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A special thank you to Erin Burnside of Elkins High
School and all the riders that came to the benefit trail ride for SWAP. As her
Senior project Erin raised over $400. for SWAP. Kudos Erin. If we had 100 kids
do this as their senior project or even just as a fund raiser, they could pay to
feed all our horses for a year!! Please consider us kids when you are doing your
volunteer projects for school or if you want to do a fund raiser this summer.
One kid with the desire to help can make a huge difference, just like Erin did.
Bravo for a job well done!!
Congratulations
to our Executor for her selection and award for the International Who's Who of
Professional and Business Women for 2006/2007. Kudos!!
Yehaa, Kudos again to our Executor for her selection to
receive the National Leadership Award by the Republican Party.
Click here to put
a horse into our adoption program
Click here to
see what we have learned over the years and with thousands of horses.
If you can't adopt, think about a gift to one or
all of our horses: supplies, tack, dewormers, a donation, fly spray, or a new
halter. Click here to be a sponsor to
one of our horses
Great Goals for 2008:
1. Spend
an hour a day with your horses, not just feeding, training and turning out, but
real quality time doing something that is enjoyable for the both of you.
Grooming or hand walking is a great way to bond with your horse and good for
both you and the horse.
2. Get
your loved ones more involved in your horses. Divorce is the biggest reason we
see horses coming back to us. Don't just share the work, share the fun too and find
something they really enjoy doing with horses.
3. Learn
a new discipline, go to a clinic, a horse show, or equine affaire. Come to one
of our clinics or watch a training video. If you are an adopter you can check
out books and video's from SWAP's Library for just shipping costs. Take a lesson at least once a month or Bring your adoption horse
here and we will help you. The better you are, the more fun you will have.
4. Make a
plan for your horse after you are gone or if you have a major injury, let your
will executor know your plans. Make a plan for emergencies or financial bumps
along the way for your horse. Have a plan if you or your horse gets injured,
even for the tough times of year like winter (or summer down south). Ask friends, family and neighbors
to be part of your plan. Most people can not resist someone when they are asking
for help for the welfare of an innocent animal.
5. Get yourself healthy and in better shape to
prevent injury, to live a long life and to more enjoy your horses. Eat 1-1-1
(one ounce of dark chocolate, one ounce of fresh walnuts, one glass of red wine
daily) and 2-2-2 (2 servings of fresh vegis, 2 of fresh fruit and get 2 sources
of fat free calcium). Drink 100 ounces of spring water a day, get a whole
house water filter. Change over to Sea-salt. Take one teaspoon of apple cider
vinegar every morning to keep your body alkaline (cancer and disease can not
grow in an alkaline body). Eat more fish and chicken and less red meat. Get a
good air cleaner and do daily deep breathing exercises, get outside in the fresh
air and sunshine for at least 1/2 hour every day. Get away from high fat food,
processed foods, fast food, can or boxed food, sugar or artificial sweeteners,
soda and don't eat anything if you can't read all the ingredients and know
exactly what is in it. Clean all vegis and fruits thoroughly, buy organic, buy
ocean caught fish, not farm raised, buy fresh meat and raw milk, not packed or
processed. Eat only natural carbs (potatoes, rice, oats) bake/broil or steam
everything. Use your microwave for only heating water, it kills the nutrition
value in food. Get 8 hours of sleep, reduce stress/risk (reduce commuting by car
pooling, tight schedules, cell phone use in the car, watch or read the news only
once a day or better yet once a week, stay clear of
negative people
and those very negative chat rooms and bulletin boards). Stop Complaining and be
Thankful for what we each have. Do one hour of walking, yoga or weight
training every day and it will make you strong, lean, look great and you'll get
wonderful complements from friends, coworkers and loved ones and the horse work
will be easier and more enjoyable.
6. Read
at least one book on training your horse and one on care each year, if for nothing
else but just inspiration. SWAP has a great
library of books/videos that adopters can check out for just the cost of mailing
it. Click here to
see our Library
7. Get
carrots/apples every time you go to the store, your horses will love you for it and
always come running when you call. Don't feed candy or anything sweeter. Carrots
are sweet enough. Get rid of the sweet feeds and you'll get rid of the hot horse
once and for all.
8.
