Central Virginia Horse Rescue, Inc is a 501(c)3 small rescue founded in south central Virginia and dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of needy horses. In 2020, the Horse Adoption Central moved to Fredericksburg, VA. The rescue serves the state of Virginia.
Mission:
Central Virginia Horse Rescue, Inc (CVHR) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the compassionate care of equines. Our mission is to save, protect, and rehabilitate equines in need. We rescue unwanted, abused, neglected, or abandoned equines; provide them with care and rehabilitation; and finally find them a compatible, loving home. We believe that education is the long-term solution to improving the lives of equines.
Goals
- To educate horse-owners and the public about proper equine care, and the problems of neglect, abuse, and slaughter.
- To rescue equines from neglectful and abusive situations by educating owners, helping to place at-risk equines and ultimately working within the bounds of the law to remove equines from their owner’s care when deemed necessary.
- To provide gelding for unwanted stallions until they can be placed in an adoptive home.
- To rehabilitate sick, injured and underweight equines and restore them to a state of health
- To end the suffering of those equines which cannot be rehabilitated by means of humane euthanasia.
- To find all equines that come under the care of CVHR a compatible, loving home.
Programs
Equine Rescue
Our primary goal is to rescue abused, neglected, starving and unwanted horses whether those horses come in from owner surrenders, animal control cases or auctions. These horses will receive the food, training and veterinary care needed to facilitate their recovery. Once the horses have regained their health they are made evaluated and made available for adoption to approved homes.
The economic situation has meant that there are more horses being sold and fewer people buying them. This has made it almost impossible to find homes for horses that are in danger. These horses are being abandoned, given away or sold at auction. CVHR will provide a temporary home for these horses until a safe and loving adoptive home can be found.
Gelding Fund
Many horses are unwanted simply because they are a stallion. At best, a well trained stallion has to be kept separate from the general horse population. At worst, they are unruly and hard to handle. They need experienced handlers and trainers.
Currently an untrained mare or gelding, sells for an average of under $200 and gelding a stallion costs between $500 – $1500. Simple economics tell you that if you are in the market for a horse, you are going to look for a mare or gelding before you even consider a stallion.
Many people are faced with euthanizing their horse simply because they cannot afford to have it gelded and no one will take it (even free) because it is a stallion. Many others will just turn the stallion out with their mares and the result will be more unwanted horses.
CVHR will work with stallion owners to have the stallion gelded and then to find it a compatible home. If necessary, CVHR will accept the stallion for gelding, evaluation, training and re-homing.
Outreach
Youth
CVHR will be working with youth through local 4-H clubs and scout programs. We also hope to organize a young rescuer’s club on site. We will have volunteers available to speak on horse care and rescue for any civic organizations. We also hope to work with animal control on educating owners of at risk horses on proper care and feeding.
Public Education
CVHR will be setting up a booth at local horse events and fairs. Brochures and material on proper horse care will be made available to the general public. We also hope to have horse health clinics with demonstrations of dental exams, microchipping, coggins testing, etc.
Veterinary Care provided by:
Olde Towne Equine
540-239-3122
Feed Stores
Orange Madison Coop
13323 James Madison Hwy
Orange, VA 22960
(540) 672-2977