Horses

We classify horses at HBH into  three categories:

1. Horses in Rehabilitation

2. Adoptable Horses

3. Sanctuary Horses

When a horse arrives, they begin our assessment protocol. It is unique for each horse, of course, but the milestones we look to reach with each horse prior to offering them for adoption is similar:

1. Quarantine - during this time, the horse's basic handling knowledge is assessed... approaching, haltering, leading, hoof lifting, grooming, etc. If we find holes, they are noted for work when training begins.

2. Integration into a herd - during this time, handling time is decreased as we want to give each horse the time and space they need to integrate into the herd, become accustomed to 24/7 forage, freedom of movement, herd dynamics, etc.

3. Once the horse seems comfortable in the herd, usually within 2-3 weeks, we begin a full training assessment and begin any areas of rehabilitation identified. The milestones are different depending on if the horse is a companion horse or a rideable horse.

   1. Companion Horse - for companion horses, we want to assess how comfortable they are with various contexts like ground work in the arena vs hand walking out on the trails around the property. We introduce them to the basic positive reinforcement tools like a default behavior and the the hand held target and destination targets as many horses who come here seem quite eager to do some work at liberty after learning the tools. To the best of our abilities, we want to be certain of a companion horse's abilities in the following areas before offering them for adoption:​

      1. Approaching, catching, leading (in and out of the arena), hoof handling, behavior for vet care, behavior for trailering, and their interest in pursuing any other activities (like hikes, obstacles, lead line for kids, etc).​

   2. Rideable Horse - for rideable horses, we want to assess how comfortable they are with a wide range of behaviors in as many contexts as we can. We identify any holes in the horse's handling and utilize positive reinforcement focused tools and methods to address them. We introduce horses to a default behavior, the hand held target and destination targets as well as the idea of shaping behaviors. To the best of our abilities, we want to be certain of a rideable horse's abilities and preferences in the following areas before offering them for adoption:

      1. Approaching, catching, leading (in and out of the arena), hoof handling, behavior for vet care, behavior for trailering, behavior for tacking up, behavior for mounting, walking under saddle, trotting under saddle, cantering under saddle, as well as all of the ridden behaviors outside of the arena. Once we've assessed a horse's abilities, comfort and interest in the above, then we begin experimenting with different handlers, various experience levels, etc. to see what the horse's preferences seem to be as far as the intensity of work and experience of handler.​

4. What if we're concerned about the horse's ability to find a home?

   1. Sometimes due to a horse's age, health, cost of care, behavior, etc. we may have concerns about placing the horse for adoption. In these cases, we consider the horse a Sanctuary horse, a horse that will remain here, and we seek a long term sponsor for the horse to cover their costs. We are always open to the ideal home coming along for a Sanctuary horse that can demonstrate their ability to care for whatever the horse's needs were that caused us to be concerned, but we do not actively pursue homes for our Sanctuary horses. ​