# Starting an Equine Rescue Center



## ottbfan (Aug 2, 2010)

My idea for the Pepsi Refresh Project is to start a horse rescue center. The idea has gone through the judges and on to voting. I need every vote that I can get. If you can please take the time and visit the link below, you could help save the lives of many helpless animals.

Please go to vote:
Start Holbrooke Equine Rescue Center (IMPACTED GULF OIL SPILL STATE) | Gulf Pepsi Refresh Everything


visit our temporary website: 
holbrookerescue



Please, take a stand against animal cruelty and do your part by voting. You can vote once everyday, so please remember us while you are on the computer. Somebody has to speak up for the ones with no voice...

Thank you for your time and I hope you support our center. A simple click of the mouse can help save the lives of many...


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

How do you plan to_ continue_ to finance this rescue, if the Pepsi Refresh people give you the start up money?

Do you have a business plan? Have you applied for 501(c)3 status? Have you filled out the appropriate paperwork that needs to be filed with the county, state and Federal governments?

Do you have the proper amount of land and fencing in order to house these animals? What experience do you have in taking care of large, sometimes ill or physically/mentally disabled animals?

We have rescues being shut down every day due to lack of funding, so what makes you think one you start will have a better chance than those already established? 

These are all serious questions, and you need to be able to come up with good answers for them.

Good, reputable rescues are _businesses_, and need to be treated and run as such. Going into it with starry eyes and a desire to help aren't enough. 

You need a viable business plan as well as the funds to continue the work, otherwise the animals you rescue will in turn have to be rescued from you when you find you're overwhelmed and underfunded.


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## ottbfan (Aug 2, 2010)

Speed Racer,
What in the world makes you think that I would ask for funding without thinking things through properly?

Those things have already been taken care of and are not your responsibility to worry about - I simply asked for your vote. Your input is appreciated, but seems a bit on the rude or on the negative side. If those things were not taken care of/planned out, I would not be asking for the funding. 

I realize that centers are shut down everyday. That only increases my drive to open one. And yes, I understand that I will need more funds other than "start-up" funds. That too, has been taken care of.

The 501(3) status has been applied for and all paperwork has been filed. The land has been chosen, and yes, I have extensive experience with horses of all types. Mentally unstable, sick, injured, etc... Once again, I would not be asking for the funding if I had no idea of what was to come of this.

So, thank you for your input, but once again, all is done. The only thing left is the voting. If you can manage to do that in order to support us, it will be greatly appreciated.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

You're incorrect about these things not being my problem.

For anyone concerned for animals, the fact that rescues are being closed _every day_ because of lack of funding, this is indeed everyone's business who has these animals' welfare at heart.

I asked you serious questions, and you chose to take them as 'negativity'. This one small fact tells me more about you than all your starry eyed enthusiasm.

I saw your website, and how you plan to spend the money IF Pepsi deems your idea worthy. You don't even have the facilities to house the animals yet; you're expecting this _grant_ to cover the land/facility purchase. 

Do you _really_ think $150,000 will cover all the land, barn and fencing needs for a herd of 30 to 40 horses? Even in Louisiana, I don't think you can get much more than 5 acres for that kind of money.

Do you know what your county and state regulations are concerning the land and housing requirements for a herd of livestock of that size?

You're 19 y/o. While I admire your passion, you've not convinced me you're the ideal person to start up a rescue in your area, especially since you're not thinking farther than getting the grant in order to purchase and set everything up.

Rescues that actually survive are the ones who have a 5 year business plan, and use their money wisely. However, even the good rescues are hurting for donations. How do you plan to_ continue_ to fund the rescue?

As a charitable entity, your financial records will be open to the public. You need complete transparency in all your dealings, and the fact that you don't want me questioning you does not bode well for you.

I don't donate money or vote for people who aren't willing to give full disclosure. After all, it's MY money and time, not yours.

You also posted this on COTH. If you think_ I'm_ not being nice enough, wait until the COTH folks start asking you questions.


