Days End Farm Horse Rescue (DEFHR) staff, volunteers, and Board of Directors are saddened to learn of the passing of Kathy Schwartz-Howe, the organization’s 24-year-old co-founder and chief executive officer. year. Schwartz-Howe, 71, of Woodbine, Maryland, passed away on March 6, 2023 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
By many accounts, Schwartz-Howe was a pioneer in the world of horse rescue, but it was by chance that Schwartz-Howe founded a horse rescue organization. In 1989, Schwartz-Howe and her then-husband Allan Schwartz discovered the acquisition and rehabilitation of a malnourished gelding named Toby. The process – from acquisition to rehabilitation – demonstrated to Schwartz-Howe that the State of Maryland did not have the facilities to assist law enforcement with Toby’s predicament or to provide resources. resources for owners in need, and it ignited a passion in the Schwartzes that led them to purchase a small farm and provide intervention and rehabilitation services for horses.
Statistical challenge that 70% of horse rescues fail within the first three years, the organization that started as an effort of love has grown into a small nonprofit that now, 34 years later , a successful 501(c)3 equine welfare facility that shelters up to 150 horses per year and has saved more than 3,000 horses to date.
While Toby’s success story set the stage for a lifelong mission of horse rescue and community education, Schwartz-Howe managed to get through much of Toby’s rehabilitation and the legal system. Maryland law. As a result, she has relied on local experts, welfare experts and veterinarians to provide vital knowledge on the care of horses recovering from abandonment as well as detailed information. details of the legal system related to the intervention.
One such animal welfare expert is Carolyn “Nicky” Ratliff, currently a member of the DEFHR Advisory Board. Ratliff met Schwartz-Howe in 1991 when DEFHR was still in its infancy. At the time, Ratliff was the CEO of the Humane Society of Carroll County Inc. and is the President of PAWS, Inc., the state association of animal control agencies and humanitarian organizations. Recognizing Schwartz-Howe’s passion and sensibility, Ratliff suggested that DEFHR join PAWS, Inc. in an effort to assist Maryland animal control officials. As a result, the State of Maryland will handle equine intervention and seizure as well as manage the legal process related to neglect and abuse cases, while Schwartz-Howe and her husband will rehabilitate and keep the horses at DEFHR until their legal cases are resolved. resolved and they have been removed to be adopted by the new owner.
Become a pioneer
Schwartzes agreed to join PAWS, Inc., and it became an important turning point in the evolution of DEFHR’s mission. Schwartz-Howe was immersed in equine research and information, so Schwartzes began educating state regulators and animal control officers about horses in need. At the time, DEFHR was the only organization in Maryland that worked with animal control officials to assist with equine investigations.
“Kathy [Schwartz-Howe] “She did an unbelievable job educating herself about horses, horse health and how to run a nonprofit,” Ratliff said.
Ratliff continued: “Before Kathy, most animal control officers didn’t know the pony’s head and tail.
Long before the advent of the Internet, Schwartz-Howe had become a rich repository of knowledge at a time when little was known about horse cruelty and abuse. Realizing the gap in her knowledge, she developed a comprehensive pamphlet to assist those interested in getting started with horse rescue.
While this booklet is valuable to locals interested in the equine welfare space, Schwartz-Howe’s expertise also has a broader positive impact. Most notably, she was instrumental in developing the current Minimum Standards of Care for Horses under Maryland state law. While not a law in itself, the Minimum Standards of Care are guidelines for the care of horses that help educate law enforcement officers, juries, and horse owners — many of them unfamiliar with horse breeding best practices — interpreting and/or applying cruelty to animals laws and ultimately prosecuting individuals who mistreat their horses. The prosecution of these individuals is vital to our mission to end horse neglect and mistreatment. In addition to giving horses in a particular case a second chance at life, it also raises public awareness of what abuse looks like and how to get support if they witness it. a horse in a dire situation.
Ratliff recalls: “Kathy’s role in creating the Minimum Standard of Care inspired DEFHR staff, volunteers and even animal control staff. “It gave them purpose.”
Ratliff has witnessed the development of DEFHR for over 30 years and notes that Schwartz-Howe’s determination to innovate the approach to equine welfare is what has laid the foundation for DEFHR’s current priorities.
“Kathy is the originator and the star of the north [for shaping DEFHR into the organization it is today],” she speaks.
A re-imagined future for equine welfare
Although Schwartz-Howe handed over leadership to Erin Clemm Ochoa in 2013, her mission comes alive every day thanks to DEFHR’s unparalleled ability to provide communities and enforcement agencies with equine access legislation and hands-on education programs.
Ochoa, CEO of DEFHR said: “Kathy is on a mission to make horses accessible to the community. “Her goals have extended beyond DEFHR. She wants to make the equine industry a place where anyone can learn and get hands-on experience with horses. Every day, DEFHR strives to respect horses.” honors fulfilling that vision and expanding her legacy by continuing to reimagine the future of equine welfare.”
Today, thanks to Schwartz-Howe’s unending dedication to an ambitious vision, DEFHR is a comprehensive rescue and rehabilitation organization that has become a national leader in rehabilitation activities. for horses and education about horse abuse. As recently as February 2022, DEFHR doubled down on its promise to expand
Schwartz-Howe’s legacy through the adoption of the Maryland Equine Transit Service (METS), a Maryland-based equine safety net initiative for horses in need of transition, from Maryland Horse Council (MHC) Foundation.
The Schwartz-Howe mission is performed daily at the DEFHR. The organization remains committed to creating a culture of humane care and compassion for all equine species in an effort to end the vicious cycle of neglect and abuse. The facility welcomes equine lovers of all ages to join the solution by helping them become equine advocates through extensive hands-on education programs that include volunteering opportunities, internships, youth camps. years, daily farm visits, etc.
Schwartz-Howe has had a lasting impact on the welfare of horses. Her legacy will live on through the community of like-minded horse advocates and among every horse a second chance at life and a brighter future.
This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If you have any questions, please contact the organization that produced the release.
