I am renting a huge piece of property above Atlanta and want to find a way to purchase it and start a horse rescue and trail riding on it. I need downpayment, grant, other ideas. I have already ran into quite a number of people who need somewhere to take their horses to who can’t afford them anymore, or can’t care for them for various reasons. The need is great. Anyone want to invest? Tons of pasture for boarding and/or a petting zoo, a beautiful mountain property. We have four rescue horses here at this point and we want to do so much more. Credit is an issue, collateral is, too.
Help in starting an equine rescue on property we rent. Ideas?
June 2nd, 2011 
Admin 
Posted in quality care equine rescue 
Tags: beautiful mountain, collateral, downpayment, horse rescue, pasture, petting zoo, rescue horses
I’m sort of doing that on a personal basis. I got a property by lease-purchase from a real-estate agent who had the property. My sons live on it, and do the work of fencing, shed building, etc. because some day they will inherit it. I pay my DIL a small amount by the month to feed the horses (I now have 5) since I live in another state. All of this has been personally funded by myself, including most vet care. Three of the horses were gotten through another rescue that was sponsored by a large national rescue organization, which paid me a small fee (very small) to help with transport expenses. I used what they sent to get 2 of them vaccinated, and one’s teeth floated who desperately needed it. I got a beat up old round pen off Craig’s list for a very small sum by letting people know what I was going to do with it. Craig’s list is one of my major resources for low cost equipment. Both sons listen to a local radio talk/sell station and call me the instant they hear of a bargain we need. I got a large number of T posts this way. There’s an auction barn near my house I go to on Saturdays, and I got a water tank very cheap there. Sometimes you can get a feed store to discount feed for you; a CoOp near my place has sold me equine senior for a couple of dollars less because he knows the horses are rescues, but if there’s a mill near you get your feed there, it’s even cheaper, especially if you buy in bulk. Another man near there has sold me last year’s hay for cheap, also because he knows the horses are rescues. You could probably get with your local school’s 4-H or Agri program person and get some volunteers that way. Let your local community know what you’re trying to do and do fund raising events/activities (using the horses you rescue, if possible). You just have to be creative, research things other rescues do to raise money and try to get 503c status as soon as you possibly can. I haven’t tried yet as I have too much to do at my job. Maybe next year.
Hope this helps!