Hidden in the hills of southern Indiana is a sanctuary dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of over 30 unwanted horses that are recovering from abuse, starvation, disease, and injuries. It is named Horse-Angels, Inc. Horse Rescue and was founded by Sue A. Whitman, DVM, who is president of the corporation and is also on the board of directors. Because Horse-Angels is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, all donations are tax deductible.
Background
Dr. Whitman has wanted to rescue horses since childhood, and when she was only ten years old, her parents allowed her to adopt her first rescue. She decided to become a veterinarian as a result of her desire to start a horse rescue organization. After graduating from the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1983, she began her veterinary career specializing in horses. However, the number of hurt or sick horses she was asked to put down, simply because their owners didn’t want to invest the time and money necessary to save them, quickly caused her to become disenchanted with large animal practice. As a result, she limited her practice to small animals, and opened a clinic in Bloomington, Indiana in 1991. She began accepting horses in need of rescue in 2001 and incorporated Horse-Angels in 2003. Anyone who has met Dr. Whitman cannot help but be humbled by her devotion to the horses she loves.
Horse-Angels occupies 120 acres and includes pastures and paddocks for the rescues, as well as a stall barn and indoor arena. All the horses have a stall available in times of bad weather, but those who are physically able are turned out as much as possible. The indoor arena is used as a turnout for the blind and handicapped horses, and for the occasional fund-raising clinic. There are 34 horses living on the ranch. About 23 of them are not really adoptable due to poor health and/or various ailments, except for the occasional one that is adopted as a pasture buddy, or for someone who just wants a horse as a pet. Another six or seven will be adoptable when they have been started under saddle.
Their Stories
Horse-Angels’ most senior rescue is Herbie. He is at least 40 years old, and while he is not registered, he is probably part Quarter Horse. He was a roping horse, and was kept for many years by the family whose children learned to ride and rope on him. However, when he got to be about 35, he started getting extremely thin; his teeth were floated, but it didn’t seem to help. His owners didn’t know what else to do for him, and were going to put him down, but sent him to Horse-Angels instead. When he arrived, he had four bad teeth extracted and began doing much better. Herbie has blossomed on the care and feed he has received at Horse-Angels. He has been to Wal-Mart as a greeter on their “animal day” and has also been to the Owen County Library to assist with a presentation on horses. Herbie was part of the therapeutic riding program that operated out of Horse-Angels. Earlier this year, he had some serious health issues and almost died, but Dr. Whitman nursed him through it, and he has made a full recovery.
Today he remains the official “greeter” of the ranch. He is not locked in a stall or paddock, but has the freedom to roam wherever he chooses on the ranch. He is not locked in a stall or paddock, but has the freedom to roam wherever he chooses on the ranch. He has no teeth left, but his weight is good, he looks healthy, and he keeps a close watch on any visitors in the barn.
Another Horse-Angels rescue was Foxy. She was adopted at age 35 to a family who had a three-year old boy who bonded with Foxy. The adoption was on the condition, due to Foxy’s restricted ability to carry weight, that no one but the little boy would ride her. Things went well for awhile, as Foxy was quite protective of the little boy, and they enjoyed each other very much. However, the boy’s parents allowed Foxy to be ridden by an adult who weighed far more than Foxy’s meager weight limit of 45 pounds, and Foxy fell down with the rider. After this incident, Foxy was taken back to Horse-Angels, and Dr. Whitman decided not to allow her to be adopted again. Foxy did very well at Horse-Angels until recently, when her arthritis got so bad that she had to be euthanized at 38 years of age. The very day Foxy was euthanized, Dr. Whitman got a call from someone who had an old horse they couldn’t take care of any longer. It turned out that the old horse was Foxy’s daughter! Needless to say, Horse-Angels had a new inhabitant in no time at all!
Faith was a rescue that didn’t make it. She had been on pasture board, and the owner did not check on her much due to having had major surgery and being unable to drive. Faith was in her 20’s and had bad teeth, as well as a heavy parasite load, so she became emaciated. She was brought to Horse-Angels in the winter, and was shivering and had collapsed in the trailer when she arrived. It was just too late, and she died two days later.
