sponsering a horse?

Question

hi my family and i are going to sponser a horse at a rescue facility....we are confused tough....we are horse ppl by the way....do we get to groom/ride/train/take care of the horse?? wut do we do

Answer 1

Most likely no. The money that you pay for the sponsorship will go towards the care of the horse. Some shelters call them shelter angels or such. And honestly, it's for your own safety.

Many horses in rescue have come from some pretty horrific situations. Some have never been handled, some have been beaten or neglected, etc. You do have a handful that were voluntarily surrendered. But the majority have serious issues with trust.

Most likely the money you pay will go for feed, medical care and training. But they have their own professionals that come in to train. It would be an insurance issue if they allowed you to come in and work with it. But, you can talk to the rescue and they would probably allow you to come in visit with the horse depending on what it's issues are.

You could also look into volunteering there. At most rescues volunteers are able to work more with the horses...not under saddle, but groom, feed, etc. We have one here that allows volunteers to ride if they prove their horsemanship on the ground and form a good relationship with one of the horses and that horse is a good match for them.

Answer 2

I am a regular volunteer at a 501c Rescue.

Sponsorship benefits & responsibilities vary a lot. Some rescues just aren't set up for outside visitors to come daily to groom "their" horse, so usually it's just a monetary donation. A few rescues do welcome the sponsors. You need to read the sponsorship paperwork to see what it is you're able to & expected to do.

Odds are you can't ride the horse. Usually riding is reserved for pro riders who are getting the horse in shape for adoption. Sponsor & foster homes do so to help the horse out, not to get trail rides.

You could call them to see if they'll let you volunteer. Even if sponsorship doesn't normally include visiting the horse, any good rescue would welcome your help provided you're mature and reliable.

That's very nice of your family to do!

Answer 3

Sponsering an animal with a rescue mostly means that you are paying for its care.
Most rescues do not allow you to have contact with the animal.
It could differ from group to group.
If you are looking for the ability to ride train and groom a horse but not acutally own the horse look at leasing one.

Answer 4

you would have to ask the facility as each has its own rules.. and every horse is different
as far as riding goes... most facilities wont let you ride unless they know your level of ability because otherwise you could cause problems for the horse itself...
good for you!