Rescues ;comments;thoughts

[FairyLights]

I have noticed recently that there seems to be adverse reaction to people rescuing horses;especially if they ask for donations.Why is this? No one is forced to donate money or time or get involved in any way. Is it because of jelousy? "No one is helping me feed my horse" or because people are feeling "the pinch" in these economic times and because they personally are having difficulty coping think that every one else should not be doing anything extra?

 

[ThePony]

I think there are rescues and there are rescues.

Recently in the news there have been rescues that have needed rescuing themsevles. A kind hearted soul just can't save everything, and can inadvertantly make things worse for the animals they try and rescue simply because they do not have the recources (money/land/vet expertise/horse experience etc) to care for their rescues. Sometimes including keeping a horse alive that might be better off humanly PTS wether it be due to medical or mental/safety issues.

You can also sometimes have problems with people buying a horse in order to rescue it from the poor conditions in which it is currently kept - though then you have a concern that you are simply feeding bottom end dealers rather than actually helping the problem. You may have 'saved' one, but at the same time funded a dodgy dealer into bringing more horses into that situation.

Rescuing is best left to the large charities which have a huge amount of experience and expertise at their disposal - very importantly they also have the ability and knowledge to bring legal proceedings against the worst cases.

I honestly think the best way you can help these horses is by not breeding poor stock and adding to the problem yourself, making a tough choice sometimes for the secure future of your own equines, and then dontating time/money/goods to the established rescue charities.

 

[FionaM12]

I don't think there's adverse reaction to people rescuing horses, such as Teddy's story on here lately? Teddy's new owner got nothing but praise and support (rightly so).

However there are cases where people claim to have "rescued" horses (often unwanted, unhandled ponies destined for the meat market) but can't keep them themselves. They then start advertising as "free to good homes" sometimes with a very short time limit. In my opinion, taking ponies which would have been pts humanely and handing the poor frightened little things out to people who may not look after them properly, is not rescueing.

As for asking for money, there are very good reasons for objecting to this. This is the internet. How can we know if it's a scam? I could download some upsetting starving horse photos from other sites, put them here and say, "Help me save Dobbin..." then go on holiday with the profits!

We have a registered charity system to stop this happening. Registered charities have to keep careful accounts, which are checked. They are accountable. Private individuals aren't.

Many of us have bought horses or ponies from undesirable previous homes. At what point is our purchase a "rescue"? Some of those animals are poor when we get them, or ill, or could have been pts. We don't usually expect strangers to fork out to help us pay the vets bills.

 

[team barney]

I've brought horses in bad condition in the past but I never asked for donations to care for them, and I never would. It was after all my choice to buy the skinny/ill wrecks and they are my responsibility to look after and care for and to enjoy when/if they get well.

The people who rescue these horses as individuals are free to sell their cases after they have rehabilitated them, unlike charities who take care of their charges until they die.

I wouldn't expect someone who brought an ex-racer to ask for donations and they are often in less than perfect condition. If you have brought a horse you are responsible for 100% of it's care and also get to profit from that care to if you so desire!

I know that a lot of these cases of people asking for donations for there horses who have been severely injured/neglected are perhaps genuine but I know for certain that many of the cases are nothing but scams, even those who get newspaper coverage aren't always real!

 

[rhino]

I think there are rescues and there are rescues.

Recently in the news there have been rescues that have needed rescuing themsevles. A kind hearted soul just can't save everything, and can inadvertantly make things worse for the animals they try and rescue simply because they do not have the recources (money/land/vet expertise/horse experience etc) to care for their rescues. Sometimes including keeping a horse alive that might be better off humanly PTS wether it be due to medical or mental/safety issues.

You can also sometimes have problems with people buying a horse in order to rescue it from the poor conditions in which it is currently kept - though then you have a concern that you are simply feeding bottom end dealers rather than actually helping the problem. You may have 'saved' one, but at the same time funded a dodgy dealer into bringing more horses into that situation.

Rescuing is best left to the large charities which have a huge amount of experience and expertise at their disposal - very importantly they also have the ability and knowledge to bring legal proceedings against the worst cases.

I honestly think the best way you can help these horses is by not breeding poor stock and adding to the problem yourself, making a tough choice sometimes for the secure future of your own equines, and then dontating time/money/goods to the established rescue charities.

This. Also by 'rescuing' a horse as a private individual it generally means the welfare agencies are not involved and there is no comeback on the neglecter/abuser.

At the end of the day they are getting money for the horse so are just as likely to go out and get another one to treat the same way. Buying these 'rescues' just encourages this; just look at some of the dartmoor hill pony 'rescue' places.

OP - were you about when the 'Minxie' Morris case was being discussed?

 

[FionaM12]

Also by 'rescuing' a horse as a private individual it generally means the welfare agencies are not involved and there is no comeback on the neglecter/abuser.

At the end of the day they are getting money for the horse so are just as likely to go out and get another one to treat the same way. Buying these 'rescues' just encourages this; just look at some of the dartmoor hill pony 'rescue' places.

I agree. The Dartmoor Hill pony stuff on Facebook is very poor. Lots of sentimental ignorant comments and loads of references to stopping them "being fed to the lions at the zoo". In other words, they were bred for meat, which may be used at the zoo. But the emotive description suggests images of little ponies being fed fed live to evil lions!

The Dartmoor Hill ponies on the Facebook pages are unhandled feral youngsters which are being transported to homes which IMO are unlikely to have the expertize to deal with such ponies. Frying pans and fires come to mind.

Meanwhile, the farmers on Dartmoor will be breeding the next batch of meat ponies.....

 

[SarahWeston]

In fact a great many of the 'rescuers' of the Dartmoor Hill ponies are doing a fantastic job with them. They are well informed and supported through the process.

 

[rhino]

In fact a great many of the 'rescuers' of the Dartmoor Hill ponies are doing a fantastic job with them. They are well informed and supported through the process.

Equally, many are not. I am yet to be convinced by the rehoming criteria of one DHP 'rescue' in particular, and strongly disagree with their policy of rehoming colts. Plus they are not being 'rescued' as they were principally bred for meat anyway Rehomed yes, 'rehabilitated' possibly. Not rescued.

 

[Jazzy B]

Equally, many are not. I am yet to be convinced by the rehoming criteria of one DHP 'rescue' in particular, and strongly disagree with their policy of rehoming colts. Plus they are not being 'rescued' as they were principally bred for meat anyway Rehomed yes, 'rehabilitated' possibly. Not rescued.

I agree with this ^^^^^^^^ I am also yet to be convinced too!!!!

 

[Moomin1]

I think people often use the word 'rescued' incorrectly, as mentioned above. I know of a woman who says she 'rescued' two of her horses. No, she didn't - she got them from a rehabilitation centre after they came out of racing!!! But in her eyes, she rescued them! It really angers me when people say things like that - like when people get animals from places like the RSPCA shelters and then say that they rescued them - it wasn't them who took the animal out of the awful conditions and prosecuted the owners!! They merely walked into the nice rehoming shelter and picked the animal they wanted then go around saying they rescued them!

Sorry - running away on a tangent there!! But I am very wary when people say they have rescued anything. I often find that in actual fact the horse wasn't 'emaciated' but slightly lean, with slightly cracked hooves!