Labor of Love
Two Maryland Horse Rescue Organizations Explain The Dedication Behind Equine Rescue
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By: Sandra Zunino
© 2005 - HorseTalk Magazine

Imagine you are weak from hunger. You hardly remember what good food is like. The air you breathe is stagnant. Biting flies have left welts on your skin. Essentially a prisoner, if you could get away or call for help you would, but you can't because you're a horse.

Sadly this is the case for too many neglected horses, victims of either ignorance or blatant cruelty. However there is hope for horses who suffer this way thanks to people who dedicate their lives to run equine rescue. Two such Maryland-based organizations are HorseNet Horse Rescue, in New Windsor, and Lisbon's Days End Farm Horse Rescue.

Inspired over 15 years ago when a 2-year-old horse was beaten almost to death by delinquent teenagers, Ellen Williams took a stand. "Dancer" became Elle's first horse. Though he would always be frightened of men and anything remotely bearing a whip, she
managed to heal him and learn from him. People recognized Elle's gift with horses and approached her for help. She soon realized too many horses were slipping through the cracks, that there needed to be a safety net. Elle tried working with other rescues, but decided she had specific goals and was unwilling to compromise, thus HorseNet evolved.

Elle tries to reach neglect cases before Animal Control is involved. Someone, perhaps a neighbor or relative a will notice horses languishing in a field and report it to HorseNet. Elle immediately intervenes, speaking to the owner and offering help. Often they are going through an emotional upheaval such as an illness, death in the family, divorce, or a financial issue such as bankruptcy. Unfortunately the care of the horses is at the bottom of their list. Elle's soft, understanding approach convinces the owner to do what is best for the horses by voluntarily surrendering them to her facility.

Elle has noticed that people "will get their back up" when someone, even the authorities, take a judgmental stance. "We are not the horse police," she states. With this approach she has been successful getting horses help as quickly as possible. To Elle the end result is what matters.

Once a horse or pony arrives at HorseNet he undergoes a thorough veterinary exam, checking his weight and writing up a history. "We put down our immediate goals." she explains, "addressing health, mobility and emotional issues." Elle uses conventional methods, but also includes chiropractics and acupuncture as well as other holistic medicines. "We've had good results with homeopathic remedies, massage and Reiki," she explains. She is resolved to do whatever it takes to make these horses whole, physically and spiritually.

"Sometimes is takes time before we can even think about adopting them out," says Elle. "A horse may be treated and turned out in the pasture for a year, giving him time just to be a horse."

Often horses that come to Elle are aged or visually impaired. "People think older horses are used up," says Elle, "or horses with blindness or blemishes are useless." Elle has found that when she re-homes these horses their new owners fall in love with them. "These older horses reach a maturity you can't train into a 3-year-old," she explains. "They take care of their owners and are safe for children."

One such horse is a 27-year-old, 17 hand Thoroughbred gelding known as Reilly. Reilly was once an Olympic competitor and sold for over $87,000. Considered past his prime, he arrived at Elle's barn "in pretty sorry shape." Re-homed slightly over a year ago, Reilly is now flourishing. His new owner treats him like royalty and even refers to him as "His Royal Highness." Now Reilly is getting the love and respect he deserves.

Because of Elle's extensive networking abilities 95 horses were re-homed last year alone. Currently there are 102 horses housed at the facilities located in Maryland. However, the barn and property are leased. Eventually, once funding makes it possible, they would like to purchase property for a permanent facility. Receiving their 501(c)(3) non-profit status in 2000, HorseNet survives 100 percent on donations and volunteer labor.

Unfortunately, once Animal Control is called in, it's not always easy to get a neglected horse to a rescue facility. While signs of neglect can be clearly visible, loopholes in Maryland law make it difficult to remove a horse from an abusive or neglectful situation, according to Roxie Cross of Queen Anne County Animal Control. Unlike companion animals, horses, considered livestock, are deemed personal property and cannot be removed without a court order.

"A judge requires evidence, and that often means a witness must bring testimony. The problem is people who report the neglect are usually neighbors who wish to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation," explains Cross. "Without a witness, a subpoena wont be issued. Without the subpoena, we can't take the animal."

"Also," Cross continues, "when it comes to cases of neglect, which most of them are, a veterinarian must be involved." The paradox is once the horse is under veterinary treatment, if the owner is not cooperative, Animal Control can no longer intervene. Because veterinarians are working for the owner, they rarely offer testimony against them.

Unlike small animals, county facilities are not large enough to house abused equines. This is where Days End Farm Horse Rescue is invaluable. Allan Schwartz and his wife Kathleen were pioneers when they established DEFHR over 15 years ago. As a youngster Allan was always bringing home stray animals. As adults he and Kathy, who had always wanted a horse, decided to become horse owners. They found a horse, neglected and abandoned at their self-care facility and decided to intervene. Once they started checking around, they realized there was a need for an equine rescue organization.

