In an effort to help rescues place horses nationwide and open more spots to save others in need, Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue wants to highlight the reasons that adoption of your next horse makes so much sense for You.

We also want to bring awareness to all adoptable horses by using the hashtag #Opttoadopt

Why Adopt verses a traditional purchase?

  1. A solid rescue organization honestly evaluates their horses and gives you that information. We all put a great deal of time into discovering the strengths, flaws, holes in training, health conditions and personality of each horse because a rescue’s motivation is a life long placed , happy horse and happy adopter. The fewer horses returned due to health or behavior reasons, the more smoothly the organization runs, the more lives we can save. Everyone wins, especially the horse and the adopter!
  2.  A well managed rescue will always take their horses back, period. Should you fall on economically hard times, have a personal health crisis, want to adopt in your retirement years knowing a horse may out live you or find that you are not able to keep your adopted horse for any reason, you simply return the horse knowing he will stay safe and find a new, screened home. Selling is often a long, drawn out process and carries risks to the horse because you aren’t able to enforce a contract or screen like a rescue organization can. Additionally, some rescues refund all or some of your small adoption fee. Heart of Phoenix does under most circumstances.
  3.  The fees for rescue horses are typically extremely reduced to encourage would be adopters to apply and go through the screening process. We know buying a horse is easier, but in an effort to encourage good homes, most of us feel offering a horse fully vetted, up to date on everything needed and honestly represented at a much lower price than you would find when purchasing from someone is a great incentive to go through the process, which can take some time. The end result is very rewarding.
  4.  The horses that end up in rescue have no particular problems. There is a stereotype which is undeserved that says if a horse needs rescued, the horse is old, unsound or dangerous. We have placed hundreds of horses and handled far more through other rescue situations. We have found that, compared to horses that have never fallen on hard times, there is no particular reason a horse ends up in desperate need beyond having a person fail him. That is not the horse’s fault. Rare breeds, senior and safe, well trained, young and sound, smart and up for any type of equine activity you can imagine: These are the types of horses Heart of Phoenix and all rescues handle. There is no reason to steer away from rescue because you are concerned the quality of the animal you would be adopting would be less than the sales market can offer you most of the time. The only difference in a rescue horse and another horse is a one sale, one give away, one auction.
  5.  You become apart of something truly rewarding and important. This is, for us, the single most vital factor. When you adopt, while giving a forever home to one horse, you open a space to save another life. Your actions, your story, how you and your adoptive horse perform and the relationship you create tells others that Adoption is a Viable option for any equine lover. Your willingness to adopt saves lives and makes sure rescues will be here for the long term working successfully to be there for the animals we all love so much.




To learn about the adoptable horses in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio through Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue, PLEASE visit