National Equine Resource Network (NERN) Launches, Prepares to Assist Struggling Equine Welfare Organizations

Horse rescues & sanctuaries are struggling with high costs, low donations and a never-ending supply of horses. A new organization brings them hope…

Encinitas, CA (PRWEB) June 8, 2010 — Each year, more than 100,000 American horses cross the borders into Canada and Mexico where they are sold for slaughter. Countless thousands are seized by animal control officers in cases of abandonment, abuse or neglect, while an untold number of horses suffer silently in barns and backyards around the country. It seems an unfair fate for the animal that has, throughout history, given so much to mankind. Fields were plowed, battles were won, new frontiers were discovered and nations were built – all on the back of a horse.

Over the last decade, hope for a brighter future has blossomed in the widespread emergence of equine welfare organizations. While these organizations have begun to provide a safety net for America’s horses, the need for them is increasing exponentially. Rising costs of fuel and hay, coupled with an economic downturn, has thrust more equines than ever into at-risk situations. At the same time, feeling the economic pinch, Americans have decreased their charitable giving and equine welfare organizations are seeing fewer, smaller donations. The result is an industry that is financially struggling and has reached or is nearing capacity, in a climate where the need for these organizations is urgent and continuing to grow. Now, more than ever, the equine welfare industry needs to thrive.

After spending several years in the equine welfare world, Shirley Puga wanted to make a difference beyond the 800+ horses she was able to rescue herself. She aspired to impact the lives’ of horses across the country. Towards that end, Ms Puga is launching National Equine Resource Network (NERN) http://nationalequine.org. NERN has been created specifically to ensure the stability, and nurture the growth, of the rapidly expanding equine welfare industry.

“There are over 400 known equine welfare organizations in the United States. Most of these facilities are young organizations, operating on a shoestring budget, and managed by people with incredible heart and drive, but who generally do not have the time or expertise to make the most effective use of their limited resources” says NERN Founder, Shirley Puga.

Ms. Puga goes on to say that “The mission of NERN is to help these organizations remain stable in an unstable climate, and to provide them with the tools, education and support necessary to achieve growth and sustainability. Cats and dogs have a support structure through the national network of humane societies and SPCAs, but there is little in the way of a comprehensive support network for horses. NERN aims to change that.”

NERN is currently distributing a survey to equine welfare organizations requesting their feedback on the areas where assistance is most critical. Programs that will be activated later this year include a comprehensive resource database, equine welfare grants, as well as collaborative projects, such as castration clinics and educational workshops.

The horse has served mankind for hundreds of years – on the farm and the battlefield, on the track and down long roads. The equine welfare community that works to give back to the horse is dedicated, but struggling. Help is on the way.

For more information about NERN, please visit us online at www.nationalequine.org.

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Connect with them on Facebook too: National Equine Resource Network

Recycle your unwanted gifts and help horses

Adopt-A-Foal & Equine Rescue, Inc. is helping community members extend the holiday spirit through re-gifting. Turn your unwanted presents into a tax deduction for yourself and an auction item for Adopt-A-Foal & Equine Rescue, Inc.

Our rescue is looking for recycled presents to help our ‚Äúrecycled‚Äù horses and foals. We all receive presents from well-meaning neighbors and family members which are just not an item we like or can use. Whether it’s a picture frame, a lighted water fountain with soothing sounds that just doesn‚Äôt match your d√©cor or a sweater the wrong size and color, we all get items that aren’t right for us. Instead of letting those items clutter your home or be shoved to the back of your closets, Adopt-A-Foal & Equine Rescue, Inc. invites you to turn them into a tax deduction!

Foal for Adoption at Adopt-A-Foal & Equine Rescue You can be helping him!

Adopt-A-Foal & Equine Rescue, Inc. accepts re-gifting items throughout the year at our facility, located at 310 Ruel Road Magnolia, Texas 77355, but acting now and donating items by December 31st will help out with your 2007 tax deductions!

Photograph by Virenda Nyberg of Ormond Beach, FL., send comments and questions about photo to vnyberg @ morguefile.com

The gifts will be used as auction items for Adopt-A-Foal & Equine Rescue, Inc.’s upcoming events in 2008. The money raised from these fundraising events goes directly to the benefit of the horses that we care for each year. The cost of farrier and medical care is often the greatest factor for some horses, but feed, hay and electricity are also needed in the day-to-day operations at the rescue. Adopt-A-Foal & Equine Rescue, Inc. takes on several fundraising projects each year to make ends meet, including the our Recycling Program for used cell phones, ink jet and toner cartridges.

Adopt-A-Foal & Equine Rescue, Inc. is a non-salaried, 501c3 equine rescue committed to reducing the suffering and senseless slaughter of orphaned foals and unwanted and/or neglected equine in the United States.

For additional information on our rescue and birthday/holiday donations, please contact: Marian Mastin @ 281-356-6644 or send emails to mmastin (at) adoptafoal.org.

