Horse Donations

What makes a great therapy horse?
Though it may not seem demanding, it is a mentally and physically challenging job for many of our equine friends. A great therapy horse is sound at the walk, trot and canter, with three rhythmic and balanced gaits. The quality of the horse’s movement is what most benefits the participant. The horse should be obedient to both voice and leg signals, quiet and well-mannered on the ground and accepting of assistive devices and equipment. The horse must work easily in hand, and tolerate one or two people walking and trotting beside it.    We perfer horses who are 18 years old or younger and under 16.2 hands tall. 

What is life like for a High Hopes Horse?
Our horses typically serve two participants per day, five or six days per week. They receive routine farrier care, vaccinations, regular deworming and dental care. Occasionally we are also able to offer complementary therapies such as chiropractic, acupuncture, massage and trigger-point myotherapy. We are fortunately able to have our 27 horses turned out 24 hours per day in small herds at our 120-acre facility, where they always have shelter available in three-sided sheds. Daily care and feeding are provided by the barn staff and a dedicated group of volunteers.

The horse trial process is as follows:

• The owner provides High Hopes with a video of the horse being tacked and ridden at all three gaits.
• If the horse seems appropriate, a High Hopes staff member will visit the horse and make a video of the ride to share with other staff.
• If the horse suits our current program needs and space at the facility allows, the horse will come to High Hopes for a trial of 45-90 days.
• During the trial, the horse will be schooled by staff and trained volunteers. We will evaluate its temperament, soundness and ability to participate in the program in a manner that is safe and comfortable for the horse and our participants, volunteers and staff.