Horse Haven Montana (HHMT) was established in 2007 in response to a then growing, nationwide crisis of homeless, sometimes abandoned horses and those who for a wide range of reasons were in need of new homes. The reasons were many (and continue to be) but the economy, divorce, health, cost of horse ownership, are among some of the leading factors driving the need for equine rescue and adoption.
Horse Haven Montana is a 501(c)(3) not for profit all-volunteer organization, recognized by the IRS. Our goal is to improve the welfare and well-being of all equines. Our focus is on finding permanent, caring and responsible adoptive homes for horses in need and education – to promote and foster greater understanding and awareness about what responsible horse ownership entails and helping people to accomplish that. Our primary focus is rescue, adoption and education.
We strive to follow best practices to place good horses in good homes, making the best, right match. As with any relationship, equine or human, a mismatch is a recipe for disaster. But a good match, is well, “horse heaven.”
A variety of factors have made horse ownership challenging and for some, no longer feasible. Beyond the personal situations we see frequently, the growing problem of unwanted or homeless horses can be fueled by other factors. If a horse doesn’t “measure up,” either because of conformation issues, poor performance, advancing age, or illness, an owner sadly may want to dispose of that animal. That is always a personal decision. But we believe there are viable, ethical alternatives and that adoption is key among them.
When we engage in rescue, the horse may be in immediate crisis; sometimes a horse or horse owner is in need of immediate assistance. Regardless of the reason, our focus is on solutions – By the time we arrive on the scene, the key issue is getting the animal out of the bad situation and into a better one. If an immediate home is not possible, we look for the best possible temporary solution until a permanent home can be found.
Education is another factor in why a horse may need to be re-homed. While there are many excellent training programs and clinics, and we advocate for natural horsemanship, there is still a lack of information and understanding about the needs of equines. For all of these reasons and others, HHMT was established.
Horse Haven Montana is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, incorporated in the state of Montana. Our work and our outreach however, may take us all over the country and we collaborate with a nationwide network of contacts. We rely solely on donations and grants to support our efforts. Although a cash gift is the most helpful, other donations are also welcome, such as tack (as in a saddle or a blanket); feed, as in a supplement or senior feed; even a trailer — everything helps our efforts. Our most frequent need however is financial, which helps to support our veterinary, special nutrition and medical care, transportation and to assist equine foster homes.
Horse Haven Montana’s sole focus
is rescue, adoption and education
Most importantly, we are here to help and we try our best to help as much as we can.
We do take in a limited number of horses but our goal is to place as many animals as we can while they are with their current owners or in foster homes. If there is a crisis, then we will try to remove the horses and place them in temporary foster care. Realistically we cannot solve every problem, every crisis or find a home for every horse in need, but we make every effort to help both the horse and its owner, as much as possible, if at all possible.
Don’t be afraid to seek help…
Please call us if you are in need of assistance and we will try to work with you to solve the issue. Our goal is to enhance the welfare of the horse and its human owner and to enhance the equine-human bond. There is no magic solution but we will aim for the best outcome possible. We work with and have several trainers standing by to help when they can and we have often have foster homes. If you are interested in being considered as a foster home, if you have something to offer that you feel will help, if you are able to donate—services, tack, hay, feed, or a financial gift, we are so grateful.
Our primary goal is to rescue and place adoptable horses in loving, forever homes. But we strive to care for them until a good home is found. We keep the number of horses at our limited in order to have the best means possible to care for them indefinitely. This means high quality grass hay, supplementary feed as needed, veterinary care and good living conditions with daily attention, grooming, training, hoof trimming and health care as needed. Most horses eventually become available for adoption after a thorough review and interview process. Our adoption fees (tax-deductible donations) are kept deliberately low, much lower than a typical market price for a good horse. These adoption fees are designed to both ensure a financial commitment to a horse and to help put resources expended by HHMT, back into the program. This is our primary source of support.
If you wish to make a donation or help support or sponsor a particular horse or mule, or help in another way – we welcome any and all support. Even something like artwork is helpful, as the sale of this can be used for the support of our efforts.
Thank you!
To contact us or to learn more, please visit:
jrt@montana.com or info@horsehavenmt.org
Horse Haven Montana 