b'ACROSStheFENCE RACHEL ELLIOTT, DVMTheHorse.com/Across-The-FenceThe Sustainable Rescue ModelT here are a lot of rescues out there. Most have at their core a deep love for animals and a desire to help those animals be happy, safe, and healthy. This is a difficult type of desire, and sometimes the end result isnt a positive one. The rescue starts out saving large numbers of animals, it receives a lot of good press, people are happy. Then the inevitable happens: Donations slow, inter-est wanes, and maybe someone is disap-pointed with an animal he or she adopted and took into their lives. The rescue fades away and the animals it hoped to save are left to their fates.COURTESY COPPER HORSE CRUSADECopper Horse CrusadeCHC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofitin Cambridge, Ohio, and founder Julie Copper have been work-ing to rehome horses found at auction, bound for slaughter, for nearly 20 years. Why is this organization able to keep go-ing when others have faltered? Sustainability is one answer. The teamJulie Copper (pictured), founder of Copper Horse Crusade, has been working to rehome slaughter-bound horses found at auction for nearly 20 years.adds up all the factors when deciding whether to help a horse. Feed costs, vet costs, training and riding costs, as wellout of there. Donations occasionally al- How does this happen? Time invested as space for boarding are all importantlow a horse that wouldnt otherwise beby the team at CHC, reliable farriers and considerations. The goal is to find sane,chosen to end up at CHC. This can be aveterinary dentists, and donations from sound, serviceable horses they can placebittersweet gift, though; sometimes thosepeople who cant help in person. All this in the most reasonable amount of time.horses are very ill and require specialsupports CHC taking a horse that buyers This is why some horses do not getcare that takes money away from othermight not look twice at and turning it selected by CHC from auction; they arehorses, or sometimes they just cannot beinto the perfect mount for someone.so lame they wont ever be sound, theyrehomed safely. It is all too easy to look atAnd it has been working. Thus far in are too wild to train safely, or they are soa beautiful horse and want to help him,2018 CHC has bought 84 horses at auc-ill they will never be well. These are deci- but who helps him after purchase at thetion or directly from feedlots and movedsions that weigh heavily on the CHC staff.auction? them on to their new lives. New owners Not every horse will get a happy ending.Resource management is another keymust pay a fee to acquire a horse, but Yet, this is one reason CHC is able toto CHCs success. Each horse gets evalu- this fee goes to support CHCs work anddo what it does. Discernment is just asated for basic health and lameness upondedication in feeding the horse, treating important as the emotional pull of thearrival. Then the staff works with andhim if necessary, training and riding him,horses at the kill auction. The staff evalu- rides every horse for a minimum of 30and making sure he is ready to rehome.ates horses at the sale barn, rides themdays to ensure they can match that horseCopper Horse Crusade has made a in the alleyways, and handles them inwith the type of rider that will suit it best.difference in many lives, both human the pens. If a horse meets CHCs criteria,Each horse gets veterinary (includingand equine. Consider looking at horses the organization pays the horses fee todental) and farrier care; training; andsustainable organizations such as CHC the kill buyer and gives him a safe ridemore to help it reach its true potential.have to offer. hThis opinion column is for topics of importance to the horse industry. If there is a topic you want covered, or if youd like to submit an article for possible inclusion,contact Stephanie L. Church, Editor-in-Chief, The Horse Media Group LLC, Beaumont Centre Circle, Suite 100, Lexington, KY 40513; schurch@TheHorse.com. Articles contained therein are not representative of opinions held by either The Horse or the American Association of Equine Practitioners.74November 2018The Horse | TheHorse.com'