Realize that if you are having a problem with your horse, more likely than not,
the problem is you. Learn more, practice more, ask in a different way, be
patient, change their environment or daily schedule to better suit them. Taking
better care of a horse always brings out the best in that horse. Good
feed/hay, time to rest in a quiet stall out of the elements, lots of fresh water, time to be with you and time to
just be a horse, time with their buddies, farrier and vet care always done is a
good start. The biggest part of this relationship puzzle is you, not the horse.
If you are struggling, then you need to learn more and get better.
9. Ride
at least once a week, regardless of weather. Use this time as your down time for
healing, your therapy, your time to relieve stress and the pressures of daily
life. Even if you don't ride, go sit and read a book in the pasture with the
horses or sit in the barn and listen to them munch on dinner, away from the
crowd and noise of your day. Enjoy the peace and quiet, enjoy hearing happy
horses eating dinner or grass in the pasture.
10. Spend
time leisurely grooming your horse once a week. Rubber curries are shine makers.
You will have a beautiful horse and a very loyal friend who will do anything for
you.
11. Come and spend a week at SWAP HQ,
volunteering and focusing on helping a horse and giving will change your life
plus it will be the best vacation you ever had. Help
an animal in need, whether fostering, being one of our state reps that goes out
to check on our horses in their homes or helps us approve adopters in their
area. Find horses in need and help us find them homes. Buy a horse at a slaughter
auction, get it fat and trained and we'll help you place it into a good home. Foster and
volunteer for your local small animal adoption program. I promise, the good
things you do will come back to you a hundred times over. Every person has a
talent they can offer and if you help one horse or one dog or cat find a good
home, you have changed their life forever.
12.
Know that every goal is obtainable and it starts with a single step.
Take that first step today!! No matter what it is or how big, YOU CAN DO IT!!
Every goal that is written down will come true (really!). Every famous person,
every great or notable scientist, author, trainer/rider, parent or friend
started out as just a thought, just a goal. Remember to take one step today to
reach your goals.
13. Start
every day with thinking about, what is the most important thing I can do
today to change my life and make it better. Do that one thing and in 30 days
your life will be totally different. Can you imagine what your life would be
like if you did that for 60, 90 or even 365 days a year. The opportunities are
endless.
14. Want to keep your horse sound for life? (That should be every horse owners
number one goal) do a
long slow warm up (cold muscle is easy to injure, a warm one is nearly
impossible to injure). The very best cool down is hand walking your horse for 1 hour after every work out.
Yes, get off the horse and walk with it. Its great exercise for you and a good
time for you to bond. Stop riding your horse during cool downs and stop using a
hot walker, do something good for you and the horse, hand walking. Its also the
best rehab for over work and injuries, the only thing better is hydro therapy
and swimming your horse. Allow soft tissue and hard tissue to
become more conditioned before going into any training program... that usually
means 3 months of at least 3 days a week for soft tissues and 10 months of work for bones to become strong
enough to jump or do any strenuous training program. Don't start any upper level
work, jumping or extensive training until the horse is fit and at least between
age 4 and 6 and has been conditioned for at least 10 months (especially if the
horse has never been jumped/worked or not been jumped or worked in the last
year).
15. Appreciate what you have and be thankful.
Instead of looking at what you don't have, look at what you do. Thank those
people who have helped you and supported you. The more you give, the more that
will come back to you. When you give something away or give something to
someone/something in need, you make space in your life for something good to
come to you. We are all very blessed, if we just take a moment to look
around and enjoy those things.
16. Get used to using favorite mantra's and visualizations
every day, simple ones that are easy to remember, like 'I can do this, I will do
this', 'this isn't going to get the best of me' or even, 'I deserve the best' or
'the gift of love, caring, and support always comes back' and take two minutes
every morning as you wake and at night as you go to sleep to visualize the life
you want, the you you want to be, Our thoughts become things, what you see
is what you get, if you expect the best, the best will happen, change your
self-talk from negative to positive and I promise your life will change for the
better..
17. Each person is put on this earth for a reason, each of
us has a mission. What is yours? Seek and you shall find, finding is a journey
... in the journey and the search you'll find your life purpose. If you died in
your sleep tonight is there something you haven't done that you need to do or
want to do? Someone you need to mend fences with, burnt bridges to fix? People
you need to tell them how much you love them? Have you fulfilled your purpose in
your life? Ask yourself, Why am I here? How can I make this better? Who do
I want to be? Who am I suppose to be? What reason was I put on this earth? What
is my purpose?
