This is definitely an interesting thread. While I didn't get my OTTB from a rescue organization or actually pull him off the slaughter wagon, I still semi-consider him a rescue horse. He came from an honest, loving home but they just couldn't give him what he needed. They had three other horses to take care of, a huge herd of cattle, goats, four dogs and five cats, and not to mention bills. The husband lost his job at Alltel and they couldn't make ends meet anymore. I didn't realize how bad off he was until we had started in with the sale and the woman started explaining to me his feed rations and everything else. No hay and 8lbs of grain with 24/7 turn out. There was basically no shade from the Florida sun on their 2 1/2-3 acre field, and I don't think that they were given blankets over the winter either.
I didn't buy him because I felt the need to "save" him, I liked him. But now that I look back I think that's exactly what I did. He'd been on the market for a few months already and only one other person had gone to look at him. She even said she would hate to see him go to auction, but thats what they would have ended up having to do.