Someone set me straight about these Horse Rescue farms~!

Unfortunately Ontario is a breeding grounds for some pretty unsavory "rescues".

Some even breed their grade rescue stud to their grade rescue mares.

I believe one of the giveaways is the huge tack shop she has. She is in it for the money.

Do they have to have a rescue license of some type like they do in the US?

I've done a bit of work with a rescue in the past. It is standard proceedure for the contract to require "first right of refusal" or to approve the home if you decide to sell the horse. I have not come across a "bidding war" before but it could be possible if the horse is outstanding. From my experience the rescue trys to place the horse with the best possible owner. Rescues are only as good as the person(s) running it. Some are outstanding and others are questionable. Please remember there are dishonest folks who adopt horses for little money, train or rehab them then turn around and sell them for a profit -- not necessairly to the best owner. The rescues are looking out for the horses, not the potential adopters.

We have a Fjord/draft mare (Fiona) we got from Arizona Equine Rescue. The mare is a treasure. There is a "first right of refusal" and new home approval clause in our contract. Fiona will never leave us so it's unimportant.

See, I have a problem with this. If I PAY for anything, then it is MINE. I OWN it and *I* decide what happens with it. I can understand a rescue wanting to ensure that the horse is going to a good home directly from their operation, but after that, I do think they should walk away.

It's your decision, adopt or don't.

I cannot comment on her business but if I wanted the filly I'd tell her that my final offer was $300 and she had 24 hours to take me up on it or there was no deal. I get the sense she is playing you, trying to get more money out of you, and that there are in truth no other offers.

::gets up on soapbox::

There are a LOAD of crappy rescues out there! I donated to one of them and could kick myself hard for doing that. Didn't find out the rescue was a bad one until after I donated. So if you are going to donate or adopt from a rescue GOOGLE THEM! I found out after I donated, because someone told me to google them, that the lady who ran the place had previously had hundreds of counts of animal neglect on her. Has had cases where she didn't use the money donated toward the purpose she intended. Heck the money I donated was to go toward a horse that she pulled off the broker lot, dumped at a quarantine place and never picked up. Never got the vet out to see her, or the farrier. Just left her there and didn't pay the Quarantine place, with three other horses. In the end because of her and one other rescue (which was actually in Canada, believe it was called Land Of Bushy Tails) the Quarantine place couldn't do business at all anymore and had to shut down. Peace Of Mind, the rescue in question, also fundraised several times for gelding theirs colts over the span of a year, people donated, but none of the colts got gelded. She was operating under another rescue's tax information when she wasn't legally allowed. AND she's still got these people following her like she's a hero. She won't allow people to come to her site to see the horses she has. "Borrowed" someone's trailer and argued when she asked for it back. Sent it back worse than she received it. Had a horse for sale online for $3500 but on her facebook rescue page for $350. Said it was a typo, it was on equinenow.com, instead of fixing the "typo" she took the ad down and the horse virtually disappeared. She is not a rescue, even though she is state certified as one. How can one person operate two different rescues and a transport company? And take care of her animals when she isn't receiving enough donations, online begging for food for her horses. Beware Rock N Acres, Sherry Ford, POM, Peace Of Mind and Double L Transport like the devil is on your tail. They are prime examples of what to look for when you are looking for a BAD rescue.


I've heard that this rescue has changed but I haven't seen proof of it and I highly doubt it. She had 40 plus horses on about 15 acres, give or take but not by much. The property was nothing but a hill. The horses had been reported out on the road several times. Barbed wire fence, nasty hay, horses needed their hooves done, they looked wormy. Some were untouched. She had cryptos out with mares and fillies. Actually had a surprise foal from one of the mares that had been there for years. Possibly still has an Arabian gelding with a spine deformity that made his back look like a roof. Not joking. She wouldn't put him down. He was a stallion his whole life and while I was there visiting he was going after the other horses most of the time. The only flat spot on the property was more than knee deep in mud. It was a sad situation. Case of someone getting in over their head and not realizing it. I would pull a horse from her just to get it out of there. The place is called Wild Horse Rescue.


I know of a few more. One I won't bring out because they actually come on here. The others I don't have much personal experience with. I've only actually dealt with a few good rescues. One is Frog Pond Draft Rescue, where I adopted my gelding and fostered a Clydesdale mare (pictures in my barn). Another I know of because I had previously dealt with them. The only fishy thing about them is that they allow their mares to be breed, actually advertise that they'll make nice foals. That one is New Vocations Racehorse Rescue.


