Adopting a Horse from USERL

If you have reviewed the Adoption FAQs and USERL Terms for Adoption, and would like to start the adoption approval process, please email your name, address and contact information and your area Adoption Coordinator will be in touch with you.

What are USERL's adoption policies in a nutshell?
Adopted horses remain the property of USERL. Adopters may not breed, race, sell or give away the adopted horse. Adopters must allow USERL to inspect their facility for safety prior to adoption, and access to check the horse thereafter at USERL's discretion.

How does the adoption process work?
Potential adopters first need to fill out an adoption application. If a particular horse interests them, they should put that horse's name on the application. An USERL volunteer will contact them to discuss the horse and put them in contact with the foster home. Once the potential adopter, foster home and the appropriate USERL Regional Director and/or Executive Director agree that the horse and adopter is a match, USERL will schedule a barn check.

What does a barn check involve?
An USERL volunteer will schedule a time to meet you at your barn. S/he will be looking for safety (i.e. no barbed wire, no junk in the pastures), a clean, healthy environment and the condition and temperament of your other horses, if any.

Why do some horses have a required donation and others do not?
Horses over 25 and those that are companion only do not have a required donation. Horses that are rideable or otherwise in demand will have a required donation that is still well below a reasonable selling price.

Why does USERL not give the adopter ownership of the equine?
USERL's commitment is to the equine, and retaining ownership protects the future of that animal. Adopters may die, get laid off or become ill but USERL will always be there to make certain that the horse has food, shelter and love. Most of our adopters feel security in knowing that if anything happens to them, USERL will be there to provide for their beloved friend. Our intention is for the adopter to have the equine for the rest of its life. On a darker note, retaining ownership prevents a small number of unscrupulous people from adopting a horse then selling it for whatever profit can be had - maybe to a killer buyer, or to someone completely unsuitable for that horse, or to someone with a record of animal abuse.

Why does USERL not allow breeding?
USERL does not oppose responsible, well-researched breeding programs that aim to improve the breed and species. USERL does oppose indiscriminate breeding practices. USERL embraces the belief that there is an overpopulation of horses in the United States. If there were no overpopulation problem, there would not be thousands of sound, healthy horses going to slaughter every year. Over-breeding to stock the racing industry and irresponsible breeding are the root causes for this problem.
As a matter of principle, USERL does not allow its rescued horses to be bred. USERL feels that denying breeding of any one horse will not negatively impact the quality of the species as a whole. However, stopping a single horse from breeding will significantly impact the horse population over time.
Also, since USERL retains ownership of adopted horses, the organization would also feel compelled to retain ownership of the resultant foal. This would mean more work for volunteers (doing barn checks, placing returned horses, keeping up with vaccinations, etc.), putting an unnecessary strain on USERL's resources.

How long does the adoption process take?
It depends on how quickly you can get out to meet the equine and how quickly we can get a volunteer to do your barn check. Typically it takes one week to one month.

Why does USERL prefer not to adopt to homes that have no other grazing animals?
Horses are herd animals and are not at ease unless they are with others of their kind - or at the very least, another grazing animal like a goat or cow. Being alone causes stress and makes the horse more susceptible to illness. If you do not have another horse you can get a small goat or...adopt two horses!

Why does USERL require a minimum of a three-sided, roofed shelter?
Wild horses are free to find natural shelter and also run in large groups that can huddle together for warmth and protection from the elements. Domestic horses, on the other hand, are typically confined to relatively small areas that lack adequate natural shelter, and are pastured in small herds that cannot provide enough protection from the elements.

Why does USERL not allow barbed wire?
In a word: safety. Barbed wire is extremely dangerous for horses. Horses panic easily, even in a familiar environment. A panicked horse can overlook wire strands, and severe injury can result when he runs into or through barbed wire. Wire has a memory of being coiled, and once released from the fence posts it can quickly wrap around a horse's legs, body and neck. The picture below shows the type of injury that can be sustained in a barbed wire accident. The flesh has been ripped away and the bone is exposed. The USERL takes great pride in the protection is affords its rescued horses. It will not allow them to be exposed to fencing which has time and again proven itself to cause injury, disability and death.

I am interested in adopting. What should I do now?
Examine our Available Horses in North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana and Kentucky to see if a particular horse interests you. Send an email inquiry with your name, address and contact information. Your area Adoption Coordinator will be in touch with you soon. If you do not get a response within 1 week of submitting your email inquiry, you should follow up with a phone call or email to make sure your application has been received.