Note from Joni Solis: Have you raise a foal? Then I am sure you have a few outgrown horse sheets, horse halters, and horse blankets that you could send to Adopt A Foal. Or maybe your horse book collection is just a bit much for your bookshelves now; send them too.

Marian Mastin saves horses and foals the are bound for horse slaughter so please help and give. Thank you!

Mail items to:

Adopt-A-Foal & Equine Rescue, Inc.
310 Ruel Road
Magnolia, Texas 77355

Adopt a Horse – Check out Petfinder for your next horse

Horse Business Marketing Tip: I posted info to my blog because I received an email from Marian with a Press Release in a PDF file. Are you sending out Press Releases often enough or at all? You should be. It makes good business sense. Don’t know how to write and set up a press release? Check out the Press Release Marian sent to me. Adopt A Foal Press Release

horse rescue, recycle gifts, saving horses, help horses, regift, regifting, fund raising, horse charity, equine rescue

So That Neither It Nor You Implode, Collapse Or Need Bailing Out

Horse Business Teleseminar on the subject of HORSE RESCUE.

If you are like most horse people I know you have run across more than one horse that needed rescue. So even if you don’t have any plans on starting a horse rescue organization you will gain lifesaving info on how to place that once in the while rescued horse.

Besides that, don’t you want to learn out how rescue groups place horses that other people cannot sell? Might teach you some thing about marketing your horses.

Update note…

This teleseminar was held on February 7, 2006, but you can still learn from it by purchasing the seminar transcripts or audio of it here:
alove4horses.com/links/go.php?urlid=equinerescue

Drew and Patricia will talked for 90 minutes on:

• what kind of person should start a rescue
• how to create a network of volunteers, foster homes, and donors
• some of the challenges and rewards that horse rescues face everyday.
• the importance of treating the rescue in a business-like manner
• why even if it is a NONE-PROFIT that the principles of for-profit business apply to it.
• learn how to decide if you have the right kind of personality to start and run a rescue
• if you should maybe find a rescue to assist.

Also learn:

• how to decide if a rescue is legitimate, or if it’s a scam.

If you already run a horse rescue you will learn:

• the best ways to fundraise
• how to get and keep volunteers and foster homes
• Ever Wonder Why Horse Rescues Fail? Now you can find out!

Discover the challenges of running a horse rescue

• how to delegate responsibilities
• how to find your niche in the industry
• and why and how business planning is important to running your rescue – as well as to keeping your health!

A little about the speakers:

Drew Fitzpatrick

Drew has been in rescue work for fifteen years, is a State of Minnesota Humane Officer, and has run the Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue for 5 years. She has been a horse owner, trainer, and showman since she was a teenager.

Patricia Reszetylo

Patricia has also been a horse owner, trainer, and showman since she was a teen. She lived and worked at a rescue in Nebraska for about a year, and both of the horses she currently owns are rescues of one sort or another.

Even before working at the Nebraska rescue, Patricia has been studying business, and since has observed how it applies to rescue work, and came to the conclusion that if rescues are to succeed, they must operate in a business like manner.

Both Drew and Patricia feel that too many horses rescues and horse businesses are started without the proper education. And without the proper understanding of how to keep the money coming in, the horses properly cared for, retrained, and re-homed, as well as how to make some of the hard decisions – like when to put an animal down.

We’ve all seen cases where rescues took on far more than they can handle, and then had to place horses in a hurry because they were stretched too far. They didn’t have the finances, the hay, and the money for the vet, so the rescue turned into a situation where they were now the rescuees.

This presentation answers many questions people submitted beforehand.

Purchase the seminar transcript and audio here…

alove4horses.com/links/go.php?urlid=equinerescue

This is vital information that no equine rescue or rescue volunteer should be without. Your rescue is better able to serve the horses and humans of your community when you listen to this call!

Adopt a Horse – Check out Petfinder for your next horse

If you sell or adopt out horses you will also want to check out…

Selling 101 for Equestrians – How to Quickly and Safely Sell Your Horse

Covers advertising and marketing, about how to write advertisement, adding pictures, pricing, and other things to do to sell your horse, local and offline actions.

alove4horses.com/links/go.php?urlid=sell101

Virtual seminars (Teleseminars) are becoming more and more popular for a number of reasons one of which is the fact that they save you tons of money! Why? Well for one you only have to pick up your phone to join in. You don’t have to spend all the money to travel and attend one in a hotel with all the expenses that go along with that: hotel room, dinning costs, travel costs, attendence fees, child and/or animal care while you are gone, etc…

They also save you so much time because of all the same things mentioned above. They also help you learn faster because you can attend more Internet seminars in a year than you could ever manage to attend hotel seminars even if cost was no factor.

Another reason I think Internet seminars are so wondeful is because you can sit down and pick up your phone at the last moment without brushing the hay from your hair and the dust from your jeans. I am a super busy person, who isn’t, so I love the fact that I can squeeze them into an hour opening in my daily schedule.