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Owner assistance programs—sometimes called safety net programs—are aimed at keeping owners with their horses through short periods of unexpected difficulty.
These programs offer assistance in many forms, including feed funds, veterinary services, emergency assistance, gelding,
and end-of-life care. Our resource lists information about safety net programs for horse owners across the United States.
| State | Organization | Hay | Emergency assistance | Foster | Gelding | Euthanasia | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Alaska Equine Rescue | yes | feed, vet, farrier | ||||
| Arizona | Arizona Coalition for Equines | yes | yes | yes | |||
| Arizona | Care for the Horses | yes | feed, vet, farrier | yes* | *temporary foster if owner surrenders | ||
| Arizona | Equine Voices | yes | |||||
| Arizona | Equine Wellbeing | yes | yes | ||||
| California | Canham Farm Horse Rescue | yes | yes | ||||
| California | Equine Assistance Project | yes | board, farrier, vet | yes | |||
| California | San Diego Horse Coalition | yes | |||||
| California | Sonoma Action for Equine Rescue S.A.F.E.R | yes* | *tri-county area of Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties | ||||
| Colorado | Colorado Horse Rescue | yes | feed, vet, farrier, dental | Leg Up Program | |||
| Colorado | Colorado Unwanted Horse Alliance | Provides a network of those who may be able to help. | |||||
| Colorado | Denkai Sanctuary | yes | feed, farrier, vet, vaccinations | yes | yes | ||
| Colorado | Fleet of Angels | yes | yes | Disaster relief, hay grants, transportation assistance. Serves all over the US and internationally | |||
| Colorado | Grand Valley Horse Rescue | farrier | yes | yes | Annually in October, we co-host the Western Colorado Equine Assist Weekend with the Colorado Horse Rescue Network where we offer free gelding, free euthanasia and low cost teeth floating for senior horses. | ||
| Colorado | For the Love of Aria | yes | yes | yes | We offer emergency feed, vet bills, training fees to gentle mustangs, euthanasia only as a last resort or moving equine would he too hard on them, we also help with adoption fees to the BLM for private adopters, we offer paying board for short periods to other organizations. | ||
| Colorado | Front Range Equine Rescue | no | Evacuation | no | no | Fire/Disaster Evacuation | |
| Colorado | DreamCatcher Therapy Center | yes | |||||
| Connecticut | Beech Brooke Farm | yes | yes | yes | |||
| Florida | Hope Equine Rescue | yes | feed, dental, coggins, vaccines* | yes | *assistance in the form of low-cost clinics | ||
| Florida | RVR Horse Rescue Horse Angels | yes | yes | yes | yes | ||
| Georgia | Georgia Equine Rescue League | yes | |||||
| Georgia | Horse Rescues United of GA (HRU) | yes | yes | yes | yes | ||
| Illinois | University of Illinois | yes* | yes* | *gelding clinic; ET for fee-carcass use undisclosed. | |||
| Indiana | Purdue University | yes* | *free ET, pathology report and tell you what body will be used for. | ||||
| Kansas | Hope in the Valley Equine Rescue and Sanctuary | yes* | *annual castration clinic | ||||
| Kansas | Rainbow Meadows | yes | yes | ||||
| Kentucky | Kentucky Horse Council | yes | feed, gelding, euthanasia | yes | yes | ||
| Maine | Bagaduce River Equine Rescue | euthanasia | yes | Maine residents only | |||
| Maine | Maine State Society for the Protectoin of Animals | yes | hay, feed, vet, farrier, gelding, euthanasia | yes | yes | yes | |
| Maryland | Days End Farm Horse Rescue | ET and removal assistance* | *offered through animal control rather than directly to the public. | ||||
| Maryland | Maryland Fund For Horses, Inc. | yes | feed, vet, farrier | yes | yes | MFFH's primary safety nets include: Maryland Hay Bank Emergency feed distribution to qualified applicants Gelding grants (and occasional castration clinics) Routine veterinary care financial assistance Emergency and surgical veterinary care financial assistance Compassionate advice and referrals |
|
