Thousands of horses are placed with rescue agencies every year. Some of those are removed by law enforcement from neglectful owners, while others are surrendered by owners who either can’t provide for or don’t know how to care for their animals. Some rescue operators say that while best owner intentions are not always enough to prevent horses getting into less-than-ideal situations, there are things that even novice horse owners can do to prevent their animals from needing rescue in the first place.

As president of Habitat For Horses, a rescue organization Hitchcock, Texas, Jerry Finch has rescued horses from all sorts of situations. He believes good horse keeping begins when owners recognize when their animals need farrier, dental, and veterinary care. Successful owners also ask for help when or even before they need it, he said.

“A good 50% of the cases that come through our gates could have been avoided if the owner had simply said, ‘I don’t know how to properly feed or deworm or vaccinate my horse. Can you help me?’ ” Finch said. “Every rescue I know would welcome phone calls saying, ‘I want to keep my horse, but I need some advice.’ “

And if asking the questions is critical, getting quality answers is equally important, Finch said