One of the most important aspects of selecting your adoption horse is visiting and spending time with that horse, making sure you understand the horses needs and making sure its a good fit. No matter how hard we try to describe a horse, or the owner tries to describe the horse, you are still only getting a persons opinion about that horse, its not the horse talking about themselves. That opinion is slanted by that persons experience and expectations and the environment in which they put the horse in to get those results and the riders that ride the horse.
People that know horses know that you can change environments and the way you keep the horse, change the horse's handler and rider, change its schedule or turn out and you might see a totally different horse. Nothing we tell you will tell you whether you can handle the horse or be able to ride the horse... the only way to do that is to go and meet the horse and spend time with it and find all about how to bring out the best in the horse.
SWAP has a volunteer and adopt program where you can come and stay at the farm for free (you just pay for your food) and volunteer every day from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm and spending evenings selecting, getting to know your horse and doing your application. You days are also spent in the barn so you get to work and be around each horse.
This program is done year around. To see the facilities, click here. Click here to see directions.
If the volunteer really wants to learn, there are additional classes covering the application, care, farm management, grooming, riding/driving and training classes can be set up for a small fee during the evenings.
SWAP needs a one week advance notice and can only have a max of 8 volunteers at anyone time but there are no minimum numbers required for attendance, we can take one or up to 8 volunteers at anyone given time. Volunteers must be age 18 and up and for ages 13 to 17 they must be accompanied by their parent and have horse experience and the parent must have horse experience to be able to keep the minor out of trouble in the barn.
Email us at secondwindadopt@aol.com to Visit, Volunteer and Pick Your Horse!!
