Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society Ltd

Mission Statement

Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue was formed to facilitate the rescue of draft horses from slaughter, abuse, and neglect.

 

Every year approximately one hundred thousand US horses are slaughtered by foreign owned companies, and their meat is exported overseas for human consumption.  Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue was formed to facilitate the rescue of Draft and Draft Cross horses for sale to slaughter for human consumption.  We place our rescued Draft horses into private adoptive homes, promote Draft horses as pleasure and schooling mounts to the general public, and educate the public about the horse slaughter industry and its effect on US horses.

 

The Primary Function of the Rescue

 

GGDHR promotes the benefits and uses of Draft horses of all breeds as trail mounts, schooling mounts, and competition mounts.  We educate the public through the use of brochures, pamphlets, and public presentations on the topics of: horse slaughter and cruelty, the responsibilities of horse ownership, the over-population and over-breeding of horses, and how over-breeding contributes to the horse slaughter industry.

 

Slaughter is a highly profitable market and most of the public is unaware that the buyers for the slaughterhouses frequent public auctions to purchase their horses.  We attend the same public auctions, choose the Draft horses we feel are the most viable candidates for rescue, and then outbid the meat buyer.  We transport the horses to our facility, where the horses are quarantined for a minimum of 21 days for illness.  During that time, we begin to evaluate each individual horse and learn its personality and training level on the ground and under saddle.  We ride the horses under many different circumstances, and evaluate for what level of rider the horse would best be suited.  During this time, the horse also receives any necessary Veterinary care, farrier care, dental care, and training.  When the horses have completed their quarantine, they are available to be placed into adoptive homes under a strict contract.  The horses are advertised on our web site and on the internet to help find suitable adoptive homes.  Each horse is evaluated with its prospective adopter, and if we feel the horse and rider are a suitable match for one another, then the adopter may apply to adopt that horse.  At that time, GGDHR would perform a back ground and reference check, and may at times also conduct home visits if deemed necessary.

 

GGDHR is primarily funded by adoption fees, private donations, and sponsorships which facilitate the rescue of future draft horses from slaughter.