Jasmin Shinn, founder and executive director of 1 Horse At A Time Draft Horse Rescue facility in Corvallis, got a nice boost last week when she was presented with a check for $7500 from representatives of JCCS, an accounting firm with a branch located in Hamilton. Part of the selection for awarding that gift was online voting and according to JCCS branch manager, Andrea Simmerman, 1 Horse At A Time was one of the top four vote getters.
That check followed in the wake of a $25,000 gift in November from Tractor Supply.
That sounds like a lot of money but, according to Shinn, taking care of draft horses is an expensive proposition. Last year, the facility took in just under $240,000 and spent every penny. There are no paid employees; it’s an all-volunteer organization. But Shinn said it costs about $200 per month to feed these “gentle giants.” Then there are veterinary bills, therapy, training, and other associated costs to rehabilitate these horses. When they’re finally ready for adoption, most can be driven or ridden, and some just become “pasture pets.”
1 Horse At A Time was established by Shinn in 2018. She’s originally from Germany where she grew up around horses. She’s always been a horse fan, but she is especially passionate about draft horses. She and her husband, a military retiree, and their two children relocated to Montana and bought a 20-acre farm which Shinn said can support about 20 horses. She currently has 25 here, with nine more in Texas. She buys all the hay locally. She gets a lot of help from her husband; “these horses are big, so stuff breaks!” She keeps the public updated on the horses’ progress through the 1HorseAtATimeDraftHorseRescue facebook page, which has about 9,500 followers.
Shinn goes to livestock auctions where she purchases horses that for various reasons have been given up by their owners as no longer useful. The mission of 1 Horse At A Time is to save unwanted, neglected or abused draft horses from slaughter and to help them get better and then find them a home. Shinn said most of these horses can still do some light work, once they’ve been rehabilitated.
Last year, 67 horses were rescued and homes were found for 35 horses. Shinn said that inevitably some are lost to sickness or old age, and a few are just not good candidates for adoption. Those she keeps, to live out their lives on the Corvallis place.
Case in point is Tiny, a 22-year-old Belgian, who was the first rescue horse that Shinn bought. She purchased him at the Billings auction for about $1400. Tiny has become the mascot for 1 Horse At A Time. With his friendly and gentle nature, he has been a regular visitor at Discovery Care Centre in Hamilton (pre-covid), where his interactions with residents provide a therapeutic benefit.
Shinn said it’s become more difficult to buy the horses as the prices have continued to rise. She said the horse market has changed, and there is a nasty cycle in which these kinds of horses are bought and then resold at a somewhat higher price each time, with the sellers and buyers having no intention of keeping the horses. She calls it “the auction pipeline” and fears for the horses’ well-being in such a situation. So the original goal of saving horses from slaughter has been expanded to “try to help get them out of that auction pipeline,” Shinn said.
“Please don’t take your draft horses to auction,” is her message to horse owners, who for whatever reason are thinking of getting rid of their draft horses. “We can help.”
Shinn said she has received calls from people about surrendering their horses to 1 Horse At A Time. This is a real possibility. “We can buy directly to prevent the horse from going to the auction,” said Shinn. “Call us.”
Shinn said that 1 Horse At A Time actively seeks out horses that need help, and helps educate people about keeping their horses.
People who are interested in adopting one of the rescued horses must undergo a serious vetting process, including a background check, references and a signed commitment to never sell the horse. 1 Horse At A Time does regular follow-ups, with requests for photos and updates a few times a year.
Shinn said that volunteers are welcomed at 1 Horse At A Time; contact her at 406-493-4978 or visit the website for more information: www.1horseatatime.com, where donations can be made, and financial reports can also be found. People can call Shinn to visit the facility by appointment.
Reflecting on the past few years, Shinn said, “I really wanted to do this, but I can’t do it alone. With the rehab and care, it’s very expensive. But there’s a lot of support out there. Every donation is just as important as any other. Everything adds up. I am so grateful. I couldn’t do this without that.”
