Special Horses, because, as mentioned, it can then be put where most needed.
SKA, because it’s close enough so I could drop by and say hi.
bluebonnet and TIER, because, I like what I hear form them (and about them)
I loff me a good TB, but CANTER, LOPE and those guys are a long way from home to me…
I am focusing my efforts on the Compton Junior Posse for the following reasons -
They have a mission of mentoring inner city/at risk children.
The standards they set for maintaining good grades and working at the stable to care for the animals and provide all of the hands on stable work allows these kids to embrace both compassion and responsibilty as ideals for life.
The horses we have sent to them have been doted on and cared for with the honor and dignity they deserve having served their human partners well.
The group attracts many well known horsemen such as Will Simpson to give the kids excellent role models to inspire and support the dreams of anyone willing to dedicate themselves and do the work needed to achieve them.
I see them regularly- at shows, fox hunting, etc. so I can see my donations at work.
I just adopted a horse from CANTER and although they were not in my area they found me a wonderful horse. I would trust them to help find the right TB to anyone else.
The horse I adopted has his own fan club at the barn, and it is because CANTER helped me to find this horse and narrowed down my options. I really think that what CANTER is doing is a great service to the industry. Sorry, I just had so many horses thrown in my direction from so many other entities (mainly trainers) that CANTER was the only entity that listened to me and narrowed it down to just a few. That ability to listen and recommend a limited list means that they really understood my needs. The number of horses CANTER had available was vast, but the ability to tell me which ones could meet my needs really impressed me.
Canter Ohio. They do great work.
A local organization in Monmouth County, NJ: Helping Hearts Equine Rescue
I’ve done various stories over the years about equine rescues, and could recommend Rerun, Standardbred Retirement Foundation and Saddlebred Rescue as breed rescues. I also think the Turning for Home program at Parx Racing (the old Philly Park) does an excellent job with their program, although I guess it’s not technically a rescue.
I think that the Brooke foundation does really great work, and from what I have heard are reputable. Their mission is to improve the welfare of equines in developing countries and through this help their owners. http://www.thebrooke.org/
[QUOTE=oldpony66;5507242]
If you were going to donate $ to a rescue organization, but only one, which one would it be, and why?[/QUOTE]
It would be a local one.
Why? Because I could check it out thoroughly.
Which horse did you buy? I am perhaps assuming it was a CANTER MA horse but I am not sure.
Of course I volunteer with CANTER and I donate my time and money to the cause in every way possible. I head up one of the track listing programs as well as helping with the retraining. I can honestly say that CANTER MA is run exactly as I feel a truly good organization should. It has a real focus on rehoming horses but not just shoving the horses out the door.
We give the horses a minimum of 2 months of rest once they get off the track. Then each horse gets a minimium of a month of true retraining where they go trail riding, x-c schooling to little shows or whatever it may be. You get to know the horses inside and out so it is very easy to make a match. The horses do have a fee higher than many “rescues” but I don’t think we consider ourselves a rescue but more of a rehoming service. Our horses are very much in demand because of the fact that all that initial training has already been done.
I may be biased but I think we are super easy to work with and very honest. We do take horses back but we rarely have to because we make good matches the first time around fitting horses with the right people and the right jobs.
I am very aware of how fundraising is done and where all the money goes. It’s strictly a volunteer organization and any money from horses sold goes right back to the program. We don’t take more horses than we can support.
To say that I love this organization would be putting it lightly. I have no less than two CANTER horses at my farm at all times and I just love what we do.
[QUOTE=JSwan;5509478]
It would be a local one.
Why? Because I could check it out thoroughly.[/QUOTE]
Exactly. There are too many rescues with a pretty website and some great sob stories.
A good rescue should have a business plan, a board of directors with professionals from several areas (accountant would be excellent) or at least an accountant taking a look at the books (audited financial statement is even better).
There are too many rescues with good intentions that are so disorganized that they are ineffective. Better to send your money where it will be put to good use.
I’ve been giving to Day’s End Farm Horse Rescue for years. Their Form 990 tells the story.
They’re a callouses-on-the-hands and manure-under-the-fingernails organization.
[QUOTE=Frank B;5509931]
I’ve been giving to Day’s End Farm Horse Rescue for years. Their Form 990 tells the story.
They’re a callouses-on-the-hands and manure-under-the-fingernails organization.[/QUOTE]
As I said, the top of my list. You’re right, the Form 990 tells it all…especially when you note the return was prepared by a CPA. That’s at the top of my list when checking out a rescue…outside professional oversight of accounting and money management, along with varied professions represented on the board of directors. In other words, not just a group of friends rubber stamping each other.
I now know from experience to make sure that the person running the rescue is not living off of the donations. I do not want someone paying for her house and her electricity and her personal vehicles and gas, etc., and her own food and drink with my donations. Oh and if the house is not a part of the rescue, I surely do not want my money going for that.
