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Days End Farm Horse Rescue
About Us

Days End Farm Horse Rescue (DEFHR) is a nationally renowned, benchmark 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to rehabilitating neglected horses and educating the community on equine welfare and advocacy.

The Past

Established in 1989 by Kathleen Schwartz Howe and husband Allan Schwartz, DEFHR began with Kathy’s own journey rehabilitating an abandoned buckskin gelding named Toby. Through community support of friends and equine professionals, Kathy nursed Toby back to health and inspired a collective idea that equine welfare was a community’s responsibility to both aid and prevent.

DEFHR has since evolved from a small nonprofit to a full-​scale rescue and rehabilitation facility that shelters an average of 130 equines a year, all funneled through animal protection authorities across Maryland and surrounding states. DEFHR is a national leader in equine rehabilitation practices and equine cruelty education.

The Present

Our mission is to ensure quality care and treatment of horses through: 

Intervention

Following rescue procedures in support of local and national animal protection authorities, DEFHR facilitates and oversees the entire rehabilitation process of seized neglected, abused, and abandoned horses. Each horse receives individualized and meticulous monitoring, evaluation, and care, which is recorded, studied, and used as documented evidence in court cases. Horses are then given extensive natural horsemanship training and adopted as either riding partners or companions.

Education

DEFHR welcomes horse lovers of all ages and experiences to be part of the solution and become an equine advocate. We believe prevention begins with education and offer a wide array of educational opportunities and programs including:

  • Volunteer opportunities
  • Onsite internships
  • Youth camps
  • Scout days
  • Homeschool education series
  • Field trips
  • Daily farm tours
  • Basic horse care classes
  • Volunteer opportunities
  • Equine cruelty investigation series
  • Large animal rescue training

Outreach

From public appearances to benefit events to presentations at schools and industry expos, DEFHR cultivates relationships with the community to create awareness and foster conversation about the important issues of equine abuse and neglect, including how to prevent and report suspected cases.

The Future

We are reimagining the future of equine welfare as a culture of humane care and compassion for all equines. Every horse deserves kindness, and it’s our responsibility as a community of horse advocates to give voice to those who cannot speak for themselves.

Kindness is an action, compassion is a solution, and change is on the horizon at Days End.

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