Rescue Program

Horse ReCourse exists to find long-term responsible homes for horses where they can live out their lives in comfort. Through the generosity of our community, we will support as many individual horses and other animals as we can. We provide the right care and training so that each one may be placed in an appropriate home, allowing us to continue to provide support to more animals in the future.

After rehabilitating countless neglected horses, we have come up with some helpful advice for anyone to refer to if they have a horse in need.  Thankfully, we are in a position to provide horses in our care with what they need to flourish.  Our donations go to support:

• Facilities where

• the horses can live safely, with shelter and space to move

• safe grooming area

• storage barn for tack and feed

• arenas for safe and productive training for development into valued riding horses

• Adequate quality feed and supplemental nutrition

• Veterinary care

• Farrier care 

• Skilled professional handlers and trainers

• Tack and equipment

All of this costs a lot of money, and takes a lot of time. The more people we have who are willing to help support this endeavor with funding, time, and expertise, the more horses we can help.

It currently takes about $1000/month/horse to provide the caliber of care required to rehabilitate, train and re-home a horse in need.  It takes roughly a year to help a green horse become desirable and safe for the average rider.  Most horses aren’t going to recoup the investment made through a sale to a private party, so we rely on donations to make up the difference.

Older, seasoned horses are usually easier to place in novice homes, and take less time to train to ride, but can be more challenging to support over time.  They require more feed and veterinary care, but provide a safe companion for less skilled riders.  Generally, the older they get, the safer they are, and the more care they require to be sound enough to work.  Younger horses are easier to keep healthy, have longevity, but usually require more training and skill from their handlers.

The length of each horse’s stay in the program will vary depending on their health and level of training upon arrival, and our ability to find an appropriate match for the horse.   We sometimes have horses available to lease, as well, to help support the monthly costs, maintain a connection and be able to manage their care.  Leasing a horse can be a great opportunity for a rider considering getting a horse of their own, as the commitment is more manageable than ownership.

While we look forward to the day when we are able to say yes to every horse in need, we are currently limited by time, space, and funding, and must be selective about which horses we can assume responsibility for.  We will assist in any way we can, including referrals, transport, feed, veterinary and farrier care in the event that we are unable to take on a unwanted horse.  Please reach out to us if you are in need of support for your horse.  We also offer support for other animals, on occasion.  Horse ReCourse is a community resource, and we encourage you to contact us if you are in need of assistance.

How to feed an underweight horse:

A good rule of thumb is to give a horse a week to adjust to a new feed protocol before making additional changes.  So, in addition to enough quality hay, feed a pound of concentrated feed, once or twice a day, and increase weekly until you discover how much the horse is able to eat.  Be consistent with what you are feeding, and when you are feeding.

Supplement once or twice a day with processed low-sugar, low-carb feed, such as hay pellets, soaked in plenty of water.  A horse’s stomach can hold 6 pounds at a time.  This includes water weight.  If your horse requires more than 6 pounds per day of processed feed (such as pellets), you will need to feed 2 or 3 times a day to make sure the horse is receiving enough calories.  Horses with poor teeth will struggle to digest hay and will require more processed feed.

Free feed quality forage, ideally grass hay, 24 hours per day.  This will be about 3-6 flakes a day, depending on the size of your bales.

Hay pellets such as timothy, oat, or alfalfa, soaked in plenty of water.  Feed up to 4 pounds per feeding, at least once a day. Start with one pound daily, soaked, and see what the horse can tolerate before adding more.  

Beet pulp, soaked in water, is a good, cheap source of calories and fiber, and may be added to the feed to promote weight gain.  Add up to a pound at a time, and offer this amount daily for a week before adding more to the daily ration.

Rice bran can be added, as a good source of fat, and does not need to be soaked, up to one pound at a time.

Corn oil can be added, up to one cup at a time, as a top dressing for added fat.

Flax is an excellent supplement.

I feed a mineral supplement, California Trace Minerals, to augment any mineral deficiencies in the feed.  I find this to be very helpful for all horses. There are other good mineral supplements, but this is my favorite.

It will take about 4-6 weeks to see the horse gain a noticeable amount of weight, and they should continue to improve.  Consult your local vet for assistance with rehabilitation.