away which could have been filled by a rescue. But every rescue takes the place which could have possibly been filled by the offspring of a responsible breeder? In the end, rescuing is often good for the particular horse, but don’t we harm responsible breeders with it? I don’t mean big scale breeders, for me a family horse does not need a big show record. But someone breeding good family horses needs to know his breeding mares, they need to be well ridden and sound, have a good character, be healthy and have at least a good conformation fit for the intended use. And he needs to be able to provide the young horse with everything it needs for a good start in life. This is the type of breeder I’d like to support.
I would never buy a horse sight unseen. Period. That’s just common sense.
However, I don’t know that I’ll ever buy another riding horse. Someday when I have the financial means, I want to provide a home for special-needs and slaughterbound horses. Not a rescue, a permanent home. In my neck of the woods, people are GIVING horses away. I might as well snatch them up before the kill buyers get to them. I don’t care what problems they have. They’d get all the care they need and never be ridden again.
Besides that, rescued animals really do make the best pets. They know suffering, and they never forget it. They’re beyond grateful just to have food and shelter.
I’m not saying regular breeders and sellers are bad. If I did any serious riding or showing, of course I’d purchase a quality horse. As it is, I suck at riding. But I do have a gift for care-taking. I figure it makes sense to use those skills for horses that are in dire need. If I can save one horse from suffering, I’ve done my job.
I’m late on this topic but I have to add my two cents. I don’t think it matters where you get your horse, I think what matters is how you keep your horse and that you do not add to the problem; the problem of slaughter, mistreatment, and over-production.
In my family, we don’t get rid of our pets ever. Although a horse is an expensive pet, it is not a motorcycle or a mercedez, it is a living being that deserves different treatment than other belongings. So keeping it is one way to be responsible.
Another way to care for our pet is to train it so that it has value. The problem with this choice is that a horse has limited and diminishing value. Its value is limited to its working lifespan and that value diminishes as it ages, loses its atheletic ability, and therefore its commercial value, and becomes a financial liability. When we buy/obtain a dog or cat, we usually don’t worry about that because most of us expect to be able to afford food, vet care, the higher cost of housing (which allows us to keep a dog or cat), and ultimately, the price of euthanasia. The high price of horsekeeping seems to be a justification for dumping a horse. I don’t understand the logic of this, any more than I understand the logic of getting a dog and not planning for its future and dumping it when you move to an area and discover that apartments which allow pets cost more. (Go figure!) To me, the cost of owning a horse includes the cost of being responsible for it beyond its useful life. That doesn’t mean you have to own it its entire life, but that you take reasonable steps to insure its life by having a buy-back policy, following up and checking up on it, and taking measures to ensure that it is okay in its old age.
As an aside: The recent case with Earle Mack and his Thoroughbred, Star Plus, is a good example of a responsible owner and also an example of how things can go wrong. It seems like Earle Mack is doing his best to follow up with this horse which is in a bad place in spite of his good intentions, and in spite of the unbelievable negligence on the part of the Virginia and Pennsylvania Racing Commissions, Parx Racing, and the odious owner of Star Plus, George Iacovacci.
http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/saga-of-star-plus-doesn-t-this-horse-deserve-better/
A third way to be responsible is to breed good-quality animals and stand behind them, guaranteeing a return policy, and following up. Again, Earle Mack’s experience shows that even with good intentions and responsible actions, things can go wrong, but I’ll bet that if breeders guaranteed a retirement home, it would USUALLY go right, and that they wouldn’t actually get that many “returns.”
Bad Joke:
A guy walks up to a beautiful woman at a cocktail party and says, “Would you have sex with me?”
She laughs and replies, “No!”
The guy says, “Look, I know you don’t know me, and I’m not young and handsome, but if I paid you ten thousand dollars, would you have sex with me?”
The woman says, “Well, for a MILLION dollars, I guess I would have sex with you.”
So the guy responds, “How about a hundred dollars?”
The woman angrily replies, “What?!! What are you after? What do you think I am, a prostitute?!”
The man says, “Well, we have established what you are. Now we are just haggling.”
I realize it’s black and white, but that’s how I see horse ownership. Yes, it costs hundreds of dollars a month to keep a horse, but if you can’t afford it, don’t take the best years of a horse and them dump him to be someone else’s problem. It’s the same thing as getting a dog for a while and getting rid of it to get a cuter one. Most people would find the latter case to be morally objectionable, but plenty think nothing of the former, and the only difference is the amount of money involved.