These Draft Horses Were Rescued From Abuse, And Now They're on a Road to Adoption
by N/A, 9 years ago |
4 min read
The mission of Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue, a nonprofit organization in Maryland, is simple: nourish draft horses who have been victims of neglect and abuse become healthy again, and educate people about the role they can play in keeping these horses that way.Â
There are a great number of difficulties that come from an organization like GGDHR.
For one thing, animals that have been victims of neglect and abuse are often in a very delicate emotional place.
And it becomes especially challenging when the animal that is in a delicate emotional place is as big and powerful as a draft horse!
Working with these horses requires an incredible amount of patience and compassion.
Some horses were rescued right before they were to be sold off to slaughter.
So you can imagine how dire a situation many of these horses are in...
The hard work begins with a 3-week quarantine period for all horses in the program.
They are dealt with on a very personal level, being given incredible amounts of love and attention.
They truly are nursed back to health.
After the quarantine, the horses can then be put up for adoption.
The adoption process is VERY strict. The organization combs through any home prospects very carefully before an owner can even be considered for a horse. They also have to be within a 4-mile radius.
But maintaining an organization like this...it is anything but easy.
Food alone runs up to $12,000...and I thought fine dining was expensive!
The organization stays afloat through donations, adoption fees and sponsorships.
While you have to live within four miles of the farm to adopt a horse, anyone can sponsor one!
Sponsorships can be large or small, and are ultimately just a way to invest in a horse's healthy, happy future. And you're allowed to visit the horse you sponsor if you stop by the farm!
There are 65 horses at the organization currently.
If they absolutely need to, they could house up to 75—although it would probably be snug!
There are up to 100,000 horses every year that run the risk of going to the slaughter house, a number that is truly shocking when you think about it.
With the fact exporting horse meat is not being nearly as tightly prohibited as it used to be, an organization like GGDHR is more necessary now than ever.
Just look at these guys...
How could you not want a happy home for them?
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