Days End Farm Horse Rescue

Sarah K. andrewS A Days End intern with Remington, an off-the-track Thoroughbred who has been a fan favorite at the farm due to his kind temperament. Credit: Sarah K. Andrews

Services: Sanctuary, Rehabilitation, Adoption

Location: Woodbine, MD

Founded: 1989

Website: defhr.org

Social:

Average Number of Thoroughbreds: 10

Days End Farm Horse Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization founded in 1989 to ensure quality care and treatment of horses through intervention, education, and outreach.

Days End is an all-breed rescue, supporting animal-protection authorities in rescuing horses in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and surrounding areas. Many of its intakes have been off-the-track Thoroughbreds.

It is a unique facility on the East Coast in that it accepts only horses that animal-protection officers have determined to be abused or neglected. It assists in collecting evidence and preparing documentation so that organization representatives can testify in court on behalf of the horses, and Days End is an expert in rehabilitating critically ill animals, training, and seeking second-chance homes for them.

Because education is vital to preventing animal abuse, educating animal enthusiasts and the general public is at the heart of the Days End mission. It offers many educational programs at the farm and off-site while working with community- based groups such as schools, camps, scouts, and churches to educate on standards of equine care, horse psychology, and more. It also supports the training of animal-protection authorities and law enforcers in large-animal rescue techniques and equine-cruelty investigation.

When needed, Days End deploys its resources across the country and even internationally to lend assistance with emergency post-disaster management and herd rescues.

The organization is proud to be a Horse Discovery Center certified by the Maryland Horse Industry Board. As such, it welcomes visitors to its Howard County facilities. This provides an opportunity for people who may otherwise never interact with horses to visit a farm, see horses up close, and learn about healthy farm management and horse husbandry.

Days End particularly focuses on reaching young people so that they gain an appreciation and sense of compassion for animals at an early age.