Donate a Horse

Do you have a horse who is ready for a career change and might be a good candidate for Pegasus?

Pegasus Therapeutic Riding is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides equine-assisted activities and therapies to people with special needs, veterans and at-risk individuals. Our $1.4 million annual operating budget is almost entirely funded by donations. Herd management comprises a significant portion of the budget.

As an equine-based organization, the success of our programs is directly tied to our careful selection of horses and ponies. For our participants, working with horses is a liberating, life-changing experience. In order to best serve them, our equines must be fit and possess a suitable temperament for the therapeutic work they will be trained to do.

Here is what we look for in an ideal therapeutic horse:
• Mare or gelding between 13-16.1 hands*
• 9-15 years old preferred*
• Sound at the walk, trot and canter
• Tolerant and calm temperament
• Safe to ride in the ring and on trails

*Size and age exceptions are made if the right horse comes along, so please talk to us if you are not sure.

We start our process with a questionnaire filled out by the owner and accompanied by all of the required documentation. If everything is in order, we begin an evaluation of the potential therapeutic horse. We will come to you and observe you riding your horse. If that goes well, we will ride the horse ourselves and introduce some basic therapeutic riding activities.

If the evaluation is successful, we will invite you to bring your horse to Pegasus Farm at your expense for a trial period to introduce him to our facility and programs—and to make sure this is a job your horse actually wants to do, something which is very important to us and the success of our programs. Upon successful completion of the trial period, we can arrange for either a free lease or donation of your horse.

The job of a therapeutic horse is not easy, but for the right horse, it can be very rewarding. In general, 1 out of every 10 horses we evaluate come to Pegasus for a trial period. About 50% of horses on trial here go on to become a Pegasus therapeutic horse.

Pegasus holds the well-being of our horses in high regard and reviews its potential equine partners carefully. If you are interested in discussing the process of donating or free-leasing your horse to Pegasus, please CLICK HERE.