Hello!
We are so glad you’re considering adoption.
Sometimes folks ask what defines a beginner rider, and for us, if you’ve ridden just now and again with friends, on vacation, on guided rides and haven’t owned a horse independently, you’re in this category. However, if you’ve taken lessons for a year or two, sometimes, this is still applicable to your skill level, depending on how often you have taken the lessons and whether you’ve continued to ride more complex horses and been taught ground work and horse care.
Or maybe you have ridden and have some horse experience, but perhaps you haven’t had horses in so many years, you aren’t able to provide things such an equine vet references when you are looking to apply.
This program here can work for you!
One biggest goal is a good match between adopter and horse.
Being fair to the horses, the truth is beginner horses are rare, and unfortunately, if mishandled through lack of skill and understanding, even beginner horses can become very dangerous.
When horse ownership goes wrong, it is always the result of a person who did not have enough education and skill to work with their horse, unfortunately. We do not want to see adoptions fail, so we work hard to make sure people know all they need to ahead of time.
This is why, if anyone has limited experience, they are taking lessons and plan to continue with lessons even upon adoption/purchase. This sets someone up for success with their new horse.
We recommend making sure you’re learning about horse care, in general, not only how to properly ride, as horses have a long list of considerations in regards to good care.
Horses are extremely expensive, so while lessons and a trainer may seem costly, the truth is they will save you time and money and keep you and your horse safe.
To adopt, we typically require a history of lessons if you’re a new owner, as we want to make sure an adoption is successful.
The most ideal situation for new horse owners would be to take lessons in a boarding barn where you can board and continue to learn, initially, though many people end up preferring the education and camaraderie they find in nice facilities and do so for the long term.
Typically, if you are taking lessons and plan to board, adoption approval is easy as long as the boarding facility meets our requirements. Email us at equinerescue@live.com before applying, so we can walk you through the NEW TO Horse ownership process.
If you have a great network of horsemen / horsewomen as resources to help you and involved in clinics, working with a trainer and/or take lessons, and you find the RIGHT horse, sometimes a horse coming directly to your farm can work, but we’ve just found that the best set up is a support system.
We can and do adopt to many beginners that are willing to work on a foundation.
To read some of our blogs about new horse owners, beginner horses and training, click here
