Horse Donations
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Horses are the lifeblood of our industry. Without great horses, our programing would fall apart. Because of their important role, we are very selective in determining which horses are accepted. If you are considering donating your horse, please read through the following information.
What do we look for?
Age: The ideal age range of a therapy horse for our program would be 10 – 20 years old.
Height: At this time, we are not accepting horses over 16 hands.
Soundness: Our horses must be sound. In addition to being essential in the mechanical aspects of the therapy for our clients, sound horses are usable and more likely to be happy with their jobs. Being a nonprofit, Cheff cannot afford to spend excessive amounts of money on corrective shoeing, injections, and other modes of pain control and structural maintenance.
Personality: It takes a very special horse to be a therapy horse. These horses are tolerant of their environment and of their riders. They enjoy attention, have great ground manners, and are able to handle having people on all sides of them while being ridden. Because our clients actions are not 100% predictable, great therapy horses tolerate the occasional shout or spastic movement. These horses are by nature, very quiet and forgiving.
What is a therapy horse’s life like at Cheff?
Cheff horses work hard and play hard! Most horses are used at least once a day year round in classes which involve lots of walking and minimal trotting. They are constantly receiving love and attention from students and volunteers. Each horse spends time in their stalls and time outside in the field with their friends. They get routine veterinary care including worming, shots, dental work, and chiropractic care and are also seen consistently by the farrier. Our horses also receive special attention from an elite group of volunteers that comprise the “equine management team.” These individuals spend extra time with the horses stretching them, taking them on trail rides, and giving them an opportunity to do some more trotting and cantering.
If you feel your horse is a great candidate for this program…
Please fill out our horse donation form.
