What makes a "rescue?"

Some conversation on facebook recently got me thinking.......with so many "rescue" organisations out there, how do you know which one/s to give your hard earned money to? From my experience, many people go into "rescuing" to stroke their ego and "feel good" about themselves, when the horses really derive no benefit from the care they receive. So what makes an organisation worth dealing with? And how do you pick the ones who are truly committed to their horses, and who is just a glorified horse trader? These are not easy questions to answer, and an organisation with a flashy website and a few happy stories can seem like the real deal. Often they are. But how do you pick the ones that aren't? My thoughts on this are likely to cause some heated debate, but that's fine with me. Remember this blog is just an opinion!

Professionalism is the key. A solid track record of rehabilitation and rehoming is a good start. This does not have to be a high volume of horses, just regular success stories over several years. Solid backing, and not constant statements like "we have XX days feed left" or "all horses have to go" or "we have run out of money" or "we have no land" to guilt trip people into donating. All rescues need money, of course, but if someone goes into it, they need to do so with their eyes and wallets open. A registered association and non-profit status does NOT necessarily mean that the organisation is truly legitimate. They should be open to any enquiry, and not be on the defensive if someone has a different opinion to them. Places which suddenly shut down, harrass people (including "deleting" from social media pages) or vanish from public view when questioned about something would definitely ring alarm bells for me. Being a public organisation is going to draw scrutiny, and they should be professional in their handling of any issues.

I would always feel happier if the committee were made up of people who were not family members of everyone else. To me, this smacks of people getting together just to get that non-profit status and collect donations. I like to see regular meeting dates and minutes published, with a bare minimum being the AGM. I want to be able to become a member of the association if I so choose, and therefore be able to nominate for the committee. There are places around that are made up of only a few family/friends and allow no other members. I believe that this shows a lust for control, and being closed to new ideas and outside input. There also MUST be annual financial statements published, or at the very least available if requested. I won't compromise on that - I need to see where my money would go. I would also like to see their adoption policy freely available, adopting to the first person to pay is not what I call responsible.

Many rescues are run from people's personal properties. This is not a problem in itself, however there would need to be an obvious separation from their personal horses for me to be confident of their true rescue status. Not necessarily physically, as many have limited resources, but I have seen places who fill up their websites and communications with stories and photos of their own horses and their interaction with the "rescues." I'm not interested in that. Especially when they often raise money for new fencing or paddock shelters and feed. How much of this is going to the rescue horses and how much to their own? The other thing I like to see is the availability of the facilities to outsiders. If I can't visit the place, they don't get my dollars. I'm happy to arrange a specific time privately, as I realise people don't like others just wandering in all the time, or I'll visit an open day, but a blanket "no visitors" would turn me right off. Anyone who runs a legitimate rescue would be happy to show you their horses, I am sure.

I also do not like the shock tactics some organisations employ. This is not limited to horse welfare, many animal welfare organisations will post horrific photos of extreme cruelty on public forums and social media. This does nothing to promote the organisation or its goals. I do not doubt the validity of many of these pictures, but unless the organisation is actually going to rush over to Thailand, China or wherever and confront the situation, it isn't relevant. Many claim this is "education," however the education I want to see is about caring for horses - basic things like worming, hoof care, feeding, older horses etc. I don't need or want their personal/political views shoved down my throat. I want to see the actual work they are doing with their horses! That's why I am there. If I want to stop animal cruelty in China, I'll go there.

I am also concerned by the lack of safety I see in some places. Lack of appropriate attire including helmets and boots, small children unsupervised around completely unrestrained horses, and paddocks littered with rubbish and poor fencing. It isn't difficult to be safe around horses, and it will provide a good impression and set an example for prospective clients. Many people who look at rescue horses are not experienced, and will often see the organisation as a role model for their own care practices. Some organisations demonstrate excellent, safe facilities and practices, and promote these by excellent education on horse care and safety topics. This is what I want to see!

Probably my biggest problem is with transport. I am forever seeing people posting that they can't rescue a horse because they don't have transport. This includes organisations! This is one of the basic prerequisites I would think. If there's a horse in trouble, how on earth are you going to help it if you can't take it anywhere? I'm sick of the endless posts begging for someone to go pick up the horse! Pay for a truck if you don't have a float. There's plenty of companies around, and if you can't arrange it, well tough luck, you have no business rescuing. What if the horse needs veterinary treatment in a hurry (which is likely with rescued horses), or a natural disaster threatens you? With petrol prices the way they are, it would be a rare individual who will actually use their own time, float and vehicle to go get a horse that they don't know the history of. A legitimate rescue would already have a network of people available for this sort of thing, and not beg from the masses.

What are your thoughts? Please do not name people or organisations, as I don't want to start bickering, but do comment on anything that is good and bad about any rescues you have dealt with. (Note: any comments that are nasty or inappropriate will be deleted, so keep it nice folks!)