It’s a lucky horse that lives its life under their owners’ care. Most are not so fortunate. Many are abused or neglected, becoming part of a system of welfare cases, taken from hoarders or abusive owners through law enforcement intervention. Some, sadly, die due to abuse or neglect and starvation. Most, however, are simply in transition, perfectly capable of being rehomed, loved and cared for by a new owner or family.

Most “unwanted” horses are homeless because they are no longer needed, or useful, or because their owners are unable or unwilling to care for them any longer. Their owners may be no longer be able to afford their care due to financial restraints or, as is often the case, they are unable to physically care for the horse due to age or illness.

These horses, known as “in transition”*, range from normal, healthy horses with no real issues or problems, to horses with chronic but non-lethal diseases, behavioral problems or poor temperament. Some just don’t meet their owner’s expectations. Horses that are older or have a chronic issue such as lameness are even more at-risk of entering the rescue pipeline, through no fault of their own. More recently, horses have become homeless through natural disasters like hurricanes, drought, fire, or severe flooding. Their owners are unable to care for them simply because their owners themselves have no home.

There are an estimated 120,000 unwanted horses in the US. Many, if not most of them, are sound horses, waiting for a new home, able to be ridden or to work, simply in need of retraining and rehoming. While some may be lame or otherwise unrideable, they are suitable for companion horses, pasture mates, or pasture pets.

Many rescues focus only on the welfare cases; those horses recovered by law enforcement from hoarders, abusive or neglectful owners, and those abandoned, stray, or lost and at-risk of starvation.

The owner who, for whatever reason is no longer able to care for their horse has fewer options. Often, those horses are sent to auction and usually end up being shipped to Mexico or Canada to be slaughtered for human consumption. An estimated 90,000 horses per year are shipped for processing.

Relatively few rescues accept owner surrenders. Faith N Friends is one of those few. We recognize that one of the best ways to interrupt the slaughter pipeline is to intervene before the horses ever see an auction house. The majority of owner surrenders are perfectly sound horses, capable of many years of love and service to a new family. We evaluate, retrain, heal, and rehome these displaced horses, giving their previous owners peace of mind and helping the horses find their next loving home.