Horse Rescue of a Different Color

March 4, 2008

BEDMINSTER, N.J. - Prior to last year’s horse slaughter ban, more than 100,000 horses were butchered for their meat annually. With the practice outlawed, an unconfirmed number of horses with nowhere to go is rising.

An organization that prides itself on rescuing those animals is owned by Ellen Cathryn Nash. Manes & Tails is her outreach group that takes in horses without homes.

“I always wanted a pony,” Nash said. “That was on my Christmas list every year and the pony never came. Santa never brought me my pony so I got my own when I was 35.”

At 47 years-young, Nash has rescued 11 horses.

“There are a lot of horses out there to be rescued and every time I take a call, if I can take the horse I will. But if I can’t, I will find someone who can,” she explained.

“They need places like this out there,” said horse advocate Katie Schmidt. “Without this there is no other option, especially with race horses.”

Nash rescues and rehabilitates some of the most common equine breeds, including Thoroughbreds and Quarter horses that are victims of abuse, neglect or both.

“I love horses and I’m so protective of my animals that I don’t sell them, I don’t adopt them,” she said.

Nash ‘free leases’ her horses, technically remanding ownership for the rest of the animals’ life. She said that if she doesn’t like the way an animal is being treated, she can recall it.

Although that’s never happened, she said it provides her comfort, because if a person who free leases one of her horses can no longer afford to pay for upkeep, she can take the animal back.

But before an animal can be leased, it has to undergo retraining as well as medical check-ups, all of which Nash pays for out-of-pocket. When someone takes responsibility of a horse, they take over the all the associated fees, too.

Nash has cared for one horse that was the offspring of the famous racing Quarter horse “Dash for Cash” that has since been free leased. She also cared for that horse’s mother, which is now working as a brood mare, watching over younger horses.

“That was her job and she was happy,” Nash said of the mare.

She has also rescued and re-homed offspring of Kentucky Derby winners Secretariat and Seattle Slew.

“Horses are not livestock,” said Nash. “They are companion animals, they are work animals. Horses are different from any other creature on earth; they can do so many things other animals cannot do.”

“Manes and Tails helps retrain these horses and gives them another job besides being just a race horse,” said Schmidt. They need places like this out there. Without this, there isn’t another option, especially for race horses.”

To learn more about Manes & Tails, go to manesandtailsorganization.org

If you’d like to comment and see what others have to say, go to the news section of zootoo.com. Send us story ideas by emailing or calling us.