18. Be an inspiration to your family, co workers and
friends. We all fall on our face, we all make mistakes, we all get discouraged,
most times we all get up and try again.... sometimes we need a nudge. Instead of
being negative or doing negative things, be their inspiration. You do believe
they can do it, so why not tell them. If their self talk is negative, then you
be their positive self talk.... eventually they will start to say it and believe
it too. Life is self fulfilling, failure feeds on itself or causes more failure,
achieving does as well. So if you or your love ones are in a negative cycle,
break the cycle by changing your thoughts, your self talk, achieve something
small to get yourself and your family back into the cycle of achievement.
19. We all file a flight plan every single day for our
life. Where is your flight going today? Just like a pilot flying, the winds, the
gravitational pull will change your flight plan and take you off course, so you
must make small corrections along the way to make sure you make your
destination. Have you selected your destination? Have you picked the steps in
your flight plan to get there? Every goal is really that easy, pick the goal and
figure out how to get there. The easiest way to pick your flight path/plan is
find someone who has done it before you, then do what they did. Its all baby
steps you know. Just keep an eye on that destination and keep saying...."here is
my destination, this is where I'm going, this is where I am now, this is how I'm
going to get there.... I will arrive at this time on this day. You can do
it..... its just like getting in your car to go to the store, its just deciding
where you want to go and how to get there, then take that first step. You can do
it!! No matter how big or how outlandish you may think your dream to be...
it is obtainable.
20. Laugh every day and try (as hard as it is sometimes)
to find the positive and the humor in each situation (and have at least one bite
of a truly decadent desert once a week). Life is just too short to not enjoy it
thoroughly.
21. We learn the most and do our best work when we have
fallen on our face, when we are struggling, when we are worried, scared or
frustrated, when we anguishing over something or troubled by it. It is then that
you have true motivation, when you think clearer. The most brilliant ideas come
to people when they feel lost, frustrated, or at the bottom, helpless or
hopeless. Cherish these times because its when you can come up with your best
ideas to your biggest problems and challenges. You see, there is a reason for
the rainy days.
22. You can't make everyone happy, its useless to try and
wasted energy to think you can. 50% of all people will not agree with you at any
given time, don't worry about it and don't let it stop you. 50% becomes a lot of
people when you are in the public eye. As long as you are not hurting anyone and
you believe you are doing the right thing, then go ahead and do it. If you are
wondering what is the right thing to do, its usually the harder thing to do, the
toughest path to take. The easy way out is rarely the right thing to do.
Instead of worrying over what someone thinks of you or says about you, do
something amazing and outstanding to inspire them or at least have them sitting
on the side lines being jealous, secretly saying, "wow, she has guts". One
person with purpose becomes the majority, one way or another.
This should
probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day.
1. There
are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. At least
15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only
reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you
4. A smile
from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every
night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean
the world to someone.
7. You are
special and unique.
8. Someone
that you don't even know exists loves you.
9. When you
make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10 When you
think the world has turned its back on you take another look.
11 Always
remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
Good
friends are like stars.......
You don't
always see them, But you know they are always there.
"Whenever
God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another,
I would
rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while I'm here than a whole
truck load when I'm gone.
Always in hope and admiration, Celeita
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ADOPTING
Apply one weekend, ride the next!!
CLICK HERE TO GET TO GET THE
ADOPTION APPLICATION this is done first to get approved as an adopter
CLICK HERE TO GET THE ADOPTION CONTRACT this is done once you are
approved and we've matched you with a horse.
Here's everything you need to adopt your adoption horse:
Here's everything you need to manage your adoption horse,
once adopted:
"Do
the most important thing first, not the easiest"
Adopting can be the most
rewarding and wonderful experience of your life! There's nothing better than
knowing YOU made a difference in the life of a horse. Whether your adoption
horse is facing retirement after a strenuous career or just needs a change of
pace, our horses have a lot of experience and love to give. Regardless of the
reason you adopt, our goal is to satisfy the needs of our adopters and provide
horses with the loving homes they deserve.
We feel strongly that SWAP adopters are some of the best
horse owners in the world because they always go that extra mile for their
horse. They prove themselves daily from their first contact with us, to filling
out the extensive application and by providing the best home and care possible
to these great horses. We know that our requirements are stringent but we are
looking for strong people with big hearts that don't give up easily. Our
adopters are the type of people who spend their life "being part of the
solution, instead of part of the problem" and we commend them for that. If you
think that you have what it takes to be a part of the best, part of the solution
then we urge you to get your application in and join this proud family of animal
lovers and horse guardians, the SWAP family.
