by John Dowd
For six years, 1 Horse At a Time Draft Horse Rescue, a nonprofit out of Corvallis, has been striving to protect the lives of numerous draft horses and similar breeds. Recently, the organization gathered more interest after posting a video that went viral, getting over 13 million views within only days. Now, the organization is seeking more local attention and has begun hosting open houses the first Saturday of every month.
With over 27 draft horses on site, the organization, among others like it, is constantly in search of funding. According to organization founder and president, Jasmin Shinn, each horse when fully healthy can weigh over 2,000 pounds, and can eat over 60 pounds of hay a day. Each year, with feeding, care, medical bills and legal fees, it can cost the rescue hundreds of thousands of dollars to see to the horses’ needs and that they live a healthy happy life. Most of the organization’s funding comes from private donations and much of the rescue’s campaign for horses is publicized through the use of Facebook. Currently, the rescue has over 200,000 followers on the social media platform.
“Thankfully, it always works out,” said Shinn, who explained that every time the organization needs money they reach out. There is also funding available to the rescue through grants, which they try to seek out as well.
The rescue works mostly by buying horses from auctions. The horses they acquire are often past their prime and come with medical or attitude complications. Last year, the rescue took in over 80 horses. After taking a horse in, the rescue will see to the horse’s immediate needs and medical requirements. Then, the rescue will work on re-establishing a horse’s health and will then try to find each one a forever home. This often means selling the horse at the cost it was originally purchased for, in order to find each one a serious home. Buyers often don’t pay medical bills, check ups, or anything else involved during the transfer, so the rescue is out money for every one they re-home. Each horse is also then attached to a contract, wherein should the buyer fail to be able to continue to take care of the horse until the end of its life, the rescue will repossess the horse. 1 Horse At a Time Draft Horse Rescue adopted out over 60 horses last year, and has over 100 out on contract across the United States.
Shinn explained that she is the main workforce for the organization, working full-time, unpaid, to keep the rescue running. She is aided by five board members, and a small handful of volunteers. Shinn explained that she is often commended for her efforts, but likes to say that “Anybody can do what I do, you just have to really want it.” Originally from Germany, Shinn married and eventually found herself in Montana. When she was little she had always loved horses, and though she didn’t grow up owning them, she always tried to get them into her life. “Horses always kind of stayed with me.” She especially always wanted a draft horse.
At some point after she moved to Montana, she attended a horse auction, where she learned about the fates of horses that were past their prime, lame or undesirable. Often, these horses ended up getting stuck in auction after auction, or inevitably at the butcher. That is when she decided to start trying to rescue them.
Shinn, and her fellow board members, express a deep love for the draft horse breeds. Though there are always critics, Shinn says, “I have to remind myself we have more supporters than naysayers.” However, much of the notoriety and support comes from the followers on Facebook. To reach locals, 1 Horse At at Time Draft Horse Rescue is welcoming everyone to their open houses. Every month, on the first Saturday, between 12 and 2 p.m. people are invited to visit the rescue, and “just fall in love with the draft horses,” said Shinn. “Come out and see what we do,” she added. Visitors will get a chance to meet the horses in the rescue, and even see the project horses, some of which may never see positive human touch after difficult lives.
According to Shinn, the rescue tries to find all their horses a home, however, many are difficult to home as they are wary of people. These may never leave the rescue.
For more information about the rescue and their open houses, interested parties can visit www.1horseatatime.com, or can search the name of the rescue on Facebook where numerous videos and photos are posted every day.