Register now for the 2024 Homes for Horses Coalition Conference!
Register now!
WHEN: October 16-18, 2026 • WHERE: Westin Denver Downtown, Denver, Colorado
The Homes for Horses Coalition is a national network of equine rescues and sanctuaries with over 500 members representing equine welfare in 48 states and multiple countries. Led by the Animal Welfare Institute and American Wild Horse Conservation, our conference brings together equine welfare professionals to learn new skills and strategies to find homes for horses, keep horses in homes, engage and educate communities, and better their organizations.
This year, we will come together in Denver, Colorado, to elevate equine welfare and consider how we can all support higher standards for horses. Follow the Facebook event for updates!
Conference Schedule
Meet at the Westin Denver Downtown and hop on the provided shuttle to Colorado Horse Rescue for a day of hands-on learning.
| Bus Pickup at the Westin Denver Downtown 9:00 AM On Site Day at Colorado Horse Rescue 10:00 – 3:00 PM Bus Dropoff at Westin Denver Downtown 4:00 PM Movie Night: Throwaway Horses 7:00 – 9:00 PM |
Enjoy breakfast among your colleagues before settling into a full day of engaging topics. Learn about managing your nonprofit, the latest in equine neuroscience, advocating for equines, and more! Stick around for the welcome reception to get connected with equine welfare professionals around the nation.
| Registration and Breakfast 8:00 – 9:00 AM |
| Welcome 9:00 – 10:00 AM |
| From Survival to Safety: What Neuroscience Teaches Us About Equine Welfare, Recovery, and Trust Dr. Stephen Peters, Psy.D., ABN, Equine Neuroscientist 10:00 – 11:00 AM |
| No Wrong Answers: Navigating Ethical Tension in Equine Rescue Tiffany Ring, Founder of Gentle Spirit Horses Rescue 11:05 – 12:00 PM |
| Lunch 12:00 – 1:00 PM |
| The Unwritten Contract: Building Social License in Equine Rescue Rebecca Husted, Professional Emergency Response Educator 1:00 – 1:50 PM |
| The Mission Beyond the Moment: Succession Planning for Nonprofits Sarah Gaines, Director, BoardWalk Consulting 1:55 – 2:45 PM |
| Uncovering the Truth of the Slaughter Pipeline Chelsea Perez, Senior Program Manager for Equine Protection at Humane World for Animals 2:45 – 3:00 PM |
| Break and Refreshments 3:00 – 3:30 PM |
| Preventing and Addressing Equine Cruelty and Neglect: Lessons Learned from Research and the Field Dr. Rebecca (Becky) Niemiec, Associate Professor in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department at Colorado State University 3:30 – 4:15 PM |
| Beyond Roundups: A Blueprint for Wild Horse Reform Scott Beckstead, Government Relations & Policy Director for American Wild Horse Conservation 4:20 – 5:00 PM |
| From Congress to the Courts: Equine Advocacy Updates Joanna Grossman, Equine Program Director at the Animal Welfare Institute Chelsea Perez, Senior Program Manager for Equine Protection, Humane World for Animals 5:00 – 5:30 PM |
| Reception 6:30 – 8:00 PM |
Discuss your new ideas over a provided breakfast and spend the morning learning about a range of topics from experienced panelists. After saying your goodbyes, travel home with new ideas and new connections.
| Registration and Breakfast 8:00 – 9:00 AM |
| Financial Transparency Builds Donor Trust & Increases Giving Prash Kothari, Founder and President of Non-Profit Books 9:00 – 9:45 AM |
| The Future of Equine Placement: Community-Based Models That Work Kathleen Bobbio, Founding Director, Virginia Partnership for Horses Tina Cormier, Head of Equine Programs and Training, Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals Brittney Vallot, Owner Assistance Manager, Days End Farm Horse Rescue 9:50 – 11:00 AM |
| Break and Refreshments 11:00 – 11:30 AM |
| Better Beginnings: The Lifelong Impact of Weaning Practices Ann Hepworth, Senior Trainer and Adoption Coordinator, Best Friends Animal Society 11:30 – 12:10 PM |
| Navigating Interest in Horses in Human Services (EAS): Guidelines and Logistics for Rescues and Sanctuaries Nina Ekholm Fry, Director of Equine Programs at University of Denver’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection 12:15 – 1:00 PM |
Speakers
Head of Equine Programs and Training, Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals
Director of Equine Programs at University of Denver’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection
Associate Professor in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department at Colorado State University
Oversight Team
Sponsors
Looking Back on HHC 2024…
I’ve been to a lot of conferences, and this one was one of my favorites-informative, authentic, and fun!
Very well done, this was my first time attending and it was awesome.
Thoroughly enjoyed it and found the presentations valuable.
[My favorite part was] the chance to see other rescues, compare stories, learn we aren’t alone
So many wonderful folks from across the nation striving to improve equine welfare gathered in one spot
[We are] so grateful for the opportunity to be here and experience this amazing conference this year.
