About
The United States Equine Rescue League.
Founded in 2004, USERL has grown from a single-barn operation into a national network of rescue partners, fosters, and volunteers. Our mission has never changed: rescue, rehabilitate, rehome.
USERL began the way most rescues do — with one person who couldn't look away. Two decades later, we've placed more than 1,240 horses into carefully matched homes, and we've built a permanent sanctuary for the ones who need us for life.
We do not turn horses down for being old, unbroken, or inconvenient. We take them in, we rebuild them, and we find them the person they're meant to be with. And when we can't find that person, they stay with us.
Where the money goes
- Direct horse care78%
- Facilities & operations18%
- Administration & fundraising4%
Board of directors
Dr. Margaret Ellis
President & Founder
Equine veterinarian with 30 years in rescue medicine.
James Whitfield
Treasurer
Retired CFO; oversees financial stewardship and reporting.
Rita Alvarez
Secretary
Nonprofit governance attorney and lifelong horsewoman.
Tom Beckett
Facilities Director
Farm manager and farrier of 25 years.
Transparency
We publish our financials annually. USERL is registered as a 501(c)(3) with the IRS and holds a Candid verification.