Meet our adoptable horses
Prior to being “cleared” for adoption, horses in our care have completed a 2-3 month evaluation process which allows us to learn their personality, herd ranking, and quirks once they settle in to a foster family’s home. Adoptable horses have received vaccinations, deworming, farrier care and have a current negative Coggins, in addition to a training evaluation and riding/driving time dependent on their soundness or limitations. Horses continue being handled or ridden throughout their time in rescue and lead, load, tie and have basic ground manners regardless of whether or not they are able to be ridden.
Please note: We require an approved adoption application prior to scheduling a visit with the horse you are interested in. As a foster-based rescue, this is out of respect for our fosters’ privacy and time as well as yours. Please visit our Adoption FAQ if you have questions.
Western Toro
Toro is a 17 hand, 15 year old pacing-bred gelding who’s been off the track since 2020. He spent the past 4 years as a pleasure-driving horse (primarily driven indoors) until a non-horse-related injury forced his owner to find him a soft landing.
Toro has taken right to riding. He will be looking for an adopter who is either willing to keep him in training, or is a rider (or driver) comfortable handling the occasional green horse moment. His “spook” is a stop and look, so he needs someone confident enough to move him forward to investigate when he is unsure.
Toro is sound with no known limitations, although due to an old, cold calcification on his left front, he is NOT recommended for endurance, jumping, or other high impact activity. He prefers to gait under saddle, but he will offer some trot steps, so at this point, he could go either direction based on his adopter’s desires. He could be your perfect gaited trail horse, do some western dressage, or continue a pleasure driving career. *Toro’s former owner taught him to trot in harness, so that part is already done!
He is up to date on vaccinations, Coggins, farrier, and deworming, enjoys baths, fly spray, and a bit of pampering if you care to indulge. He is fine stalled or outdoors in a small herd. He is used to being blanketed in cold weather and as it is his first winter in Tennessee, he will likely require a bit of support in this way. We recommend a gelding-only lifestyle as he likes to flirt with the girls.
Toro has had approximately 7 weeks under saddle and is continuing to be ridden in his foster home as weather permits. He is ready to go to a riding or driving home with a rider/driver who has the skill to continue working with him. Please note: the child rider in the photo below is an advanced beginner with approximately 18 months of formal riding instruction. He was extremely careful and gentle with her from initial catching, through riding, to turning him out. We feel he would be fine for a child in this situation with adult supervision (and tack-up assistance due to his size!)
Please review our adoption FAQ and complete an application if interested in meeting him.
Adoption fee: $2000
Buttercup
Buttercup is an 18 year old (estimated), 14.1 hand grade mare who is a living symbol of Safe Harbor’s lifetime commitment to its horses.
Buttercup originally came to Safe Harbor as an owner surrender some 9 years ago. She had been a pet until that point, only trained to sort-of lead. Volunteer trainers worked with her for several months, and she was adopted as a well started but still green trail horse. She returned as too much horse for her adopter, and was adopted again. Unfortunately, that home did not have companions, and she began acting out because she wanted to be with the horses next door to her adopter. An ownership transfer was completed, and she went to live happily with the neighbors geldings, where she would again be a pet. (Note: This scenario is a very big reason why we do not adopt rideable horses as companions anymore.) Both geldings passed on, and the owners reached out to Safe Harbor to help find a place for Buttercup. By this point, she had grieved herself into weight loss and was difficult to catch…as she hadn’t been handled much in the recent past.
Volunteers had hands on her within 40 minutes, and she loaded right onto a trailer. She gained weight quickly, was updated on all vet care, has been wonderful for the farrier, and is currently in groundwork “refresher” training in preparation for an under-saddle refresher.
Buttercup is available on a foster-to-adopt to an advanced rider or a confident, quiet intermediate working with a trainer who is willing to invest additional time. She bonds with her person and looks to her handler for confidence in scary situations. She is not appropriate for a timid handler or a rider who spooks when their horse does.
