01/20/2023
People frequently ask us how we choose the horses we rescue; they come to us by many different routes, and the reality is that often there is very little choice involved! First and foremost, DER is committed to working with law enforcement when there is a seizure or reports of severely neglected horses, and if we have the space, we take in those in the most critical condition and assist in finding shelter for the remaining ones. Our priority is to get those most in need to safety and to provide them with medical care, regardless of age, breed or gender.
Another way horses come to us is when we are contacted by horse owners who have been diagnosed with a serious illness or are elderly and simply cannot physically care for their horses any longer. It’s hard for them to give up their beloved horses, and we will always step up to help if we have room; we will as well when an abused or neglected horse is being voluntarily given up by the owner. We are also contacted by folks who wish to surrender their horses because they are no longer rideable, have medical conditions or because the owner has lost interest. As a matter of principle, we do not take these horses; we do not consider them to be in immediate need of rescue, although sadly, they may end up at risk further down the line due to irresponsible ownership and/or disregard for the animal’s future welfare. Horses are a long-term commitment and when people are not willing to honor that commitment it is the horse that pays the price: the long downhill slide to poorer and poorer quality homes, and for too many, the kill pen.
If we have space, and there is not a pressing need locally, we then consider helping horses outside of Vermont. This runs the gamut from owner surrenders to helping out-of- state law enforcement, rescuing horses in need from auctions or kill pens, and networking with other rescue organizations.
Auctions and kill pens are filled with horses in desperate need of help, which makes it incredibly hard to choose. More often than not, it’s the look of complete hopelessness in a horse’s eye, no matter the age, size or breed, that is the deciding factor in who we save; once you see this defeated and heartbreaking expression, you’ll never forget it. We have to go into these situations with a flexible mindset, because we never know what we’ll be faced with: emaciated, injured and sick horses of any age, good useable horses down on their luck, once-valuable breeding stock used up and discarded. Sometimes we will consider what types of horses we already have back at the rescue; if we already have mostly seniors who are not as easily re-homed, we will try and help a couple of younger horses. Or, if we have mostly younger horses in training, we will try and help a couple of older or middle- aged horses. Due to our current space limitations, it is most practical for us to have a variety of horses of all ages, sizes, and breeds.
Adoption plays a huge part in our ability to rescue and rehabilitate horses in need. The fact is that we can only choose more horses to help if those we have already stepped up for can be placed in loving, forever homes. The more horses we can place for adoption, the more horses we can bring in and help. Whether you are looking for a pasture pet, trail buddy or even a partner with competitive potential, your choices affect ours!
Shown is Phoenix, our newest (bucking horse) rescue who is still in PA in quarantine recovering from an illness. He is one of the lucky horses who got rescued from a kill pen and escaped slaughter.
