Should You Rescue that Horse?

The plight of horses seems polarized in the USA today. There are many who are pampered, cared for and want for nothing. We see them stretching out as if sprouting wings on the race track or softly trotting past in a pleasure class and they are the peak of equine perfection.

Then there is the other side. The slaughter market ended in the USA, which has led to many horses being abandoned on rancher's properties. People find 2-3-4 horses and no one claims them. Worse some have had brands cut off so that they won't come back. People can't afford to care for them and can't sell them, rescues are full and the pasture lease comes to an end.

In this swirling issue of horse roulette are the pathetic photos of horses that are 100-200-300 pounds underweight. Some struggle to stand with the weight of their own bodies. It's easy to take pity on the horses and buy one to feed up and find a home. It's easy to think you can "foster" one just for a little while. Should you?

With experience spread over several horses purchased to rehab the answer is a solid "it depends." It takes more than pasture to take on such a case. There are many considerations and the outcome can be very different than a happy horse that "knows you saved it". Here are some considerations before buying or taking on an abused horse.

1. Do you have an appropriate facility? This means a safe barn, a fenced area for turnout and possibly pasture. Many have the idea they'll just pour the feed to the horse and put him on pasture. This overloads the system which can cause colic, founder and result in euthanizing a horse after months of care. Feed must be added slowly and built on carefully.

2. Do you have appropriate experience? Riding a camp horse 10 years ago will not prepare you for issues like food aggression when the horse becomes defensive of his food. Bites or kicks can injure sometimes severely. Other horses can become fearful. If there was abuse involved this is more so and can show up immediate without warning if you hit the right 'trigger'.

3. Are you aware of the signs of founder, laminitis, ulcers and other health issues that can surface in horses that have done without? These are very serious and prevention is much better than trying to cure it later. Are you aware of diseases that can cause weight loss that are not about abuse? Do you have a way to quarantine the horse from other horses?

4. Do you have an equine specialist team in place? This means the whole horse approach - veterinarian to rule out health issues including teeth, farrier to get and keep the horse in shape from the ground up and a solid care/grooming and training team as it will be needed.

5. Do you have a place to 'hide' the horse? A horse who has been through neglect or abuse benefits from some private down time. This can be a quiet stall near the other horses out of the public eye. Too many times someone gets a horse and begins rehabilitation then has authorities called on them due to the horse being in poor shape. Sometimes veterinarian care is not enough to ward off the harassment. Many people have ceased to rehab skinny horses for this reason.

6. Are you keenly aware of horse behavior? Can you "read" a horse well enough to predict reliably what the next move will be? This is important not only from a training standpoint but also for safe day to day handling.

7. Are you prepared to put time and money into the horse as well as sweat and tears and it may not be enough? There is a long long road back for a horse to recover from abuse and while sometimes physical weight gain can happen in a few months there are other issues that can take much longer. The horse may die or have to be euthanized.

Remember, too, if you are fostering a horse from a seizure the horse is evidence until the case is settled. Are you prepared for the possibility to hand him back to the owner? If you are taking on a private horse remember there are situations that he could end up back at a sale and all will be for nothing.

Sometimes the work just results in slicking up and training a horse or pony and he ends up in the hands of a dealer anyway. But then there's the horses that make it worth it. There's the Sierra's of the world who came to me so skinny for a month I thought she would die. She proved an invaluable equine teacher not only to many learning to ride but also to all who saw the spirit of a horse that just refused to give up.

Should you take on a rehabilitation horse? Only you can answer that. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best and prepare to be amazed. It might be good or bad or both but each one will teach you something about horses and something about yourself.

If you're ready for the challenge.