Horses are the largest animals the RSPCA deals with on a regular basis.
They take longer to rehabilitate than a dog or cat and they are much more expensive to keep. Physically, even the smallest pony is stronger than a human, so horses must be handled, educated and socialised before they can be rehomed.
Their handling and their education must continue in their new home if they are to be easy to manage and rewarding to own.
It is worth remembering that horses can live a lot longer than dogs and cats. An average age for a horse or pony may be twenty-something years, and they have been known to live far longer, well into their thirties. The total cost of keeping a horse could amount to over £70,000 during its lifetime, so a substantial commitment is required. You must also be prepared to attend to your horse at least twice a day, rain or shine, and care for its health and wellbeing to a high standard throughout its lifetime. It is worth remembering that towards the end of its life it will require more care, yet will not be capable of much work.
Horses cannot easily be moved about among the RSPCA animal centres. Our specialist equine centres are in County Durham and Shropshire - centres in Wales also always have a selection of ponies for rehoming. Therefore you may have to travel if you want to adopt a horse because they are NEVER rehomed unseen. However, it is still worth checking whether your local RSPCA has any for adoption. You can use our search facility to do this.
Once a suitable animal for you has been identified, a home visit will always be carried out before the horse can be adopted from the RSPCA. This gives us the opportunity to assess both your expertise and your facilities and also helps us to decide whether you have the commitment to be a horse owner. Generally speaking, it will be in your favour if you have owned or had sole charge of a horse before and made a success of it. Do not be surprised if a home visitor discusses the end of a horse's life with you. Accidents and old age happen to horses just as they do to ourselves, and it is only practical to have a working knowledge of what needs to happen when that time arrives.
It may be that you are very keen, have done some riding, but have no experience of horse care. If this is the case, try to do some basic qualifications in stable management but be sure to combine this with practical experience as well. Ask at your local riding school if there is something you can do to help, and don't shirk the early shift! Horses do not work on a 9-5 basis. Getting out there in the dark and muddy mid-winter is the only way to find out how keen you really are. If you are under 18 years of age, an adult must adopt on your behalf and they need to prove their commitment to the project as well.
If you adopt a horse for riding, bear in mind that your riding skills will be assessed as well. You may need to travel to an equine centre to try the horse more than once if this is felt to be necessary to ensure that you and the horse are right for each other.
A horse can provide a thrilling new dimension to your life, but only if you are both fully prepared for your future together.
If you would like to adopt a horse or pony from the RSPCA and believe that you have the necessary skills, time and money to do so, please use the contact details provided in the individual appeals or our Web Enquiry service.
Web Enquiry
Unless otherwise indicated, please use our Web Enquiry service to enquire about any of the horses on this site. If you are already logged on this will take you straight to an online form for you to complete. Otherwise, you will go to the login or registration form - please note that you can not submit an enquiry without registering.