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## ottbfan (Aug 2, 2010)

I do not believe that I am incorrect about these things not being your problem. They are to be dealt with by myself and the other staff members of the center. All I've asked you to do is vote. Once again, everything has been taken care of, so ONCE AGAIN, you should not be worried about it. I understand your position and how you are attempting to explain things to me, but all has been done and there is no need for such. I'm trying to ease your mind by explaining this to you, yet once again you doubt it. I understand that the well-being of the equines is EVERYONE'S concern, but at this point, all I need is votes. If people are truly concerned about the horses, then they should help enable a center that has everything taken care of, planned out, and WILL STRIVE. As I've previously stated, the facilities have been chosen. It has everything that will be needed, ranging from stables, round pens, covered arena, fencing/cross-fencing...etc...
I have educated myself on every possible aspect of the matter, such as state regulations, and ONCE AGAIN, I would not be asking for the funding if things were not properly thought through. 
I may not have convinced you, but that is absolutely fine. I am not going to continue to argue/dispute this matter on this board. I came here to ask for support and votes. If you are still concerned about the issue, or unsure, you (or anyone else for that matter) may feel free to private message me, or even email me. My email address is:

[email protected]


Speed Racer,
I appreciate your concern. Once again, I will _ASK_ you to vote in order to support our center's efforts. If you do not want to, or do not feel comfortable doing so (even though I have thoroughly explained things more than once) then don't vote.

For everyone else:
As I have previously stated, MULTIPLE TIMES, everything that needs to be taken care of, has been taken care of. I would not ask for funding otherwise. Please, take the time and vote. It could help save the lives of many horses. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
Have a blessed day.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

ottbfan said:


> Speed Racer,
> What in the world makes you think that I would ask for funding without thinking things through properly?


If you don't get the start up money from Pepsi - what then?


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## ottbfan (Aug 2, 2010)

Then nothing. I will continue to volunteer for CANTER.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

ottbfan said:


> As I have previously stated, MULTIPLE TIMES, everything that needs to be taken care of, has been taken care of. I would not ask for funding otherwise.


Um, how do we know this with out asking?

Can you give us a link to your business plan? Is there a link to the mission statement of your rescue?

And how do you think it makes people feel that when they ask a VERY basic question they get snarked at?

Rule one of living off other people's money is making the people know that you appreciate them so they can appreciate what their money is doing, not feel like they are being used.

You have obviously missed that little point in the whole concept of being dependent on other people's money.


Saying it is just voting is not really a good selling point either. Why would I want to vote for the monies to go to someone who in the end will not be a good long term place for the monies? If you get this upset about simple questions it just seems likely that you will have a very hard time dealing with the day to day political issues that a good rescue has to muddle their way through.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

ottbfan said:


> Then nothing. I will continue to volunteer for CANTER.


A well known, established rescue. So why not help them raise the funds?


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## Charis (Jul 6, 2010)

*ottbfan,* when you are asking for our votes, you are asking for our confidence in your business plan. If you do indeed win this money from Pepsi to start up, I think all of us want to know that it's going to be more than a starry-eyed dream. You are asking people to vote for you to get money for a plan that involves living, breathing animals whose welfare is going to rest in your hands alone. For us to vote for you, *ottbfan*, we must be confident that you have a plan, and right now I don't believe you have a plan past the Pepsi grant, and so I will not vote for you, not right now. Show me a business plan, show me a plan that convinces me that you're worthy of this grant and I will be more than happy to vote for you. It's great that you want to help out, *ottbfan,* but in order for you to succeed, you must be openminded and be willing to show people that you're worth their money.


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

I agree with the above postings and also would not vote for something on a whim. Thanks for asking the hard questions, SR


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Thanks, frank. 

Sometimes asking such questions makes people angry at me, but they need to be asked.

I don't go voting for people who _say_ they have a plan, and yet refuse to share it. Trust me, I'm not trying to steal the idea. I have enough on my plate already with my own job, farmette, and animals.

The fact of the matter is that these are tough economic times, and people don't want to chance their hard earned money on a new rescue, especially one that doesn't even have the facility yet to house any animals. That in and of itself leaves me completely gobsmacked. NO facility, and yet she thinks somehow everything is going to pull together and fall magically in place?

It's a nice dream, really it is. But the harsh reality is even well established, reputable rescues with years of experience are going down the tubes because donations are down. What makes the OP think her plan is going to succeed when more experienced rescuers are having to shut their doors?

Asking for her business plan and mission statement is _smart_, not intrusive. It's the public's money, _not_ the rescue's. People have every right to know how each penny is spent, and on what.

Someone wants me to throw my support and money behind them, but they feel that me asking legitimate questions, that I've asked of _every_ charity to which I've ever donated, is being rude and negative? No, I don't think so.

I'm always concerned about the continued success of rescues, shelters, and fosters, because ultimately it's the animals who suffer if they go belly up.

Yes, it's a nice, sweet, caring idea. But it's neither realistic nor very farsighted of the OP to believe that everything will take care of itself, if she just gets the money from Pepsi. 

