>>> What really makes me mad is that the "rescue" people my friend just got a >>> horse from >>> are going to try and make her get a couple colts out of the mare, they are >>> novice >>> horse people, I just don't know what they could be thinking, even if it >>> will be a >>> registered horse.
Did I understand that right? The rescue agency WANTS them to breed the mare? Or was this a private rescue, not from one of the agencies? The rescue agencies here are very much the opposite: you have to sign that you'll never breed the animal. (Personally, I had no qualms signing that I'd never breed Buck, an infertile and gelded mini-mule! But, man, I had also to sign that I'd never race him, and gee, there's SO much money to be made in mini-mule racing....hehehe) Mostly, I think that's a very good idea, but it's just that "never" is a very long time. I've thought, what if someone adopts a filly or young mare from a rescue organization, and 10-15 years down the road, the mare proves to be a one of a kind CTR horse, or hunter pony, whatever. Every year that I breed, the responsibilites of breeding hit me a little harder, but I am in favor of responsible breeding - much better to me to see an exceptional horse (even a former rescue or grade) bred than a so-so (or worse) horse that happened to be purchased from a private party. I will probably never get a horse from the local "rescue league" again, not unless they change their current rules. If you get one, read the fine print carefully. There's a bunch of nasty politics in the local rescues at the moment, and a local woman who was acting as the local coordinator for the "official" agency starting taking actions not in line with the agency's policies, including selecting adoptive homes without consulting with anyone higher, giving her friends first pick on a couple of the more desirable horses, etc. Apparently she adopted out a couple of horses to homes that didn't meet standards, so now she's started her own rescue agency and she's actively doing fund-raisers. This woman with the new agency doesn't have much horse experience at all, and some of the things I've heard her doing and approving gives me the shivers. We're pretty much off their radar screen right now, thank god, but this has made me very aware that we are Buck's "adoptive home" but he could still be reclaimed if someone had a wild hair to do so. We've petitioned the agency to be granted his permanent ownership, but at the moment, they don't have a provision for that - they are considering a change in their rules to allow it. Buck was probably only three when he and his surviving pasture mates were seized, and a mini-mule probably has a life-expectancy of 30+ years. He's six now and he's lived with us for over three years. No one who knew him at the adoptive agency is still with the agency, so no one there even knows him, yet if something happened and we couldn't keep him, WE couldn't make the decision about who would be most suited to give him his next home, even though we know him best. It makes no sense at all for him to remain a "ward of the state" (or of the agency, whatever) for the rest of his life when he's in a home that provides good care for him. Hopefully, we'll get ownership, free and clear, soon. In contrast, if you adopt a mustang,from the BLM or another agency, your adoption is conditional for the first year, and then you are eventually granted unconditional ownership. I can certainly understand and support that policy - making sure that the owners aren't just putting up a good front for the short term - but there needs to be provisions for the owners to take full responsibility for the horse (or mule, donkey, whatever) at some point in the not-too-distant future. One year seems like a reasonable period to me. Karen Thomas, NC