We strive to match our
horses with adopters in every way to be sure each horse and its new family is
happy. If the horse you desire isn't on our list, please fill out an
application and we'll contact you when it becomes available!
Time Needed to Adopt
(Apply one weekend, ride the next)
 |
1 hour to do the application for adoption (for
experienced horse people, more needed for beginners)
|
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1 hour to get pictures of your facility
and your horses (if you own others) and send by email or hard copies with
application. |
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10 minutes to go to
www.mapquest.com map and print pages
showing your home, horse facility and work |
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10 minutes to get your vet, farrier and
horsey references (select your vet and farrier and list them even if you have
not owned other horses). |
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10 minutes for the facility manager or owner to do the
facility form if you board. |
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1 day for overnight mail or you can fax
then mail the original by regular mail. |
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3 days for us to review and potentially
approve the application, get questions answered. |
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1 day to match the person to the horse
and vice versa for the best fit. |
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1 day to potentially go see the horse
and ride it, sign the contract/pay fee (or sign promissary note and pay
downpayment, send post dated checks) |
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10 minutes to get a vet check (if
requested), 30 minutes to have it completed |
|
1 hour to get transportation arranged or
the travel time if you pick up yourself. |
The Benefits of
Adopting From SWAP
-By Adopting from SWAP you are not
only helping the horse you adopt by giving it a good home but your adoption fee
goes to help more horses that are waiting to come into the program to look for a
home.
-Your adoption fee is at least
half of what it would cost to buy the same horse on the open market. SWAP
adoption fees are set at 1/2 of the estimated or appraised value of the horse
(what the horse could be sold at on the open market), most are set at 20% or
below.
-SWAP is not a rescue program, it's
an adoption program. We accept all types of horses; some very high quality
horses come to SWAP being retired from grand prix riders and even olympic medalists.
-85% of our horses come to us with some training
under their belts and experience being ridden; many come to us with professional
training and many have already had training in at least one job but are ready to
continue with that job or ready to learn a new one.
-SWAP is the only program that
will allow you to make monthly payments on your adoption fee and take the horse
home with you, too. You can also pay your adoption fee with a debit or credit
card.
-SWAP also gives price breaks for
anyone who can pay the entire adoption fee up front, sometimes as much as 10 to
20% off depending on the horse, which can sometimes be enough to pay the
transport fee.
-Our
horses come from people who really love their horses, much like their kids and
only want the best home, so they have had the best care, all their health care
is up to date at all times, they are healthy and have been fed well. Many horses
come with all their tack, blankets, bridles and all the stuff that had been used
by the horse with their previous owner, saving the adopters thousands of dollars
in supplies and equipment. SWAP is 'rescue prevention' our mission is to get the
horse into a quality committed home before its care or home becomes an issue.
-We get the complete history of
the horse and it's passed along to the adopter.
-We help adopters make good sound
horse selections because we know that if you are safe and happy with your horse,
you will take good care of it. We are looking for permanent homes and our goal
is to do that.
-All horses that come into the
program are required to have all their health care up to date to be accepted
into the program. SWAP keeps them up to date while in the program. All rehab,
lameness, past issues with the horse are totally disclosed by the owner and SWAP
so you are thoroughly informed about the horse's past. These things are usually
hidden on purpose in sales and not disclosed at all during auctions and even catalog sales.
-SWAP looks for jobs for each
horse that we feel they can do for life and stay sound (without drugs,
injections or special shoeing). Many times you will see that we restricted the
horse from heavy competition or jumping. We don't do that because the horse
can't do that today but we do it because we feel they can't do that for a
lifetime and still stay sound. It is to protect the horse's quality of life and
may not have anything to do with an injury, illness or lameness but can also be
because of conformation and size of the horse. This is also
for your protection so you don't get a horse only to send it back after 5 or 6
years because it can't do what you want. That is not what we want for our horses
or the adopters.
-We do take rescue horses and horses taken by the
authorities but we designate those horses as a 'rescue' on their descriptions.
We feel strongly that every horse regardless of their background deserves the
very best home and some horses need us more than others. We understand that It is never a problem to bring a horse back up to condition that has not been fed but when
horses have not been de-wormed on a regular basis, they usually have permanent
damage of internal organs and more susceptible to colic (the killer of 50% of
all horses), which means they should never be bred and should be kept out of stressful
jobs. Even though SWAP feels that every horse deserves a chance for the best
home, we understand that there are considerations with certain horses depending
on their past.
