Why Rescue? 6 Reasons to Adopt, Not Buy
If you’re looking for a horse, there are several ways to go about acquiring one. The traditional way is to buy a horse, either from a breeder or the horse’s previous owner. Sometimes more experienced horse people will even buy horses from auction, taking the risk that any issues with the horse’s health or training are something they can fix.
There’s one more option that will appeal to those who want to help unwanted horses: adopting from a rescue. Here are six advantages to rescue horse adoption.
Rescue Horses Have Already Been Rehabbed and Vetted
As part of getting horses ready for adoption, rescues provide vet care and training to make sure each animal is ready for its new home. Whether the horse was skinny, neglected, injured, or untrained, it’ll be rehabbed, vetted, and trained before the rescue puts it up for adoption. Healthy, happy, and well-trained horses are more likely to find a forever home, which is the rescue’s ultimate goal.
Rescues Will Help You Find a Good Match
Rescues don’t want to spend time and money placing horses that just come back to them later on, so it’s in their best interests to make sure they match their horses up with the right owners. This usually means an application and several chances to meet and spend time with the horse to make sure it’ll be a good fit for both you and the animal.
Adoption Fees Are Less Expensive than Purchasing a Horse
While it’s true that there’s no such thing as a free horse once you take feed, vet care, and everything else into consideration, you can save money by adopting a horse instead of buying one. Purchasing a horse can cost a couple thousand dollars for a basic horse, all the way up to tens of thousands for a well-bred show horse. Horse adoption, on the other hand, typically costs a few hundred dollars, but shots, dental care, vet care, and possibly even training is already taken care of.
Rescues Make it Easy to Rehome
If you ever need to give your horse up, heaven forbid, your arrangement with the horse rescue will make it easier. Most rescue contracts have a clause requiring you to get them involved if you decide to rehome the animal. Some rescues may ask you to return the horse for them to rehome, while others will help you find a new owner, handling the more tedious parts like applications.
Give a Horse a Home
Of course, one of the biggest reasons for horse adoption is to help unwanted animals find homes. Rescues have limited space, so every time you adopt a horse from a rescue, that gives them the space and funds to help another. Plus you’re forming a bond and providing a loving home for an animal that might have been through a pretty rough time before you came along.
Support Horse Rescue
When you adopt a horse, you’re not just helping out that one horse. Every horse adoption supports the industry that works so tirelessly to save unwanted horses everywhere. By paying their rescue fees, you’re putting money back into the system so that they can save more horses and provide them with vet care, dental work, feed, and training. And every time you tell the story of how you found your amazing horse, you’re making it more likely that someone else will rescue too.
Feeding Rescue Horses
Sometimes feeding a rescue horse can be a little trickier, if they’ve been unhealthy or only just recently achieved a healthy weight. For more information about our feeds, call Sacate Pellet Mills today.