Horse Angels Information
Categories
The horses that come to Horse-Angels can be categorized. First, there are horses that have been impounded by the state because they are suffering from abuse. Before a horse is impounded, an attempt is made to educate the owners; photos of the horse are taken, and they are checked on by the State Veterinarian and a local law enforcement officer. If there is no improvement in the horse’s condition within 30 days, the horse is impounded, and typically charges are pressed for abuse, and a fine is assessed. To get the horse back, the owner has to pay the fine, plus board and care of the horse during the time it was impounded. If they don’t want the horse back, it becomes the property of Horse-Angels, but Horse-Angels receives no reimbursement of its expenses. Horses in this category are always accepted.
Second, there are strays that are picked up by the sheriff’s department. Most of the time the owner is found within a few days, and the horse goes home. In these cases, Horse-Angels is reimbursed for the expenses incurred while caring for the horse.
Third, there are the old and infirm horses that people can’t sell and can’t take care of any longer. Horse-Angels attempts to educate owners of unwanted horses, and matches their horses with people either wanting to foster a needy animal, or on its adoption waiting list. Because Dr. Whitman is a veterinarian, Horse-Angels has a valuable networking system that can help find a safe place for horses to go even when the ranch is filled to capacity as it is at the present time. Ten horses in 2005 were placed directly from unhealthy settings into a foster home or with a new owner. Horse-Angels does not receive an adoption fee for placements of this type.
Adoption Program
Horse-Angels has an adoption program. In 2005, fifteen horses were matched with families and are now winning ribbons in 4-H, as well as bringing smiles to the faces of both children and adults. Each of these horses had to recover from parasitism, starvation, dental disease or wounds before they could be adopted. Thirteen of them required more than one year of rehabilitation before they could live without veterinary supervision. There is not really a list of horses available for adoption, because whether a horse is adoptable depends so much on the qualifications and situation of the person doing the adopting. An adoption fee is normally assessed.
Usually horses are adopted by Indiana residents. This is preferred so that the rescues can be checked on fairly easily, but on occasion horses have been adopted by people from other states. In an attempt to guarantee that the horses get a good home, the person adopting the horse signs a contract which states that Horse-Angels will get the animal back if the new owner is not able to keep it. In addition, a background check is done on the prospective owner. However, some of the horses that are adopted come back due to family circumstances, and they are usually in poor condition when they return. Often, the expense incurred to return them to good condition is more than if they had not been adopted. It can be a no-win situation, but Horse-Angels will not turn away any former rescues.
Costs
The cost to care for a rescue varies considerably, but for a horse in very poor condition the initial three months to rehabilitate them is normally about $2,000. After that, the cost is typically about $300 to $500 per month. Veterinary care and medications are donated by Dr. Whitman. Feed, hay, bedding, farrier, and training costs are covered by outside donations, on which Horse-Angels is dependent for its survival. One hundred percent of all donations go toward the care of the horses.
Conclusion
In a perfect world, there would be no need for a place like Horse-Angels. But our world is not perfect, and there is a very real need for this organization. It is too easy for us to get caught up in the pressures of competition and the details it involves. We make sure our saddle fits our horse perfectly (or as close to perfect as possible!), and that he has a matching bridle, and all the right supplements to enable him to perform at his best for us, and a wardrobe to keep him comfortable in all sorts of weather. It is too easy to forget that not all horses have the basic necessities of decent food, water, and shelter, let alone the kind of care we lavish on our own horses. Dr. Whitman has had the courage and commitment to try to provide a better life for horses less fortunate than ours. Please join us in supporting her efforts. There are three ways you can help. First of all, Horse-Angels needs our financial assistance to care for its horses. Since it is a non-profit organization, donations are tax deductible. Please consider including Horse-Angels, Inc. among the charitable organizations you support. No donation is too small. Second, please consider adopting a horse. Third, please help us get the word out about Horse-Angels, Inc. Horse Rescue, so that this secret becomes a secret no longer.
