The Perks of Owning A Rescue Horse

Author:- Sharona Silverstein

When asked how has my experience has been with owning a rescue horse, it`s always hard for me to come up with one answer. It`s different, challenging, hard, costly, but so worth it. Having a rescue horse as my equine companion has been so rewarding, and I would never give up the experiences I`ve had with my horse for anything in the world.

The Difference Between Owning a Rescue Horse and a Non-Rescue Horse

Owning a rescue horse is different from owning a non-rescue horse. Not a lot of people realize that a rescue horse could be in different stages of training, or have had none at all. For most rescues, it`s never really clear about what their background is, or where they came from. All that one knows is that they are a rescue horse for a reason. I was lucky. When I first met Lukka, my rescue, she knew how to carry a saddle and bridle, but never had a rider on her back. I was able to work with an almost entirely clean slate, which was a great opportunity for me to learn even more than I did about horses and training them. Lukka also taught me a lot flying lessons in my first two years of owning her. Judging by Lukka`s backstory, she was one of the lucky/unlucky ones. I knew that she grew up on a ranch and had a foal and that she and that foal were separated at auction. Lukka went to be dog food and the foal...well we don`t know where it is to this day. We don`t know why she was auctioned off, or what kind of treatment she was exposed to at the ranch. All we know is that she was rescued by a rescue and rehabilitation/rehoming facility three days out from being slaughtered. She was only five years old. Most horses that are not rescues either were with their owners since they were born, or there`s a clear understanding of where they came from. They have documents showing their lineage and history. With a rescue, there`s a lot of guessing.

For a rescue horse, patience is key. I know this is true for all horses, rescue or not, but this is more so true for rescues. When training, working, or even playing with a rescue horse, there might be times where they act out in fear, especially if the horse has had an abusive past. Some rescue horses are even picky with who they choose to trust. For example, some are terrified of men. Others might work better with them. Some could be scared of women, or people in general. For me, I was lucky. Lukka, though not social at first, was not scared of people. She was more than happy to work, she just wanted you to come up to her first. That changed within a few short weeks of working with her. While working with and training Lukka, there were some ruts that we hit where I just wanted to yell and scream at her, because she isn`t doing what I`m asking, but one thing that I had learned from childhood was that yelling and screaming will get you nowhere and could actually undo progress. My advice for these instances is to just walk away.

Don`t say anything. Walk away for a few minutes and clear your mind. Breathe. Then come back. Both you and your horse will feel so much better if you do this. This is true for horses that aren`t rescues too. Just remember: your horse is your friend and companion.

The Cons of Owning a Rescue Horse

Even though owning a rescue horse can be rewarding, there is one big con against owning a rescue horse, and that is the cost. Upon acquiring a rescue horse, it is always a good idea to have a vet check them, even if they came from a rescue facility. You would never know what can come with a rescue horse, and it`s better to be safe than sorry. The vet bill can be very expensive, but it will all be worth it once it is over and your bank account cries a little. Expect the worst, but hope for the best. I was lucky. Lukka had no underlying problems when the vet came out to check her. She`s always been my little cheap date pony.

Rescue Horses

Another con against owning a rescue horse is would be behavioral problems, such as acting out, biting, kicking, being antisocial, and ignorance. There are always ways to figure out how to end these issues. If you don`t feel confident to work on it by yourself, ask a trainer to work with you. A second opinion is always a good idea. Lukka was antisocial and would sometimes act out and bite if she didn`t want to do something, like flexing her neck. I would spend hours just sitting in the center of the round pen and encouraging her to approach me. After a couple of weeks, she was greeting everyone at her stall door. With the biting, I continued being patient. If she went in for a bite, I would move my arm out of the way and use a loud verbal cue such as `uh uh` as a distraction from biting. After a couple of weeks, the biting stopped, and Lukka was a lot happier.

Conclusion
Overall, owning a rescue horse will be the most rewarding experience that you will ever have. There will be a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, but if you keep moving forward and build that bond up, there will be no better feeling in the world, for that bond is unbreakable.

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Lesley McNaught

5 Amazing Horse Rescues

There`s nothing sadder than knowing a horse was neglected, abused or treated improperly. However, hearing about amazing rescues where they were saved and then found loving homes is heart warming and makes it a little bit better. There are so many organizations out there dedicated to helping horses in need so there`s definitely no shortage of amazing rescue stories at all, but these are five incredible stories from horses in the US and the UK.

Brownbread

This horse was a seven-year-old mare that also had to feed a foal during this rough time. She gave all her milk and did everything she could to ensure the life of the foal, but it became apparent that the owner had neglected Brownbread for nearly four months.

She was kept outside without sufficient grass to graze on and also didn`t make any effort to properly feed her or ensure she was getting the required attention, especially for a horse taking care of a young one as well. When the RSPCA showed up to rescue the foal and the mare, she collapsed. Rather than putting her down like some thought she should be to put her out of her misery, they laid her in the trailer and drove just 5 miles per hour back to the facilities to ensure she would not fall again. After six weeks of recovery, Brownbread could get up on her own, was a healthier weight and today is a successful jumper. We love seeing happy horses!

Nutmeg

This poor horse was found wandering around in the busy streets of a Welsh city and had seemingly had no food or water or even shelter for a very long time. Being heavily pregnant, this put at danger her and the foal. She was picked up and the local pound was about to euthanize her when an organization offered her a home. Two weeks later a healthy foal was born, and Nutmeg is now a pony used to teach riding lessons.

Oliver

Oliver was rescued by the RSPCA and police, at the time weighing only 350kg. He was living in a makeshift cage beside a railway rack. He had so many health issues and despite nearly 30 calls to the police about him, he was not rescued until six months later. When the RSPCA took him in, he had worms and lice, was exhausted and too skinny and had to have his stomach tubed. After months of loving care, Oliver is now healthy and happy and currently resides at the Flicka Foundation.

Romeo

Rescued in 2013, Romeo was all skin and bones. In addition to a slew of other health problems, his had dental infections and pus oozing out of his anus. RVR Horse Rescue came in and took Romeo in and with lots and lots of tender love and care, he is now healthy and happy and a beautiful horse. He is known is as The Miracle Boy and had a book written about his recovery A Healing Haven.

Gracie

RVR Horse Rescue saved Grace in March 2013 from an owner who was incredibly neglectful. Keeping her in the same field as a stallion who stole her food left her incredibly malnourished and as a result led to further health problems, including gaping wounds. After RVR took her in, Grace went through multiple surgeries and physical therapy, and around the clock attention.

She is now happy and healthy with a shining coat and a loving personality.

There are so many horses who have been brutalized in the world, and it`s heartwarming to read about the ones who are given a second chance of life. Looking at how happy and healthy they are now makes all the effort these people put in day in and day out worth it.

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