-Complete information from the
donor and past adopters is available for review by each approved adopter, this
are pages and pages of information about the horse.
-We will answer all the
questions about each horse to all interested parties, regardless of whether they
are approved or not. Of course, this is only one person's opinion about the horse, which is many times
driven by that person's experience and the environment and job the horse was
doing, but it's still more than going to an auction and knowing nothing. The
only way you can know how a horse is going to do with you is go see it and ride
it but even then you really won't know until you get the horse into your home,
schedule, job, rider, handlers, feed, turn out and herd as all those things can
affect how a horse is. You experience is the biggest part of that puzzle.
-When
available, each adopter will have the complete history to include x-rays, vet
records, show records, etc, we will fax all records anywhere in the country and
Canada so potential adopters will have all background information.
-We place wonderful horses into
good homes for only a fraction of what they would cost to buy on the open
market. Giving adopters a chance to have a horse for life that they would never
be able to afford if they were buying. Many adoption fees are under $1000. and
all are less than 50% of what the horse would sell for on the open market. SWAP
has amazing specials every month and payment plans to fit into every budget.
-SWAP
offers an enormous selection of horses. Over 1000
horses of 63 different breeds have been adopted into 45 of the 50 states and
Canada. 90% are mares and geldings with the other 10% being made up of
stallions, colts, and fillies. 82% of the horses are registered; many of the
horses were imported from Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
-The breeds
we get encompass
everything from the horses that we have all grown up with to the many wild
horses on American soil, such as the Mustang, Chincoteague and Assateague ponies
to the Cracker ponies of Florida. In addition to every type of racehorse,
competition/sport horse and warmblood to the more exotic breeds like Friesians,
Irish Draughts, Nakota’s, Mecklenburg’s, Lippazzans, Azetecas, Spanish Normans and Fjords. They
come to us trained in nearly every discipline from driving and pleasure riding
to eventing, dressage, barrel racing to even jobs like cutting and reining.
-Most all the
horses have extensive information on their individual page, loads of pictures
and video in the barn, in hand, at a lunge and under saddle.
-Opportunities
to go and ride the horse are available, vet checks can be completed prior to
adopting upon request (at the adopters expense) and many of the SWAP horses either have a microchip,
tattoo or brand to protect
the horse from theft or loss during natural disasters.
-We allow our proven quality
adopters to purchase and own many of the horses after a of probationary
period of between 2 to 5 years with a safe selling agreement that will protect
the horse for life from abuse, neglect, misuse, over use and slaughter.
Click here to read about
purchasing your adoption horse. This is not automatic with all adopters but
something that is earned by following your adoption contract and not with every
horse so if you feel you must eventually own the horse, please ask about the
horse you are looking at. We do not sell horses to anyone that wants it only for
resale.
-If the adopter's personal life
changes at anytime or if the horse is not working out, SWAP will always take the
horse back so you are never stuck with the horse. We do feel for the horse
to get the best care, the adopter has to be happy with the horse. Exchanges are
considered in some cases when the horse is being returned... SWAP will exchange horses and help the adopter find a different
horse or something more appropriate, read your contract to find our details of
exchanges but for the most part we are looking for adopters who plan to keep the
horse forever.*
-SWAP has a long list of advisors
that are available nation wide to assist adopters with problem solving, whether
it be training, veterinary or farrier assistance that is needed.
-SWAP has an established Library
of all kinds of reference material that you can check out, view and read for as
much as a month at a time, for less than non adopters and non SWAP Association
members. click here to see our
Library list.
-SWAP membership is published
annually to all members so that you can keep in touch with other SWAP members.
Detailed listing will be made for professional horse people for stabling,
farriers, trainers, transporters, and services provided by all SWAP members.
-SWAP is probably the only program
like this that allows breeding of its mares and stallions as long as the
contract is followed, the horse is released for breeding by the original
owner and you abide by the rules of the contract by registering all foals, etc,
read the contract for details.*
-Most all of the horses at SWAP
receive regular riding, evaluations and some are even trained while in our care. Many have
gotten professional training with the former owner. Many have experience showing
and competing, trail riding.
-SWAP will assist the adopter in
finding a transporter to move the horse to your location.
