Horse Rescue: Adoption vs Auction

With awareness surrounding horse rescue on the rise, more and more people are looking at rescuing a horse rather than buying in the traditional manner. 

Horse rescue is not a decision that should be taken lightly.

Rescuing should be done responsibly, and potential owners should educate themselves to the best of their ability. 

When rescuing, there are really two options a potential buyer could choose from. Buying directly from an auction, or adopting from a rescue. 

Horse Rescue: Adoption vs Auction

Buying From An Auction

I am always a little skeptical of just any auction horse being considered a “rescue.”

There are auctions of different qualities.

A horse that goes for a reasonable price at a high quality auction is not one I would necessarily consider a “rescue.” 

Nothing against people who buy these horses, but if you are looking to rescue this isn’t exactly what I would have in mind. 

Horses who are thin, aged, or injured, or who go through lower quality auctions for very low prices are the ones who are at risk and need to be saved. 

The pro to buying directly from an auction is that you will usually pay a lower price for the horse.

This should not be your sole motivator for taking this route.

Auction horses can often have undisclosed medical issues or be in poor body condition, both of which require a lot of time and money to be invested in them to bring them up to their full potential. 

Another con to buying this way is that you do not always know exactly what you are buying.

You get to evaluate the horse for a very short time and sometimes are not even able to personally have a hand on the horse until after you have already purchased them.

These same things could be said for someone looking to buy a horse from a kill pen as well.

The only difference I would say would be you are going to pay more for the horse from the kill pen then you would have had you bought it from an auction. 

I will say that buying from an auction or kill pen and rehabbing a horse yourself can be so rewarding.

While it is a rewarding process, I would not recommend this as the route that should be taken for anyone lacking experience with horses. 

Adopting From A Rescue

When adopting from a rescue, the first thing you should do is look into the rescue you are looking at.

Check out reviews, ask around, make sure they are credible and professional. 

Oftentimes, the horses at rescues have come from auctions.

The pro to adopting from a rescue is that the rehabilitation process has already been completed for you and the horse has been evaluated.

This makes it so that you should have a good idea on the horse that you are adopting and what to expect. 

Because the horses are in better condition, you are typically going to pay an adoption fee that is higher than you would have paid at an auction.

As I said above, the rehabilitation process involves a lot of time and money being invested into the horse.

Another benefit to adopting, is that you are supporting an organization with a great cause and enabling them to continue to rescue more horses.

By adopting, you are freeing up space within the rescue to allow them to bring in more horses that need their help.

Most horses that are adopted out are usually under some sort of contract, these can vary from rescue to rescue. 

Adoption usually has a lot less risk to it as there is more known about the horse, and rescues are usually very passionate about pairing horses with their perfect rider.

This is a much better suited route for beginners or anyone wanting to start riding as soon as they get the horse home.

Overall, rescuing a horse can be very rewarding.

Whether you decide on adopting, buying from an auction, or bailing from a kill pen, you are giving a horse in need a home. 

If you are in the market for a horse, be sure to check out our post Beginner’s Guide to Buying Your First Horse! 

Have you rescued a horse? Leave us a comment telling about your experience! We love to hear the stories!