FOSTERING INFORMATION

Our aim is to put any of our rehabilitated horses or ponies that are suitable for re-homing into experienced and knowledgeable foster homes. There are a few residents which will remain with us permanently due to medical problems and/or age that will not be considered for fostering purposes. 

What Is Fostering?

When we re-home a horse or pony from the Sanctuary, we do so under a Fostering Agreement. This means that, although you will be completely responsible for the horses’ everyday care and exercise, you will not be the legal owner of the horse. The Society retains ownership of the horse at all times. If you foster a horse from us, you will be asked to sign a Fostering Agreement, which means that you agree to abide by all the terms of the Fostering Agreement.  In addition, you will be asked to complete Equine Log Sheets for the horse whilst in your care, which detail when the horse is wormed, seen by the farrier, dentist, vet etc. It is a strict condition of our fostering criteria that all fostered horses and ponies are fully covered on a recognised equine insurance plan. The insurance must cover veterinary treatments and public liability in particular.  The horse/pony will be checked by one of our Fostering Officers every six months for the rest of its’ life, with more frequent checks at the beginning of any fostering arrangement, to ensure that no problems are arising.

Whenever we re-home any of our horses or ponies, we ask for a fostering donation, which goes towards the continued care of the rescue horses and ponies under the Society’s care. The level of donation depends on the size of the horse and its abilities (i.e. whether or not it is rideable).

Fostering Polices

It is our policy not to re-home any horse or pony under the age of two years. In special circumstances, we allow two year olds to go on foster to very experienced homes where they can get used to being properly handled well before the backing process starts, which begins once the horse has turned three years old.

Our horses and ponies are very precious to us. They have already been rescued from unacceptable situations and, understandably, we do not take the re-homing process lightly.  It is imperative that the fostering process has our full and undivided attention. We will therefore not deal with fostering applications to casual callers at the Sanctuary.  All applications must be received on our standard Fostering Application Form and all applicants are required to complete all the stages of our fostering criteria before we will consider any of our horses/ponies being placed.   These stages are set out below.

STAGE 1 - How Do I Apply To Foster A Horse?

You can either download a fostering application form from this website or write to us requesting a Form, enclosing a stamped addressed envelope.  PLEASE NOTE THAT A COMPLETED FOSTERING APPLICATION FORM IS NOT A GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL BE SUPPLIED WITH A HORSE OR PONY BY THE SOCIETY.  

STAGE 2 - What Happens Next?

STAGE 3 - Testing your Knowledge and Experience

At this pre-arranged appointment, and before you meet the horse/pony concerned, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire on basic horse care. If, at this stage, we feel you do not have the relevant experience, we will not proceed any further with our assessment of you. Our decision on this will be final. The welfare of our horses and ponies remain our primary concern at all times. 

STAGE 4 – Meeting the Horse/Pony

On successful completion of the Questionnaire, you will be introduced to the horse/pony we think is a match for you. You will see the horse/pony tacked up and ridden by one of our team. Should you still wish to go ahead with your application, we shall then expect to see you walk, trot and canter the horse/pony on both reins at this appointment. This is, of course, dependant upon the fitness of the animal and/or ground conditions at the time.

STAGE 5 – Handling the Horse/Pony

After this, you will be able to spend some time with the horse or pony, grooming them and getting them to know them a little better. All potential fosterers are given the opportunity of coming back to ride the horse/pony at another pre-arranged appointment should they request this.

STAGE 6 – Is this the Horse/Pony for You?

We will then discuss whether you think the horse or pony is suitable for you, and whether we think you are suitable for the particular horse or pony. If all is well, you will then have five days to think about whether or not you would like to go ahead and foster the horse or pony.  If we have not received a response from you by the end of this period, we will assume that you are no longer interested, and alternative fostering arrangements will be made.  If you decide you wish to proceed with the application, we move onto the Home Assessment.

STAGE 7 - The Home Assessment

The next stage is the Home Assessment. One of our Fostering Officers will arrange to visit you to carry out an assessment on the place where you would like to keep a horse, and also to meet you in your own environment.  Should there be a problem with the Home Assessment, and the Society feels that this is sufficient reason to refuse to consider your Fostering Application further, you will be informed as soon as possible after the Home Assessment has taken place. We like to be as transparent about the reasons for our decisions as possible, and will therefore inform you fully of the reason for your rejection. If, at a later date, you feel you have addressed the issue that prevented you from being considered as a fosterer previously, we would be only too happy to reconsider you. 

STAGE 8 - Setting Up A Fostering Agreement

If the Home Assessment is successful, you will be invited to enter into a legal Fostering Agreement with the Society. It is at this stage that you:

What Happens Next?

It is your responsibility to arrange transport for your new horse or pony to the place where you would like to keep them. Once you have your new horse home, you can start to enjoy yourselves together!

During the first six months that your foster horse/pony is with you, one of our Fostering Officers will carry out three checks during the first six months.

After the first year, fostering checks will be carried out twice yearly (March/April and September/October each year) for the rest of the horse or pony’s life.

At each Foster check the fostering log sheets you have been completing will need to be handed, completed, to the Fostering Officer carrying out the check. A copy of your up-to-date equine insurance policy will also be required by your Fostering Officer at this stage.

What If Something Goes Wrong?

If you feel you are experiencing a behavioral problem with a horse or pony you have fostered from us, then please call us on 01268 584603, and we will send one of our Officers out to see you.  If, for instance, you are experiencing financial problems, or have a family illness which is going to prevent you from being able to look after your fostered horse or pony in the long-term, please contact us to arrange their return to the Sanctuary.  Any horse or pony returned to the Sanctuary, for whatever reason, must be returned with any hind shoes removed (unless specific medical reasons demand that hind shoes remain on), and with all Equine Log Sheets fully completed and up-to-date.

If you have any queries at all regarding Fostering, please call 01268 584603 and ask to speak to Sue Allery who heads up our Fostering Division

Reasons we might turn down a Fostering Application are:

Lack of turnout

Applicant has insufficient knowledge/experience to look after the type of horse they have requested (e.g. we often get applications for Shetlands from people who do not know how to recognise or treat laminitis – a disease which is always a risk for Shetlands)

Applicant has other horses which appear to be suffering neglect

We will not re-home a horse to a yard which we know is currently under investigation in animal cruelty/neglect case.

We will not re-home a horse to a place where it will have no other equine company.