Adoption Policies

The purpose of HHT is to find responsible, loving homes for abused and unwanted horses that have come to us mostly through prosecutable cases from across the state.

This involves knowledge of both horse to be placed, and their perspective adopter. It is not a kindness for a horse to be placed into a home where they will fail to receive adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care. It is not a kindness where any of our horses will be allowed to be bred – this is the reason we have a “no breeding” clause so as not to  add to the surplus of unwanted and/or neglected horses.

Please DO NOT apply for adoption unless you are ready. This would include atleast a three sided shelter, fencing in good repair, and being fiancially able to adopt when you apply. If you are not prepared to have a horse come to your property today, or can not pay the adoption fee today, do not apply.

Adoption works in five (5) easy steps…

1) Application must be filled out in full with a processing fee of $25 (will apply towards a HHT membership) to help us offset our fuel cost to do facility checks. NO application will be processed without this application fee on file.

2) Once the application fee has been receieved your application will be reviewed and references checked by the HHT Adoption Committee.

3) You will be contacted within 10 days for a phone interview by a Committee member. The additional information collected at this time will help us in making a good match when adding you to our potential adopter’s list. If there is a specific animal you would like to offer a home to, you can let the Committee member know and arraignments will be made as quickly as possible for you to be introduced to the animal if it is available.

4) After step # 3 is completed a Horse Haven field agent will contact you and make arraignments to check out your facility. Because we are a volunteer organization this may not always happen right away. Facility checks depend on the availability of a field agent in your area. The further away from Knoxville you are, the longer it may take.

5) Once a match is found, and everything is finalized, arraignments will be made to deliver the horse to their new home. Usually the adopter provides transportation, but HHT can provide this for a minimal fee of $1.00 per. mile if further then 15 miles from HHT facility to help cover our expenses and time ($25 minimum). example #1: Adopter lives 159 miles from Knoxville = $159 delivery fee.
example #2: Adopter lives 10 miles from HHT facility = $25 delivery fee
Once a adoption is approved, the adopter has 7 days to pick up the animal or a $5 per day board charge will be added to their adoption fee.

To speed up the process it would be helpful if you would enclose pictures of shelter that will be provided, fencing and pasture area and any other animals on the property when you turn in your application.

Foster Care:

Foster care givers  play an important part of our adoption program. Fostering basically works the same way as an adoption except for a few differences. We do not charge a $25 application fee, but we only do facility checks when a field agent is close by or in the area. This can sometimes take an extended time frame to do. Usually horses available for adoption are only fostered close to our main facility in West Knoxville. This allows us to transport them back to our facility for our Adoption Day once a month. Some horses in foster care are involved in court proceedings and we have no time frame of how long they will be tied up before they may become available for adoption. Foster Caregivers pick up the normal daily expense of providing for the animal which includes feed and farrier care. If donated supplies are available they will be contacted on how they can receive some help with their care. In exchange for providing foster care for an animal, care givers will have first option to adopt if the animal becomes available through the courts. The length of time care is provided will be taken into consideration when an adoption fee is set.
Because Horse Haven of Tennessee is not a retirement facility, we are not able to house an animal indefinitely while trying to find them a new home. Foster caregivers allow us the chance to extend the amount of time we have to try and place this animal. Many of these animals may have limitation that would label them as a companion animal only, which limits their adoptability.

Agents of Horse Haven of Tennessee are not horse traders.  We are looking for permanent homes for horses in need. We are not a place to get a “cheap horse” from. Many of the horses we place are not rideable. Some have emotional conflicts that require a lot of patience and love to overcome. All animals are current on their shots and coggins. Some may require special medical treatment for an extended period that would become your responsibility. Taking in a special needs horse can be very time consuming and expensive. Please take this into consideration before making this commitment. There have been very few horses in our placement program that we felt would be safe for small children without further training. For this reason we don’t recommend any of these animals for inexperienced children under the age of 18.

HHT has the following guidelines for placing a horse into a responsible home:

1.) Only horses that are not in need of extensive medical attention will be released for adoption.

2.) Horses will only be adopted to, or with the written consent of, adults of legal age to be used as pleasure horses. No horse can be used as “rough stock” on the rodeo circuit, for horse racing, or allowed to be “padded”.

3.) Because a commitment to responsible horse ownership is a decision no one can make for another, no horse will be released for adoption as a gift for another person without that persons prior approval.

4.) HHT will inspect the new owners home before the final adoption takes place. This is to insure adequate housing is available. Adequate housing must consist of a barn, run-in, lean to etc., that will provide for protection from the elements, and a place they can be kept up to allow them to become accustom to other horses or for medical treatment. Also inspection of surroundings will also be noted to insure there is no danger from injury due to foreign objects or inadequate fencing.

5.) All male horses must be gelded by a licensed veterinarian before placement or within a time frame made by attending veterinarian. Mares will not be allowed to be bred to further the over population of unwanted horses. If mares come to HHT already pregnant, the off spring will become the property of HHT and follow the same strict guidelines. The adopters will have first option to adopt the offspring at no charge. Mares will not be adopted, or fostered out to were a stallion is housed. If a stallion is found at a later date on the property, HHT reserves the right to have any mare’s removed at their own discretion.

6.) Horses will not be adopted out without a Coggins test, shots and health inspection (not certificate) from a certified veterinarian. They will be de-wormed and started on a de-worming program. A trained farrier will inspect their hoofs and proper attention will be given as needed. HHT will only adopt out to responsible owners who will keep animals up to date on vaccines and our necessary care.

7.) HHT will track all animals adopted out. They will inspect the care and up keep of each horse throughout the year without prior notice. If at such a time  the HHT Adoption Committee feels this animal is not receiving proper care or treatment the adopter will have the option to fix the problem or this horse will be pulled and put back up for adoption.

8.) Horses must remain within the continental United States and HHT must be notified of any change of address for more then 30 days.  No horse will be allowed to be sold, traded, or disposed of in any fashion during the first year after adoption without written consent from HHT. After the first year only animals that have received a clear title from HHT will be allowed to change owners. It is the adopters responsibilty to obtain their clear title paperwork from HHT. Animals that have not obtained a clear title will remain under HHT ownership.

9.) Adopters who receive a “Title of Ownership” are not allowed to dispose of their adopted animal through public auction or slaughter, and a agreement stating such must be signed.

10.) HHT will charge a minimum fee of $50.00, and a maximum $1,000 adoption fee for all horses. HHT has the right to waive or lower this fee at their discretion. There will be no fee to foster a horse until placement.

11.) If space is available HHT may take in horses from owners who relinquish ownership, but they must show a current (within 6 mos.) Coggins test that reads negative, have an up to date shot history and the horse must be in good health. A $250 donation will also be required to help care for the animal while an adopter is found.

12.) HHT reserves the right to refuse adoption to any person unable or unwilling to comply with these guidelines.