If it makes a person feel good to say they rescued a horse from certain death, whether it's from certain slaughter or starvation, neglect, etc. then so be it. I wish there weren't so many happening, then we wouldn't hear about it all the time.
Yes, when it's used unnecessarily it's annoying.
BUYING a horse at auction isn't a rescue unless you KNOW you are outbidding the meat buyer. BUYING an untouched rough horse or horse with a bad habit is a Craigslist PROJECT.
I've had three confiscated animals brought to me, two mules that died within a month, and an 800 pound Clydesdale with slipper feet and cracks you could hide pencils in. He eventually weighed 1,800 and is now completely sound.
More of a Project:
Rick's owner was referred to me by my vet, she had over 20 horses in an acre lot, AC/SO was breathing down her back, liquidate or face fines/jail and confiscation. He WAS in decent condition, I bought him on a Friday, she was taking him and most of the others to the sale the next day. 99% of the horses in decent condition head south, he had a 1% chance. So I have used "rescued" (note the quotations) because there WAS a 1% chance some other insane person would have overlooked his running through the bit, head tossing, rolling eyes, side passing and dangerous behavior and taken him home. He is really a purchased $350 project that's cost well over $2,000. I canceled my $1,250, dream horse, Craigslist purchase to "rescue" Rick. And, no I wasn't "suckered" by the "buy now or he's heading to auction" ploy, my vet whom I adore and trust told me about the situation. He was the vet who evaluated the animals.
We are overrun with horses around here. That sale barn is now closed, even the meat man wouldn't take a hundred + neglected head that were dumped on the owners. They were shut down because they couldn't afford to feed them and they were starving to death, literally.
Sale barns USED to be THE place to go buy a decent prospect or good broke horse. You know, before internet. There are some obviously decent finds to be had, and people bid those up. But now it's mostly just the horse dump.