"Rescued" horses

I don't know. I think I'm with a few people here in saying that I honestly don't care what a person calls their animal as long as its well cared for. We have a few who technically could be called 'rescues,' four (soon to be three, one is being rehomed) race horses who were all crammed along with two more (already rehomed) horses into two stalls and shut in the dark for over a month, fed moldy hay and water, and had terribly cracked feet. Three of the six had underlying health problems including heart problems and severe ulcers, and one was not able to be saved. We took them in, rehabilitated, and are retraining them to go to new homes. I called them rescues and I stand by the fact that they're rescues because they 'meet' all of the criteria. We did not buy them (except for Peppin, who we officially adopted last month!!!), they came from neglect, and now are not neglected.

Then theres JW, who was abandoned in a field for two years before we took him in. Some could call him a rescue, but we don't. He wasn't thin, did need some corrective trimming though, and wasn't neglected (in a pasture with ample grass and water) He's simply an investment that ended up working better for both him and us.

And Sour...well...in my mind she's a rescue, but I don't actually call her rescued. She wasn't necessarily neglected or abused, although some very rough handling caused her to go completely sour (hehehe....sour) with humans all together, and it took two years to gain her trust and be able to touch her wherever/trim her feet without sedating her. She's still iffy with some men too. So technically she went from bad to good.

My point is that each horse has its own backround and its own personal story. We don't know the details of another person's horse, and thus I don't necessarily think that its fair to judge them. And what good does it do anyways? As long as the animal is well cared for and happy, does it really matter? Its not hurting anyone, and if it strokes someone's ego, then I say go for it. Theres a lot worse that could be happening.

What does it matter, as long as the horse ends up with a decent home? If it makes people happy to feel like they "rescued" their horse, why not let them feel good about it, as long as they are doing right by the horse. What does it hurt?

Muumi, in my neighborhood the nearest zoo if 250 mi. Distant and no idea where the nearest rendering plant is. Many have shut down. Back to rescued and abused. When people publicly state that their horse was abused that is a real condemnation of the previous owner who may not have abused the horse at all. But, as I've previously stated, the horse may have figured out the new owner in a heartbeat. Kayella, I tho't you got Bubba from a rescue yet you say you saved him from a horrible place. That rescue shouldn't be in business if that is the case.

Definatly rescued my OTTB he was on a feedlot headed to slaughter he would be dead if I hadnt got him. Yes I bought him. Paid the killer buyer his price in meat. He wasn't starving, his feet weren't bad but needed trimmed. He is well broke not crazy at all.
There is such a thing as rescue.
I do get what your saying though a LOT of people do think that they have rescued a horse but in the end the horse ends up in worse condition with the "rescuer" because of ignorance. Something they end up with good hearted people who treat the horse like a horse and give great care to them.
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I don't honestly see what's the big deal, we all have different opinions on what a 'rescue' is.

I say I kinda 'rescued' my mare. I don't boast and brag though that I 'saved' her. I boast and brag about how well she LOOKS now since she was given to me. C'mon, the poor gal was HIT by a drunk driver and lost and eye, then was abandoned not touched for god knows how long, almost sent to auction bc no one would take her....she wasn't starved but wasn't groomed, nor fed properly, and I quote her previous owner 'we didn't have her feet done until they started to curl'

My gelding I also bought, way over priced at $800. He was bought at out Camelot for $300 something by a dealer who had him for a month locked in a stall. He was about 150+ pounds underweight and it was a struggle keeping weight on him this winter. I don't brag I rescued him either but I do think of him as a rescue in the end anyway.

Rescue means different things to different people.
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The rescue saved him from a horrible place, so we in turn rescued him because we adopted him. Even at the rescue, he was kept in a round pen of hot wire 10 feet in width an he was terrified of the fence because it zapped and buzzed any time the wind blew.

I am sure that there are some people who over use the terms. However, you may rant all you want but with all do respect those of us that own a rescue horse are not all the "idiots" that your post implies! I, personally own 4 horses that I "purchased" on the open market full well knowing ....exactly...what I was doing & why I was buying the horses, what they were going to be used for and what they were capable of doing. I "adopted" a horse with a fee attached from facility run by the state from which I live that is a large rescue facility. She was a confiscated horse due to owner illness...highly trained, extremely sensitive & the "average" adopter couldn't handle her...why was she returned 3 times..IMO because the folks that adopted her had no idea what they were doing...my 10 year old rode the said "crazy" horse w/o a problem. Then, there is my "rescue" from the same facility she was in deplorable conditions with dead horses on the property, parasites, starvation, and out & out physical beating..she is a looong work in progress...it has taken much work & dedication to bring her as far as she has come....sooo no one on this earth or on this forum will ever take that away from me!!

clarification..the rescue facility confiscated her from the deplorable place under state law..went to court in both cases & won custody of these horses before I obtained ownership ...so you can hit the back button about them being in business..they are 1 of the most well respected facilities in the Mid west..end of my own rant! Good night all Happy trails!!

IF you go to01 a 501C rescue YOU PAY an adoption fee.. If you go to an Auction and out of Pity for the poor horse that is going to get shipped to slaughter, then you RESCUED that horse from slaughter. I have 2 ottb from a 501c and they were RESCUED from going to slaughter, yes they were at a TB auction. I have PMU mares and draft mix foals that would have been sent to a Killer in Canada, they were picked up for me, but they also were Slaughter bound.. THEREFORE I saved them aka rescued them. I bought 3 colts in WY and 1 is crippled , he was going to auction to slaughter , as the ranch he came from bred and sold the babies to supplement cattle . So I call him my rescue as he is crippled and just sits in his pen and eats and sh%$. :) so spoiled they be and they be rescued !!!

Having spent years of my life working with a cat rescue-- I love the word rescue. I rescued my favorite dog from a craigslist post, I rescued one of my cats from a crack house where she and her kittens were left to die alone with no food or care.

My BO rescued Char, who was 25, under weight and left to pasture with a stallion at her age.

Rescue is a wonderful word.