Adopting A Rescue

The mission and goal of L.E.A.R.N. Horse Rescue is to find the horses in our care responsible, loving, lifetime homes.  

We want a good match between both the horse and adopter.  The majority of our horses come to us in a state of severe malnutrition or starvation from animal control agencies throughout South Carolina. Recovering from a state of severe malnutrition or starvation is a painstaking and deliberate process for any animal.  At L.E.A.R.N. Horse Rescue, we take great pains not to rush that process for the best interest of the horses in our care.  Depending on the age and overall physical condition of the horse upon intake into our facility, full recovery may take between 3 and 6 months.  

Many of the horses at L.E.A.R.N. available for adoption have been through the rehabilitation process and are ready for placement in lifelong homes. We have put blood, sweat, love, and often tears into their rehabilitation. We're not trying to find them any home, we're trying to find them the best home that fits their needs.  It’s not about collecting adoption fees, a lot more was spent on training and rehabilitation than the adoption fee.  We want a permanent loving home for our horses. This is why we ask you to fill out an adoption application.

At L.E.A.R.N. we have some horses who are ridable and some that are only suitable only as companions. We determine their level of physical comfort and usefulness by compiling information from a trainer and veterinarian, so that a mutually compatible match can be made for you and the horse. All of our horses are stabled in Charleston County. 

1) Click here to see our horses for adoption

2) Complete and submit our online adoption application

3) Once we receive your adoption application we will contact your references. L.E.A.R.N. makes application decisions based on the applicant’s horse knowledge, safety of facility, financial stability, and ability to provide a lifetime home to an adopted horse. L.E.A.R.N. application decisions are designed to keep the horse’s best interest in mind.

4)  After your references have been contacted and we have received emailed photos of where your horse will be pastured, we will contact you to schedule a “meet and greet”  opportunity for you and any horses that we’ve identified as potentially acceptable. 

5) Each adoption will begin with a 30 day trial period to give you and your adopted horse the opportunity to “try” each other out and adjust.   Please understand that your new horse will most likely not adjust to it's new environment overnight.  You can read more about bringing an adopted horse home here: Horse Adoption: The Transition Period

6) If the 30 day trial period is deemed a success then the adoption becomes finalized and adoption fee is collected.  Adoption fees vary depending on horse's ability, temperment and training. Any additional donation toward the veterinary and feed bills associated with your chosen horse is requested and very much appreciated.

7)  Transportation of horse to your facility is your responsibility. Transportation is available for an additional fee.

If you are a novice we suggest working with a trainer that is familiar with rescue horses. For your convenience, we have complied a list of local trainers willing to offer their services. 

In our twenty years of experience there have been rare occasions when an adopted horse was cared for unsatisfactorily. It is for this reason, we require our detailed Acceptance of Responsibility and Ownership Contract  to be signed and on file in the office before adopting a horse. Our adopted horses can never be sold, leased, given away, or commercially used. We are looking for a lifetime commitment to our horses; however, if an adopter can no longer provide good care for the adopted horse(s), the horse(s) must be returned to L.E.A.R.N. This assures that the horse(s) will always be well taken care of and also allows L.E.A.R.N. to intervene in the best interest of the horse(s) if necessary.

We look forward to finding you a great match!