Someone set me straight about these Horse Rescue farms~!

I have dealt with a rescue organization before and the experience was nothing but negative. I don't want to go into details, but I had to hire an attorney to be able to keep my horse. I know there are some good rescues, but for the most part you are asking for trouble in my opinion.

You can go to an auction and buy a dirt cheap horse. A horse that might otherwise go to a kill buyer. Therefore, you are rescuing a horse. The only difference is that this horse will actually belong to you. You won't have the threat of having someone come out and check your property only to take him back if there is poop in the stall or having issues with the rescue if you want to sell or rehome the horse.

IMO, there are many rescues that are wolves in sheep clothing. Besides, why would you pay an adoption fee when you can go to the auction and save a horse.....and own him outright.

I agree with Sandy2U. Unfortunately I can see Rescues looking for PERMANENT FOREVER homes for horses that are older and no longer useable, however if someone like myself were to purchase a rescue horse at a premium price from any of these rescues that is a young horse, I would be doing it to feed, train, and eventually find a great show home for, not to keep. Thus I would never be interested in an old horse that is no longer marketable to anyone. Not everyone is able to keep a horse forever. A good example is the weanling in this case. If you kept that baby for 5 years, fed her, spent hours and hours training and then decided to sell her to a great show home later it would be an absolute headache.
I will buy a young horse at an auction at some point maybe this spring and rescue it on my terms. :))

And my final point...Maestro is now listed on HCWs site for $20,000. I think it is wonderful that he was donated (not rescued) to them for fundraising, so if he was not rescued why is he in the adoption section of the site? If I were paying that kind of money for any horse...I would think I would own him without any attachment or legal issue with the Rescue.
That horse should be front page and center of the site in my opinion, as well as a thank you to the donor. They were very generous.

I just looked up the "rescues" website and the little Filly Diva who had a bidding war over her now has a price which is advertised -
Adoption Fee/Purchase Price: $904 + Donations (Donations Can be Hay, Feed, Saddles, Tack, Riding Apparel or Blankets, etc in Good Sellable/Usable Condition or Donation to Our Vet Account).

So what happened to all those bidders??

Also what I find disturbing is that under her history they state - "maybe green broke" You have got to be kidding - green broke at 4 months???

Also if you adopt Diva you also have to foster her Dam until weaning and then the Dam is to go back to the "Rescue" or to the person that may have adopted her whilst in your care, especially after you have feed her, farriered her, cared for her etc etc.

Sounds like a dealer to me!!