*We believe her best match to be someone with other mares. She has not shown any buddy sour or behavioral issues in an all-mare herd. She bonds a little too hard to the boys.
We would love to have sponsors for the cost of her training. We deeply appreciate Chasing the Son Farm and Yvonne Lucius, APF-i for assistance with Buttercup’s monthly care costs.
Adoption fee: TBD *Option to adopt with fee waived if adopter commits to 60 day restart with our approved trainer.
Manhattan’s Praise Worthy
Paisley is a 24-year-old registered American Saddlebred mare (4/24/00) who was dumped for free on Craigslist to a person brand new to horses in the middle of the winter - a combination which nearly resulted in death.
Paisley came to us a BCS 1, but has rehabbed well and maintains her weight on her current feeding program. She requires high fat feed and alfalfa pellets or hay. She loves attention and a fixed routine and her adopter should understand it will take her some time to settle into a new home. She needs a private pasture where she can share a fence line but not be turned out with others. We are happy to discuss the “whys” of her upkeep with truly interested parties.
She is a typical Saddlebred ex-show horse, and requires an experienced handler who won’t be upset by her snort-n-blow. Paisley was shown in halter as a young horse and was trained to ride, although due to arthritis and previous life care, she is no longer sound to ride.
Paisley loves cookies, drinking Squirt from the can, and the occasional cup of apple cider. She currently lives outdoors 24/7 except in bad weather. We would consider placing her with a sanctuary foster or adopting her to the perfect retirement home. Please email us for additional information or fill out an adoption application to indicate your interest.
Horses will be added to the website as they are cleared for adoption. This means they are a BCS 4 or better, have been fully vetted and rehabilitated, and have had training evaluations on the ground and under tack as appropriate.
You may apply to adopt at any time, even if we do not currently have a horse that fits your wish list. We often network horses into new homes through our Friends Helping Friends program, and we always reach out to approved adopters first when our horses become officially available.
More Details About Our Process
- We adopt within 200 miles of zip code 37048, Cottontown TN, with a few exceptions. Those exceptions include 5 years of documented ownership, references, and photos of current equine and facility.
- We require an in-person meeting to ensure an appropriate match between horse and adopter.
- You must go through our approval process, including submitting references, prior to meeting the horse or ‘test rides’ – this is out of respect for everyone’s time. Providing complete and accurate information helps us process your application faster and match you accurately with available horses.
- Horses are up to date on routine care including vaccinations and Coggins, and complementary therapies if our team feels they are needed (IE massage, chiropractic, MagnaWave, acupuncture, etc.)
- PPE’s from adopter’s veterinarian are always welcome. We will work with you but do ask that vetting is done within 7 days of committing to adopt whenever possible.
- Our adoption agreement is a lifetime safety net with no breeding, no auction, no slaughter terms. We will always take back or assist with re-homing any Safe Harbor adoptee.
- Nearly every horse in our care is available for sponsorship. Full sponsors have the option to meet their sponsored horse. Go here for sponsorship or email us with questions.
Currently in intake…
Horses in the intake process take on many forms. Oftentimes, initial vetting and farrier care take place prior to transporting to a foster home. Once fosters commit and transportation is arranged, horses are brought in and spend several days or weeks settling into their new situation, learning new routines, and being evaluated for basic manners, temperament, and “good citizen” knowledge.
If you would like to help us cover the costs associated with intake, please visit this page.
Courtesy listings will be shared in this space.
Safe Harbor “Friends Helping Friends” is an owner-assistance placement program for horses seeking new homes. Owners may share on our Facebook group and email us, and we will network the horse here, by email, and to our social media audience.
Safe Harbor “alumni” seeking new pastures are noted as such. All courtesy listings require an approved adoption application. Safe Harbor alumni require our transfer of ownership contract. Others are noted as to owner’s desires.
Safe Harbor makes no claims or warranties as to the soundness or suitability of any courtesy-listed horses.
These horses are not in our care or custody. Owners set their own fees.