-THIS
IS NEW AND COMING SOON!!! SWAP Association
Membership, the first year is free after adopting and will give member
discounts on the following items:
Adopting again, training, lessons and
clinics, equipment sales, services like equine sports massage therapy, riding
and driving instruction, breeding assistance and instruction, SWAP Spa packages,
the lifeline program, estate planning, SWAP Shopping, Horse Transport
assistance, emergency and disaster assistance, overnight and extended boarding
for people and horses at SWAP HQ, Cinderella care packages, discounts to horse
vacations, horse insurance, discounts to horse events and shows, discounts at
equine hospitals and veterinary service, equine products, discounted brokering
services, free advertising on a web site that gets between 3 to 4 million
visitors a month, discounted prices to horse racing events, car rental and
insurance, Scholarship opportunities. members get reference book check out for
less and horse adoption specials available only to them. SWAP members also get a
quarterly newsletter that covers new care and training techniques, updates on
horses, happy endings, events, clinics and specials for members only and a free
copy of our annual calendar and the SWAP 'I'd rather be riding Cookbook'
(see the SWAP Membership page).
-SWAP members will be allowed to
go into Member only pages that will be filled with specials and great deals for
members only. These could be wonderful raffles for things like maybe a training
session with SWAP donor and supporter Olympic rider and Silver Medalist McLain Ward or our adopter
and Olympic Dressage Trainer Heidi Erickson for a dressage lesson to great vacations offered at very low
prices to even internships at some of your favorite training facilities. (new)
-SWAP members are a voting body,
privileged to vote on things like scholarships, state and regional directors,
Our Annual Heros and award selectees, even names for unnamed horses or babies
born in the program by mares that come to us in foal, Voting on how money will
be spent on horses in the LifeLine Program and even selecting your favorite
pictures for the annual calendar. (new)
What we
are looking for in our adopters
-
The adopter has plenty of "Want To"
A
huge heart and desire to help a horse have a better life, they will work through
problems and not give up and the type who will keep a horse forever. They
understand good horses are made, not
born. "Show me your horse and I will show you who you
are" is a favorite quote at SWAP. We are looking for an adopter
who is not looking for a cheap, perfect horse. They
have an understanding that horses are innocent animals, not machines, and they need
love, care and nurturing to be their best.
-
The
adopter has reviewed their time, limitations, facilities, financial constraints,
knowledge, personal responsibilities and they can make a life long commitment to
a horse. They have the time to spend with the adoption horse and the time and
financial commitment to give quality care to the horse.
-
The adopter has reviewed their
recent riding experience/training and
they look for something appropriate to that situation, the right horse for the
right job, environment and rider.
-
The adopter offers stability
(personal, home/family, financial, mental and emotional)
-
A good
base of knowledge or a solid plan for
learning.
The better you are, the better the horse will be for you and the wider range of
horses you can look at adopting, the more confidence you will have and the
better overall experience. The person is the biggest part of this puzzle, not
the horse. We can send a bad horse that is in awful condition to an experienced
knowledgeable motivated person and it will become both wonderful to handle and
beautiful to look at and we can send the very best horse with striking good
looks and the best training to someone who doesn't know anything that doesn't
care and the horse will become bad and go
down hill in no time. What the horse does is a direct result of the person handling and
caring for it and what they do, regardless of how expensive the horse is or how
well its trained and cared for when they got it!!!!! We believe every rider
requires professional training to be safe in the saddle, we also believe that
all horses require professional training for every job they are doing.
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Good facilities
and supplies that are maintained, a way to care and sustain the horse, knowledge
to do so
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The criteria that will cause immediate
removal of an adoption horse, disapproval of an adoption application or an
exchange:
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Falsification of any document,
dishonestly on any part of the application including bankruptcy's, dishonestly
to any SWAP Representative. |
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Signs of instability (financial,
emotional or personal) |
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Someone not knowledgeable about horses
and has no interest in learning. |
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Not feeding your adoption horse (any ribs or hip bones showing is a MAJOR problem),
not staying up on annual shots/coggins/dental work, not staying current on
farrier (every 8 weeks) and deworming (at least quarterly). |
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Not giving your adoption horse shelter from
bad weather (securing horses in the shelter during times of
inclement weather, ie. extreme cold/heat, thunder storms, snow, ice, freezing rain, tornados,
hurricanes) |
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A bad reference from anyone |
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Not following any part of the contract |
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Any forms of neglect or abuse, miss use
or over use of any horse,
prior charges/accusations for animal, child or spouse abuse. |
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Conviction of a crime or a felony charge |
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Poor, unsafe, inadequate or unmaintained facilities |
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Adopter does not have the acreage for a
horse or has too many horses for the financial backing, the facilities, or the
time involved to care for them. |
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Not paying any bill that is related to your adoption horse |
(example; farrier, vet, board, trainer, transport)
Here's Everything You need to adopt:
- Read The Checklist for Adopting
listed below first!
