"Legit" adoption/rescue organizations in the midwest?

I think Canter is a great organization. The people who run it are top notch and they definitely do a lot of good.

 

We have done this, though the person wasn't what I think of as a 'Horseman'. His horses were all neglected. I'd prefer to deal with a real 'Horseman'.

 

From what everyone has said so far, you may be right.

But I wonder. With what everything costs today, how could someone take donated horses and sell them only for a small donation? There's hay, grain, bedding, vet bills(which might be considerable for neglected horses), property tax, electricity, possibly a barn lease to pay monthly, trailering....

How are irregular and unpredictable , and possibly insufficient, donations going to pay for that?

Do we have realistic expectations for how these outfits should be run or can be run? I hear reports all the time about rescue scams. Is there any way a rescue can really work within the desired financial plan?

In the 'good old days', just about every horse professional was a 'rescuer', without any 501c3 breaks. Most of them went to the lowest price auctions and bought horses all the time. They were also constantly taking horses the owners could no longer keep.

These horses would be used for riding schools, or resold in a few months with some additional training, feeding and care making them worth more than what they spent, hopefully on purchase and a few month's board.

These guys sold horses, trained horses, showed horses, gave lessons, the whole nine yards. They were as busy as little beavers just trying to make ends meet.

There was this 'good old gal' down the road from me who was a real wheeler dealer. She was constantly 'pinhooking' horses from the track or the lower priced auctions. She was a real sly dog and took a lot of people for a lot of money. But they weren't all like her.

 

This one isn't too bad, a horse I am looking into half leasing came from here.Home - Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation

 

That's what I'm talkin' about.

 

I recently donated money to a 'rescue' (didn't know that was such an offensive name but everything is offensive these days to someone I suppose) and got a very beautiful young leopard Appy that was going to slaughter otherwise. Perhaps I am a fool and all of the people helping are fools (they have quite a network of folks to transport, stall, vet, along the way) and perhaps they know nothing but I got a very beautiful young horse that I gave to a friend. They are quite happy. The group in in Wi and you can find them on facebook. Here's the link. Pony Tales Refuge & Rehab, Inc. | Facebook
There are 'horsemen' here too - although we call them horse traders, who perhaps do the same thing. Maybe they are better at it. I've heard bad stories about them - as many as you hear about kill buyers dressing up as rescues. I guess at some point we have to think some people actually want to help animals. Or we can just think everyone is ****. If you want to go direct to the kill pen in the Midwest, - this one is where many rescues get their horses. Ryon's Rescue Pen | Facebook

 

Forever Morgans,Morgan Solitude and Morgan Safenet.I got my horse from Forever Morgans.The money goes right back to rescuing more Morgans from auction.They have Facebook pages,too.My horse came with a strict contract,I had to give them all kinds of references,farrier,vet info and an interview to list the least.

 

^^ Canter is the only one that comes to mind for me.

 

That's a good statement about them @zomer - it's good to ses a positive post.

 

Ryons is a dealer, not a rescue, and not too far from the twin cities. Like the guy AC4H worked with, or Camlot. Most of those horses wouldn't sell in the actually auction anyway. Lame or unhandled is what you should expect. If you are willing to do deal with those go to your local auction it will be a whole lot cheaper.