| Massachusetts | Masssachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals | yes | yes | yes | Veterinary and farrier assistance available | ||
| Massachusetts | New England Equine Rescue - North | yes | |||||
| Michigan | Michigan Horse Welfare Coalition | yes | yes | yes | Farrier and Dental assistance available | ||
| Michigan | Michigan Horse Council | vet | Emergency Vet Expense Fund | ||||
| Minnesota | Minnesota Horse Welfare Coalition | yes | yes | yes | |||
| Minnesota | Minnesota Horse Council | Disaster Relief | yes | ||||
| Minnesota | Sundown Horse Rescue | yes | yes | ||||
| Montana | Montana Horse Sanctuary | yes | feed, vet, farrier, equiptment | yes | yes | ||
| Nebraska | MJM Equine Rescue | yes | |||||
| Nevada | Local Equine Assistance Network, L.E.A.N. | yes | Feed, vet, farrier | yes | yes | yes | |
| New Hampshire | Becky's Gift | yes | feed, vet, farrier | ||||
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire SPCA | yes | emergency and routine vet care | yes | COVID-19 Emergency Programs for Horse Owners | ||
| New Jersey | Mylestone Equine Rescue | yes | yes | Coggins, emergency vet assistance | |||
| New Mexico | New Mexico Equine Protection Fund | yes | feed | yes | yes | ||
| New York | The National Miniature Donkey Association | yes* | *gelding incentive program | ||||
| New York | Roanchar Ranch Draft Horse Rescue | yes | |||||
| New York | Relay Run Rescue | yes | yes | yes | |||
| North Carolina | Carolina Equine Rescue & Assistance | yes | |||||
| North Carolina | Hope for Horses | yes | blankets | Feed, vet, farrier | |||
| North Carolina | North Carolina Horse Council | yes | yes | yes | Boarding, vet | ||
| North Carolina | Red Bell Run | yes | feed, vet, blankets | ||||
| Ohio | Wyandot Humane | yes | |||||
| Oklahoma | Horse Feathers | blanket bank, disaster relief grants | yes | yes | |||
| Oregon | Equine Community Resources Organization | yes | feed, vet, dental, blankets | yes | yes | transport | |
| Oregon | Oregon Hay Bank | yes | feed, vet, dental, | yes | |||
| Oregon | Happy Trails Horse Rescue | yes | feed, vet, dental, | yes | yes | Our mission is to provide services or resources to keep horses from needing rescue with hay bank, grain and supplements, medical care, gelding and dental assistance, euthanasia assistance, emergency boarding and more. | |
| Oregon | Sound Equine Options | yes | vet | yes | |||
| Oregon | On Golden Rescue | yes | yes | Community Outreach program focuses on providing resources (hay, feed, veterinary care, farrier service, fence repair, etc.) to equine owners. | |||
| Pennsylvania | CANTER Pennsylvania | yes | |||||
| Pennsylvania | Elk Mountain Equine Sanctuary | yes | yes | ||||
| Pennsylvania | The Phoenix Horse Farm | yes* | *space for 7 horses in emergency, Dr. Sue Pressman | ||||
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island SPCA | yes | yes | ||||
| South Carolina | South Carolina Horsemen's Council | emergency care | yes | yes | |||
| Tennessee | Safe Harbor Sanctuary | yes | yes | yes | |||
| Tennessee | Hearts of Horse Haven | yes | yes | yes | |||
| Tennessee | Horse Plus Humane Society | Disaster Relief | yes | yes | Open to global and national applicants. Also offers grants to non-profit equine rescues | ||
| Texas | Bluebonnet Equine | yes | yes | yes | |||
| Texas | Habitat for Horses | yes | feed | ||||
| Vermont | Gerda's Equine Rescue | Blanket bank | |||||
| Vermont | The Dorset Equine Rescue | yes | Starting 2024 | ||||
| Virginia | Central Virginia Horse Rescue | yes | yes | yes | |||
| Virginia | Dominion Equine Welfare | yes | feed | ||||
| Virginia | Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue | emergency transport | |||||
| Virginia | Equine Welfare Society | yes | yes | ||||
| Virginia | Saving Grace Rescue Farm | yes | yes | ||||
| Washington | The Hayburner Project - Hay Bank | yes | yes | ||||
| Washington | SAFE/Save A Forgotten Equine | yes | |||||
| West Virginia | Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue | yes | farrier, feed, dental | yes | yes | yes |