All Forms are all in pdf format. To open or
print these forms you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click here to get a
free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader Software. if you are having any problems downloading forms, please contact us at
secondwindadopt@aol.com and we can either fax them to you or attach them
to an email.
Check List for Adopting:
-
Be persistent, patient through the
process and realistic about what you are
looking for and your recent experience.
Most of our horses are in the middle of a career transition and though they may
have the temperament and soundness for several professions, someone needs to
help them make the transition.
Have realistic expectations about the horse and your own capabilities. As
a horse buyer or adopter, you will always spend the money or the time (or both) to get the
horse of your dreams.
Ask yourself the following questions before adopting or purchasing a horse:
1. Do I have at least 2 to 4 extra hours a day
to spend time with the horse, provide care, meet with the farrier/vet, ride,
exercise and feed the horse 7 days a week, 365 days a year for the rest of this
horses life? Do I have someone to fill in for me when I can't? Do I have someone
who can help me during times of injury or extreme weather? Do I have someone to
help when I need to go away?
2. Do I have an extra $200. a month for
each horse I own or adopt (not counting boarding fees, emergency vet care or
special needs)? This can be as much as $2000. a month depending on the area of
the country, research of it costs to board a horse, farrier costs, trainers fees
and lessons to learn, cost of hay and grain, etc so you have an idea of what you
need to plan for.
3. What is my recent horse experience
(within the last 6 months)? What ages and breeds of horses have I been riding
lately (not counting lesson horses)? What formal training have I had recently?
What type of riding and how much have I been doing? Do I have the experience to
ride the horse I am interested in? Does the rider have the experience to
ride this horse? Does the rider need formal training? Do we need to get a
trainer? Do I have the experience and knowledge to care for a horse (trust
us, its not like adopting a dog, this is a huge commitment in time and money).
4. What is the experience of this horse?
How has it been kept (stall kept or run in, blanketed or not, 24/7 turn out or
not) and in what region of the country and how can we make the transition easier?
What considerations do I need to consider in helping the horse go into its new
job and new environment? What level of rider has been riding this
horse and what age? (all these changes will change what the horse does with you and will
affect your care). What job do I want this horse to do? Can it do that job
easily? Does the horse need training to do this job? Do I want this horse to
ride several people? Is so, you need to find a horse that fits the biggest
person (height and weight) and the person with the least riding experience. If I
am very particular about the type of horse I want, am I prepared to travel and
see the horse, ride the horse to make sure its a good fit?
5. What is my job stability? Home
stability? Family stability? Financial stability? Does my entire family totally
support this adoption? Is my 'significant other' a horse person, do they totally
support the time and money that will be spent on this horse, ladies this is
critical because many divorces happen over horses? What is my current
stress level? Am I in the situation where I can take on
a high risk sport like
riding (meaning, do I have the health insurance and the job and home situation
where I can get hurt, be laid up and everything will continue to be done and
paid for)?
6. What will I do with the horse when the
kids lose interest and are no longer riding? How will I care for the horse when I am no longer competing? If I
divorce? If we move? If my job changes? If the mare I'm adopting as a broodmare
won't get pregnant? How will I care for the older horse? How will I care for the
horse when I am older? If the horse becomes lame? What is my plan for addressing
all those situations so I can do the best thing for the horse and not just toss
him aside or send them back to the program only to have to do this all over
again?
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Applications can be found under
ADOPTION APPLICATION
on
this web site. Print the application, fill it out and mail it to us.
Answer all questions. Look at yourself, your limitations in money/time/knowledge
and be specific about what you want to do with the horse you are adopting. Send pictures of your farm and other horses
by email or regular mail to the addresses listed above and your $30. application fee
by regular mail.
Our Criteria for consideration for
adoption: Adopters must be at least 21 and be employed,
personally/professionally/emotionally/financially stable, have
facilities needed to have a horse and the knowledge to care for a horse, time to spend with
the horse. We look for facilities and living conditions close to what the
individual horse has been accustomed to. The application must reflect the current
situation, not future plans.