Cherokee has been at Horse-Angels for 2½ years. She is 34 years old and is blind and has arthritis in both front legs. She was rescued initially by a woman who saw her in a slaughter house lot. She was being attacked from all sides by the other horses and was bitten, bruised, and hungry. The woman borrowed a trailer and took her home, but really had no safe housing for her. A friend told her about Horse-Angels, so Cherokee was taken to live there. Finding herself at last in a safe, warm, and non-threatening environment, she regained her zest for life and shows an affectionate and loving personality. She is appreciative and smart, and loves visitors that will overlook her faulty eyes and give her a scratching and a hug.
Categories
The horses that come to Horse-Angels can be categorized. First, there are horses that have been impounded by the state because they are suffering from abuse. Before a horse is impounded, an attempt is made to educate the owners; photos of the horse are taken, and they are checked on by the State Veterinarian and a local law enforcement officer. If there is no improvement in the horse’s condition within 30 days, the horse is impounded, and typically charges are pressed for abuse, and a fine is assessed. To get the horse back, the owner has to pay the fine, plus board and care of the horse during the time it was impounded. If they don’t want the horse back, it becomes the property of Horse-Angels, but Horse-Angels receives no reimbursement of its expenses. Horses in this category are always accepted.
Second, there are strays that are picked up by the sheriff’s department. Most of the time the owner is found within a few days, and the horse goes home. In these cases, Horse-Angels is reimbursed for the expenses incurred while caring for the horse.
Third, there are the old and infirm horses that people can’t sell and can’t take care of any longer. Horse-Angels attempts to educate owners of unwanted horses, and matches their horses with people either wanting to foster a needy animal, or on its adoption waiting list. Because Dr. Whitman is a veterinarian, Horse-Angels has a valuable networking system that can help find a safe place for horses to go even when the ranch is filled to capacity as it is at the present time. Ten horses in 2005 were placed directly from unhealthy settings into a foster home or with a new owner. Horse-Angels does not receive an adoption fee for placements of this type.
Adoption Program
Horse-Angels has an adoption program. In 2005, fifteen horses were matched with families and are now winning ribbons in 4-H as well as bringing smiles to the faces of both children and adults. Each of these horses had to recover from parasitism, starvation, dental disease or wounds before they could be adopted. Thirteen of them required more than one year of rehabilitation before they could live without veterinary supervision. There is not really a list of horses available for adoption, because whether a horse is adoptable depends so much on the qualifications and situation of the person doing the adopting. An adoption fee is normally assessed.
Usually horses are adopted by Indiana residents. This is preferred so that the rescues can be checked on fairly easily, but on occasion horses have been adopted by people from other states. In an attempt to guarantee that the horses get a good home, the person adopting the horse signs a contract which states that Horse-Angels will get the animal back if the new owner is not able to keep it. In addition, a background check is done on the prospective owner. However, some of the horses that are adopted come back due to family circumstances, and they are usually in poor condition when they return. Often, the expense incurred to return them to good condition is more than if they had not been adopted. It can be a no-win situation, but Horse-Angels will not turn away any former rescues.
Costs
The cost to care for a rescue varies considerably, but for a horse in very poor condition the initial three months to rehabilitate them is normally about $2,000. After that, the cost is typically about $300 to $500 per month. Veterinary care and medications are donated by Dr. Whitman. Feed, hay, bedding, farrier, and training costs are covered by outside donations, on which Horse-Angels is dependent for its survival. One hundred percent of all donations go toward the care of the horses.
Conclusion
In a perfect world, there would be no need for a place like Horse-Angels. But our world is not perfect, and there is a very real need for this organization. It is too easy for us to get caught up in the pressures of competition and the details it involves. We make sure our saddle fits our horse perfectly (or as close to perfect as possible!), and that he has a matching bridle, and all the right supplements to enable him to perform at his best for us, and a wardrobe to keep him comfortable in all sorts of weather. It is too easy to forget that not all horses have the basic necessities of decent food, water, and shelter, let alone the kind of care we lavish on our own horses. Dr. Whitman has had the courage and commitment to try to provide a better life for horses less fortunate than ours. Please join us in supporting her efforts. There are three ways you can help. First of all, Horse-Angels needs our financial assistance to care for its horses. Since it is a non-profit organization, donations are tax deductible. Please consider including Horse-Angels, Inc. among the charitable organizations you support. No donation is too small. Second, please consider adopting a horse. Third, please help us get the word out about Horse-Angels, Inc. Horse Rescue, so that this secret becomes a secret no longer.