$250,000 _sounds_ like a lot of money but it won't go very far, especially when we're talking about the ongoing care and feeding of a group of very large animals, some of whom are ill or disabled.


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

No joke. Especially since most horses coming into rescues aren't the 'Just Add Groceries' types. Most need special care. Quite a few of them will never be rideable again. Those horses usually stay the longest if not forever. 

One horse on long term meds that isn't sound will eat up atleast a couple grand a year. 

The rescue that I keep my horse at has been forced to turn horses away. We just dont have the money. The last full house of rescues we had took almost 20 months to find them all homes. One mare was better than pasture sound but certainly was never going to be able to tolerate hard work. The other was dumped on us (tied to our mailbox)...well trained and pretty (if you like appys lol) but it turns out she had COPD. We had one put down because of severe behavior issues. One cost a fortune to get her feet back in shape. 

All told we had 10 total rescues at one time. 1 was put down 3 months after he came. 2 were easy cases who did just need groceries. The other 7 had issues. Where they were training issues or medical, it all costs money. 

We have 2 rescues now and they are coming along nicely. We have no intention on adopting them out though...there are no buyers.


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## ottbfan (Aug 2, 2010)

I've neither missed a concept nor become upset at all. I completely understand why people would want to ask questions and I do not blame them. I would do so myself. It's an intelligent thing to do and it shows that people do have common sense and business sense. I have no problem answering questions.

If, for any reason, you have missed the fact that "everything has been taken care of", I will start from the beginning.

Once submitted, every idea has to pass through a panel of judges. If approved, it then goes on to the voting stages. However, before even being allowed to be sent to the judges, each person that is applying for a grant must present a business plan, 501(c)3 status must have been applied for, state regulations must be met, etc. Resumes for every individual must be filed as well. I've hired a lawyer to guide me through these and many other steps. If voted for, before receiving any kind of funding, the individual must meet with the Pepsi CO. lawyers and discuss the terms in further details. If you receive a Grant, you will need to sign a Grant Agreement and agree to certain terms and conditions for implementing your project and reporting back your project progress and grant expenditures. You will also be asked to provide certain financial and legal documentation as outlined in the Grant Agreement.

I do not know how else to explain it other than I would not be asking for the funding if things were not completed properly and fully understood. I have puts months of research, work, planning, and personal money, into this. If you feel comfortable voting for the center, then thank you and God Bless. If not, then so be it. Thank you for your time either way.


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## nrhareiner (Jan 11, 2009)

To me being taken care of is not enough. Same with it has been judged and is all good. To me that is not enough when it comes to money and voting for anything.

You are correct you do not have to share that with the people asking but then in turn do not need to vote for you as there are many others to vote for.

Also what about when the money is gone? Do you have a plane set to keep the rescue going? Where is the rest of the money coming from?? What ever they give you and if you have to buy land and build or repair facilities that money will not last long. I know what it cost to build my place.

From what I have seen here and read I would keep looking to cast my vote. That is just me though and I can not speak for others.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

ottbfan said:


> "everything has been taken care of"


I think being young and naive has led you to believe that you saying this actually means something to others.

You do realize that 'everything is taken care of' is what a crack addict mother says to Child protection services when they come and find no food in the house for the kids who have not had a bath in weeks.

Your idea of 'everything is taken care of' might not be the same as the rest of the worlds idea of everything is taken care of.

If you have a business plan why not share it?


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## Icyred (Mar 31, 2009)

I voted for you. 

I understand that these questions they are asking are important, but I also believe that pepsi wouldn't approve a possible plan like this without sufficient evidence and planning that it would continue past building. After all it is THEIR money, why would they approve something and give that money away all for it to fail? To me that wouldn't make any sense. Pepsi wants to help people and this planet, and having their projects fail wouldn't help that cause for them whatsoever. At least that is how I figure it.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Icy, for Pepsi it's a tax write off, so if the organization they give the money to fails, it's no skin off their nose. 

It's easy enough for their PR department to say it wasn't Pepsi's fault if the people the money went to didn't know how to use it wisely.

It's also a marketing strategy for Pepsi. They give out $250,000 and get millions in _free_ advertising as well as the good will of consumers, which is what they're really aiming for; those consumer dollars.

Huge companies like Pepsi are rarely philanthropic without getting something in return, usually much more than the money they're giving away. $250,000 is a drop in the bucket to a corporation as large as they are.

It's an absolutely brilliant marketing strategy, but don't be fooled. Pepsi's doing this more for themselves than anyone else.


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