So I’m for Canter.
For those smaller nonprofits out there that think professional book-keepers are out of your reach - you might be surprised at how inexpensive they can be. We switched over to a professional book-keeper about 1 1/2 to 2 years ago now (we had a CPA do our 990s from early on). The pro. book-keeper works at a CPA’s office. She enters all of our income and expenses and prepares monthly financial reports. Our treasurer’s job is to reconcile those reports, our bank statements, and copies of incoming and outgoing checks. It greats a checks and balances system and doesn’t cost much. Creates peace of mind for me, our BOD, and our donors.
[QUOTE=cloudyandcallie;5510268]
I now know from experience to make sure that the person running the rescue is not living off of the donations. I do not want someone paying for her house and her electricity and her personal vehicles and gas, etc., and her own food and drink with my donations. Oh and if the house is not a part of the rescue, I surely do not want my money going for that.
So I’m for Canter.[/QUOTE]
Years ago, don’t know if she is still at it, there was this lady in a nearby town, her husband a farmer, that had puppy mill type kennels that also boarded dogs.
Next I know, I was manning a table in our Muttfest days for our performance dog club, we were helping the local dog shelters, our vets and others also there and that lady was in the table next to ours.
Thru that long day, we visited, she did, I was not saying much.
I found out that she had sold all her dogs and now was running a rescue.
She said she had sixty dogs and was there representing her rescue and she mentioned that she loved the rescue work, it was much easier than breeding and boarding dogs and she didn’t have to put up with the dog’s owners.
Later I found out she was good at fund raising, competing directly with the local bona fide shelters, that she hardly ever adopted a dog out and lived off caring for all those dogs with the money the rescue name brought in.:no:
I don’t know if she was a registered non-profit, but for what she said that day, she was making a living from running the rescue and thought it was so smart of her to find a good way to make money and still have the dogs to care for that were no problem.
Of course I don’t know the whole story, or details, but it sounded like someone was living off the rescue name, those donations going for more than the dogs, the way she was bragging about being smart in the dog business.
It left me wondering, especially when later at a dog adoption days she came and later went home without having adopted any dog out, when practically every dog brought in was adopted that afternoon.
What is really annoying is to go ask for donations and find out people say “we already donated to you!” and after asking more, they responded to those HSUS mass mailings.
Those make it sound like their money go for rescues and shelters, but no one is affiliated with them or gets any money, of the millions they make a year, for the local shelters.
We really need to educate the public much better, so they are more aware of where their money goes, so they can be assured it is going for what they intended.
[QUOTE=cowgirljenn;5510297]
For those smaller nonprofits out there that think professional book-keepers are out of your reach - you might be surprised at how inexpensive they can be. We switched over to a professional book-keeper about 1 1/2 to 2 years ago now (we had a CPA do our 990s from early on). The pro. book-keeper works at a CPA’s office. She enters all of our income and expenses and prepares monthly financial reports. Our treasurer’s job is to reconcile those reports, our bank statements, and copies of incoming and outgoing checks. It greats a checks and balances system and doesn’t cost much. Creates peace of mind for me, our BOD, and our donors.[/QUOTE]
That is the way our performance dog club, that is strictly run by volunteers, has been run for many years now.
Much easier to see where the money is coming from and going to and the CPA can make recommendations that are priceless, has saved the club much money, that we can then use for the club.
We also give a set of free lessons to any dog adopted and are there for any questions on training or retraining those dogs.
I wonder if horse rescues could also be some kind of supporting entity for the horses they adopt, if not directly, at least knowing who to recommend for problems and having a basic cost break with participating trainers for adopted horses.
The trainers may gain clients, the horses and adopters some help getting along.
Exactly - and good for you! I sit on the BOD of a small 501c3 (not animal related) that has been in operation for 46 years. They have almost always been able to find good CPAs to donate or heavily discount their services. Of course we really fuss over them and try to send a lot of other business their way too!
SCFarm
Personally, I would always ask first for their position on horse slaughter. One of the rescues mentioned often in this thread had a position paper supporting slaughter - and that was at a critical time when the legislation was pending. That may or may not be important to you.
There are several good options listed here.
[QUOTE=oldernewbie;5507789]
Saddlebred Rescue - they do a great job of evaluating, caring for, and adopting out Saddlebreds, Standardbreds, and Morgans. [/QUOTE]
Saddlebred Rescue, Inc. - 501©3 - was the 2006 recipient of USEF Heroes for Horses Award for their work in protection and welfare for horses in need. They have placed over 500 horses since their inception. All horses are evaluated by professional trainers, rehabbed, then placed in homes where they have a job: as lesson horses, pleasure driving horses, trail horses and even back to the show ring. SBR offers a return policy and a clause to keep a safety net under their adoptees should they again fall on hard times. Great people & great work!
www.saddlebredrescue.com
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