-
Read all the information on
each horse.
Visit the adoption horse. We
recommend that each adopter go to spend time with their potential adoptee to
know it is a good match, ride the horse and handle the horse.
If
there is any question about whether the horse can do what you want it to do,
we always recommend a vet check.
Upon selection of the horse, the Adoption contract is
filled out and signed and sent with the adoption fee.
Click here for the Adoption Contract
Plans for the
transport can be made once all original documents are at SWAP HQ.
Why horses come to SWAP:
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| Horse is finishing one career and ready for another |
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| Can't physically hold up to the rigors of its current profession or
doesn't like its current profession. |
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| No longer has a career as a broodmare or breeding stallion, either they
are not
producing or the owner is changing focus of breeding goals |
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Horse is like a child to the owner and they want to know its going to a
good home. It means more to them than the money to sell the horse.
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Owner is no longer breeding, showing, racing or giving lessons
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Horse is not winning enough to pay the bills
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Horse has training issues beyond owners capabilities, owner has training
issues beyond the horses capabilities.
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Horse needs to be the center of someone's attention instead of being just another horse in the barn
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Is a retired police horse, race horse, show horse but still able to start another career
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The owner is over horsed (needs a more laid back horse or more training)
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Family is moving and can't take the horse
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Family hardship, ie. divorce, health problems, loss of job, death in family,
retiring, down-sizing the herd or farm, rider is going to college, lack of time for the horse or for
riding
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Horse needs someone more advanced to handle or ride horse, owner has advanced
beyond the capabilities of the horse
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Child has grown out of the horse/pony
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Change in personal situation including pregnancy, deteriorating health,
getting married, old age
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Not going to make a race horse, not fast enough, doesn't have the desire to
race, doesn't have the physical conformation or size for racing, showing or
its current job
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Horse has special needs, needs to get out of the sun or heat of the south or
needs warmer climate, needs to ridden more, needs to be ridden less, have
allergies to a geographical region
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Change in equine business climate ... higher taxes, costs of keeping horses,
drought winters, etc.
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*See your contract for details on returns, exchanges
and breeding.
| |
ADOPTING
Apply one weekend, ride the next!!
CLICK HERE TO GET TO GET THE
ADOPTION APPLICATION this is done first to get approved as an adopter
CLICK HERE TO GET THE ADOPTION CONTRACT this is done once you are
approved and we've matched you with a horse.
Here's everything you need to adopt your adoption horse:
Here's everything you need to manage your adoption horse,
once adopted:
"Do
the most important thing first, not the easiest"
Adopting can be the most
rewarding and wonderful experience of your life! There's nothing better than
knowing YOU made a difference in the life of a horse. Whether your adoption
horse is facing retirement after a strenuous career or just needs a change of
pace, our horses have a lot of experience and love to give. Regardless of the
reason you adopt, our goal is to satisfy the needs of our adopters and provide
horses with the loving homes they deserve.
We feel strongly that SWAP adopters are some of the best
horse owners in the world because they always go that extra mile for their
horse. They prove themselves daily from their first contact with us, to filling
out the extensive application and by providing the best home and care possible
to these great horses. We know that our requirements are stringent but we are
looking for strong people with big hearts that don't give up easily. Our
adopters are the type of people who spend their life "being part of the
solution, instead of part of the problem" and we commend them for that. If you
think that you have what it takes to be a part of the best, part of the solution
then we urge you to get your application in and join this proud family of animal
lovers and horse guardians, the SWAP family.
We strive to match our
horses with adopters in every way to be sure each horse and its new family is
happy. If the horse you desire isn't on our list, please fill out an
application and we'll contact you when it becomes available!
Time Needed to Adopt
(Apply one weekend, ride the next)
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1 hour to do the application for adoption (for
experienced horse people, more needed for beginners)
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1 hour to get pictures of your facility
and your horses (if you own others) and send by email or hard copies with
application. |
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10 minutes to go to
www.mapquest.com map and print pages
showing your home, horse facility and work |
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10 minutes to get your vet, farrier and
horsey references (select your vet and farrier and list them even if you have
not owned other horses). |
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10 minutes for the facility manager or owner to do the
facility form if you board. |
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1 day for overnight mail or you can fax
then mail the original by regular mail. | |
