About Us
Since opening our doors in 2002, People Helping Horses has successfully rehabilitated and placed 100 horses into new, forever homes.
Horses arrive at our facility from a variety of situations, including county seizures and owner surrenders. In fall of 2008, as the need for our services has grown, and the number of horses we care for have tripled, we implemented a $750 surrender fee to help cover the cost of the horse’s initial intake into our facility. This $750 fee helps to cover the cost of a farrier visit, worming, veterinary checkup (including vaccinations and dental float), along with care for the fist 30-45 days for evaluation.
Horses are considered for our program on a case by case basis. The current economic crisis in the United States and dearth of unwanted horses make this process even more difficult and vital to all involved. We are not, nor have we ever been, a retirement home for horses. Therefore, it is extremely important that we accept horses who have a strong chance of being successfully rehabilitated and placed into homes, thereby making room in the program for new equines in need. This is the responsible tact to take, and as much as we wish that we could accept every unwanted horse, doing so would not serve our mission nor those horses who qualify for the program.
The People Helping Horses program is one that has evolved over several years of experience and from hours of considerate and thoughtful discussion. Through many iterations, one goal surfaced again and again: We must, as an active force in the equine community, stay true to our mission and insure that the horses who are going on to find their forever homes are safe, healthy, and prepared to give 110% to their new owners and in turn, receive the same.
Our desire is to heal the whole horse: mind, body, and spirit. We accomplish this task utilizing both eastern and western medicinal treatments, patient training both on the ground and under saddle, and many hours of building the horse’s trust and confidence through positive human interaction. Only when a horse is deemed healthy and safe for their new home are they considered 'adoptable'.
Horses new to the program
A horse new to the PHH program will meet the following criteria:
Horses will remain in the rehabilitative portion of the PHH program a minimum of 30 days for evaluation, unless determined by our veterinarian that there is pain or injury.
As long as measurable progress is being made, He/She will be allowed to remain in the rehabilitative portion of the program as long as His/Her physical issues demand., including, but not limited to, weight gain purposes, the impending birth of a foal, and healing from an injury.
Once rehabilitated, He/She is given a maximum of 60 day’s ground work to learn manners, patience, and insure that He/She is safe.
Once ground work has been completed, He/She will go into training with one of our PHH trainers for evaluation. He/She will remain in training until such time as they are ready for adoption, up to a maximum of four months. Once deemed ready for adoption, it will be determined (based on organizational financial and resource constraints) whether to leave the horse in active training or move them to maintenance training.
If a horse is not rideable for any reason, He/She may be considered eligible to be adopted as a pasture-pet if they meet the following criteria:
No corrective shoeing is needed to maintain the horse’s comfort and hoof health.
No supplements are needed to maintain the horse’s weight and digestive health.
He/She gets along well with others in the pasture
He/She is an easy keeper on local hay.
He/She is well-mannered on the ground, easy to catch, and stands quietly for the vet and farrier.
A young horse will remain with PHH until He/She is mature enough to be started under saddle.
The decision to humanely euthanize a horse
It is never an easy decision—nor one made lightly—to humanely euthanize a horse. But at PHH, we consider this a necessary part of our job—and one that respectfully considers the horse’s needs and quality of life as well as those of any individual who may come in contact with the equine. The entire PHH Board of Directors is involved in every case that falls into this category as is the trainer assigned to the horse.
A horse is considered not adoptable and will be humanely euthanized:
He/She is not rideable due to chronic and/or successfully treatable soundness or lameness issues.
He/She does not meet the criteria for pasture pet.
He/She is dangerous on the ground or under saddle.
After four months (or equivalent) of training, He/She has issues with trust, consistency under saddle, or other behavioral concerns that would put PHH at a liability risk to adopt them out.
He/She has been here for two years and has not been successfully adopted.
Foster home candidates
When considering all that goes into a foster home situation, PHH must, out of responsibility to our sponsors and donors—as well as the horse community in general--take into account a number of factors as pertain to the horse, including the foster home’s level of horse experience as well as insurance issues that may arise from interacting with the equine.
PHH foster eligible horses will meet the following criteria:
No need for corrective shoeing
No need for supplements.
He/She gets along well with others in the pasture.
He/She is considered an easy keeper—can thrive on local hay.
He/She is well-mannered on the ground, easy to catch, and stands quietly for the vet and farrier.
At the discretion of PHH, considerations may be made at the request of the potential foster home concerning shoeing, supplements, and feed.
People Helping Horses is a locally-based, nationally recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving horse-human relationships through education, rehabilitation, and support to both Horse Owners and Equine Professionals. People Helping Horses sponsors educational events to support the equine community as well as educational events to assist in the continuing education of Equine Professionals. The horses sponsored by People Helping Horses are retired, unwanted, found abandoned, seized by law enforcement, or saved from abuse or neglect by organizations such as the SPCA or Humane Society. Please feel free to contact any of the members or volunteers directly with any questions or concerns regarding the organization.