Their first landmark case involved an extremely neglected, malnourished mare named Scrapper. Reported to Animal Control, Scrapper was down for 30 hours. According to vet the horse simply was not being fed enough. The Animal Control Officer convinced the owner to surrender the horse. A homemade sling was devised to lift and transport the mare to Days End where Allan sat with her, despite the cold, through the night. "We all took turns," he remembers. "Me, Kathy and the volunteers. Someone was with her 24 hours a day."

"It took eight weeks before she had enough strength to get up on her own." Allan explained. Thanks to their diligence Scrapper did recover. She remained at Days End, healthy and cared for as a lesson horse.

Since Scrapper, Days End has touched the lives of more than a thousand equines, rehabilitating anywhere between 30 to 60 horses at a time, they work exclusively with severe neglect cases. According to Allan, "Seventy percent are from starvation, 25 percent need proper hoof care and five percent are simply too fat," which he explains, "is also unhealthy."

Once Animal Control impounds a horse, it goes to Days End where a thorough Veterinary evaluation commences. Pictures are taken and everything about the animal's condition is documented. Allan and Kathy will act as expert witnesses. They offer testimony whenever a neglect case goes to court. If they are successful, DEFHR receives custody of the horse and the rehabilitation process begins.

Once the horse's physical needs are met, he will be evaluated by a trainer. Determining a horse's riding discipline helps with the re-homing process. Allan stresses that all DEFHR professionals such as farriers, trainers, massage therapists, etc., must be certified and accredited.

Because Days End survives on donations, Allan realizes he must be vigilant. "This is not our money," he asserts. "This is money that is donated." Though the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has guidelines for horse rescue, Allan acknowledges that so far, there is no oversight to govern these organizations.

"Anyone can run a rescue, but who is to say they are doing a good job," he cautions. "We can't be just as good as any boarding facility, we must always strive for better, and do what's best for the animals."

Allan admits that when they started they knew nothing about running a rescue. He credits his wife, Kathy for her drive to learn as much as possible, reading everything she could. Allan also attributes much of their early success to Nicky Ratliff of the Carroll County Humane Society. She advised them to learn the laws, introduced them to Animal Control officers and found answers to their questions.

They have also taken classes at an Equine Investigation Academy run by Nan Stuart of Code 3 Associates, a non-profit, Colorado based organization established to rescue animals suffering from disaster or abuse. "Anyone in this business should go to these classes," recommends Allan, "she has so much information."

Since then Kathy has written a book, "Guidelines For Establishing A Non Profit Horse Rescue Facility," the first of it's kind, outlining how to start an equine rescue. Allan gives demonstrations on how to use an Anderson Sling (a tool used to help equines who are too weak or injured to stand) and seminars on preparing horses for natural disasters. Part of an Essential Animal Services Team, he's even been deployed to Florida in the aftermath of devastating hurricanes to assist local humane societies rescue horses and other large animals.

In the beginning the Schwartz's brought cases to their 10-acre farmette, but soon realized they needed more space. In 1994 they moved to an 18-acre property with a large barn. Here they live and work full time overseeing the horses. The only problem is, not only do they need more space, this property's lease is up, and while they are actively looking for a new site, nothing has yet materialized.

One common thread in both Days End and HorseNet's philosophies is education. Days End runs several on-site and off-site education programs including large animal rescue training. "Education is the most powerful tool," says Allan. One goal of DEFHR is to expand education to prevent the ignorance that causes neglect. "If you're going to get a horse," Allan advises, "learn how to take care of it. These are not disposable animals. Educate yourself and be responsible to them."

Elle also stresses the need for equine education. "People are not getting the information they need," she says. For this reason she keeps all her equine relationships open ended. New owners know if they have a problem they can call her. Additionally she prints her own informational brochures, such are caring for horses with blindness, and distributes them at horse and pet expos.

Both organizations also rely heavily on volunteers. As Elle puts it "I would be nothing without my volunteers." And Allan admits Day's End is very fortunate to have a good volunteer network. "We could not have done this on our own," he eloquently states, "everyone is devoted. Nothing happens without people working together."

The hard work involved in providing for so many horses makes it evident that this is not just a job, it is a passion -- a way of life, perhaps even a higher calling. "The reason that I'm here on this earth is to help horses," professes Elle. "It's not a job. It's who I am."

Looking to the future Allan wants to make sure that what he and Kathy started continues to grow and help horses in the future. "Our goal," he says, "is to build this into an organization that will be here as long as it is needed."

The End

For more information on HorseNet Horse Rescue, visit their website at www.horsenethorserescue.org or call 410-795-8989. For more information on Days End Farm Horse Rescue, visit them at www.defhr.org or phone 301-854-5037 or 410-442-1564. To contact Code 3 Associates and learn more about the Equine Investigation Academy, visit www.code3associates.org or call 303-772-7724. To contact AAEP, visit www.myhorsematters.com.