The Role of Horse Rescues

Rescues play an essential part of the horse industry, across all disciplines.

- JENNIFER PAULSON

The AHFEH Team accepts a donation from Anheuser Busch

Rescue cat" and "rescue dog" seem to roll off the tongues of many Americans. The concept of rescuing a pet became mainstream so many years ago, that it's practically a breed to many. Now, the perception of horse rescues and adopting horses has evolved to become nearly as universal, and horse rescues play a vital role in the horse industry at large.

"Thanks to the tireless work of many rescues and initiatives like A Home for Every Horse, along with the reach and impact of social media, I've seen much greater awareness of the work of rescues as well as a change in public perception about horse adoption," shared Amy Cairy, Vice President of Marketing and Innovation for W.F. Young. "There's widespread understanding of dog and cat rescues and strong public support for pet adoption. However, for many years, we didn't see that same awareness or behavior applied to supporting equine rescues and adopting horses. There was also a perception that rescue horses were all old, unsound, and best suited as companion animals or to live their lives out at a sanctuary. While that may be the case for some horses, we now see more of the public realize what those who've worked with adoptable horses have known for a long time: There are thousands of truly amazing horses who are in transition from one home to the next and have a lot more to give and share with new owners in many different capacities."

Katherine Gregory, CEO for Colorado Horse Rescue, agreed that the view has greatly evolved.