Horses From Animal Rescues
One of the best places to find a free horse (or a very cheap one) is horse rescue associations. They take on a large number of horses each year but have only so much room (pasture, boxes), money (for food, bedding and other costs) and staff (to muck out and provide general care). Consequently, most of them are very happy to give a horse away to a good home, as this frees up room for other rescue horses and saves money. Usually they will provide a horse for free, although they may ask an administration fee (to help cover a portion of their direct costs).
Aside from getting a horse for free (almost), you are also helping out not only that horse but making room for the association to take on another rescue horse. So, you can save money and know that you are doing a good deed at the same time.
Before they give a horse to a new owner, the association will need assurances that the horse will be well taken care of. You will need to show them that you have the facilities (e.g. stall, pasture) to take care of the horse, or that you will be renting adequate facilities (e.g. at a professional horse boarding business). They will also want to be assured that you have the time, money and commitment to take care of the horse long term.
There may be a number of horses available. Before choosing one, it is advisable to learn as much about it and its background as possible. This will help you identify any potential issues such as health problems or behavioral issues. You should ask about the results of their veterinary examinations of the horse and also the opinions of the staff caring for the horse.
In particular, one should ask why the horse has been taken into care. If it was simply because the owner could no longer keep it (e.g. due to financial difficulties) or lost interest in it (a common situation with horses purchased for young children), then the horse is probably sound. However, if the horse was rescued because it was neglected or abused, then it may have longer term physical or behavioral issues that you need to be aware of. Likewise, if the owner gave up the horse because it was sick or no longer suitable for riding.
Once you have a good understand of the horse’s condition and any possible associated issues, you can decide if the horse meets your requirements. For example, if you want the horse just as a companion, it does not matter if it is old or can no longer be ridden. However, if you want it as a riding horse, you will want one which is physically sound and well trained. It may well be that the association does not have a horse at the moment which meets your needs. In this case, the best course is to assure them that you will provide a good home to the right horse and provide the association with a written description of your requirements and your contact details. Unless your needs are very unusual, it is quite possible that in a few weeks or months the horse you are looking for will show up.
Duber Stewart authored Free Horse and is the owner of Buy a Horse.
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