Anywho, ways to spot a shifty rescue:

No contract. Or undetailed contract that doesn't ask for references, farrier, vet...etc..

The adoption fee is too high. I honestly believe that adoption fees should be set lower than what the market reflects. They've got to compete with people selling their horses and they can't save more until they adopt out the ones they have. I understand they put a lot of work in their horses but if they are doing it right the work is paid for with donations.


Doesn't have the proper paperwork. Can't provide it and is dishonest about it. Frog Pond is not 501c3 yet but has applied and they will tell you that.


Isn't open about things. Doesn't show where donations go. Can't provide current pictures of their horses. Or the pictures are really bad quality so you can't see details. Like hooves or body condition... Most of the pics are taken from chest up facing forward.


Lies about the horse being healthy or training level just to adopt the horse out.


Tells you that they will bring the horse to you, meet you somewhere with it, or has the horse in an area where you can't see their other horses.


Cannot provide what vet or farrier that they use.


Gets defensive when you ask questions. Puts blame on others.

Doesn't allow you to take pictures while you are there. Real problem if they tell you to put the camera up as soon as you get out of your vehicle.


Dodgy when you talk to them. Avoids certain questions, asks you for donations right off... The first rescue I mentioned friended me on facebook and started to ask for donations. Doesn't know much about the horses that they have.


Best bet is to research the rescue and ask lots of questions. But I agree that one seems really fishy.

I hate to weigh in on the forum, but it seems that there has been a great deal of speculation about Heaven Can Wait Horse Rescue and their practices. To set the record straight, Heaven Can Wait is a registered non-profit organization in Canada, governed by the rules and regulations set by the CRA. It is NOT an American non-profit organization. Their website is Heaven Can Wait Equine Rescue for anyone who has not actually looked before weighing in with an opinion.

The sale of the horse Maestro is a unique opportunity for Heaven Can Wait. Maestro was donated to the organization for sale purposes as a fundraiser - it's a wonderful opportunity for Heaven Can Wait to raise funds badly needed to support the animals they rescue, and an incredibly generous act on the part of Maestro's owners, who have a positive relationship with the organization, and support its mission and goals. This does not make the ED of Heaven Can Wait a "hoarder" or a "horse trader", rather an effective and financially effective administrator interested in the welfare of her charges.

The clause in the contract that guarantees buyback option is a standard clause for Canadian Horse Rescue associations - if you do research, you will find most organizations ask for this guarantee. This makes good sense. Their goal is to rescue horses (and other animals) and guarantee them a happy and hopefully forever home. What they do not want to do is turn a horse over, and through a set of unhappy circumstances, land that animal back in a rescue situation. If you have a rescue animal and you are no longer able to care for it, your should ALWAYS contact the organization you adopted the animal from. The clause is a good thing, however, designed to make sure adopters act in the best interest of the rescue.

As for the price being over the stipulated adoption fee, it seems the filly has generated interest and rightly or wrongly, the ED has decided to leverage this opportunity. Typically, there is a standard and stated adoption fee, and I would certainly question a bidding war. You may want to contact Heaven Can Wait to ask for details of their adoption practices - if you are still concerned, you can contact the CRA to determine whether they are within their rights as a charitable organization, or are exceeding their mandate.

Most importantly, you should always check the organization you are adopting. Visit their website, contact previous adopters, and other local rescue organizations for referral. A reference is always good.

HCW has picked up "rescues" from the auctions that should really have been put down. Instead the poor crippled horse is fattened and at a ridiculous price offered as a pasture pet only. Some of these horses at the auctions have had all medical resources exhausted and it's the only humane thing to do. Not everyone can bury them at home. That is what turned me off HCW. There's a rescue in Texas that sells their horses for a very reasonable price. If Texas wasn't so danged far I'd have gone shopping there. Some of the rescues, especially the humane societies place so many stipulations it's like they are leasing you the horse, you get to pay all the expenses, yet they still own the horse.

I think there is a lot of good in rescues who maintain "ownership" of the horses for a period of time. Frog Pond still basically owns my Belgian cross gelding. If at ever I need a place for him to go I can simply send him back. Not only that but Frog Pond adopted out a horse by the name of Shay last year and then found out that the owner wasn't caring for the horse anymore. She actually gave the horse to another rescue after it had dropped several hundred pounds in her care. After Frog Pond had put in a lot of work to put weight on her when they had first gotten her. Because Frog Pond had the rights to the horse they were able to recover her and rehab her again. They require a six month and yearly check up. But I do them the courtesy of letting them know what is going on with my boy all the time.