Adopt
Available for Adoption
Download our adoption application form here.
Download our adoption application form here.
45 Van Rd
North Augusta, SC 29860
Monday – Friday 10:00 am -3:00 pm
Saturday by appointment only.
Sunday Closed.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Hope for Hooves Rescue operates solely on volunteers who selflessly give of their time to serve you. If you will be more than 15 minutes late for your session, we ask that you call to let us know. Missed time will not be extended that day nor rescheduled. If you are absent for more than 2 sessions during the semester your spot will be forfeited for the remainder of that semester and you will be placed on our waiting list.
WEATHER CANCELLATION POLICY
Because our sessions are all outdoors we are directly impacted by the weather. Hope for Hooves Rescue reserves the right to cancel a session if weather conditions are imminent. Our number one priority is keeping the children and horses safe from inclement weather. (ie; heavy rain, freezing temperatures, high heat index, high winds and lightning) Below is a list of conditions that will require us to reschedule a session:
Temperatures below 32 degrees, Above 80% chance of rainfall, Severe thunderstorm activity, Temperatures above 95 degrees, Above 80% chance of severe thunderstorm, Tornado warnings or watches.
SAFETY RULES
FOR FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS
Hope for Hooves Rescue requires that a parent/legal guardian remains on-site for the duration of their child’s session.
Jackson, my 9 year old son who is autistic, has ADHD, and anxiety, has been participating in the mentorship program at Hope for Hooves since 2023. There is no other organization in our area that offers what they have been able to offer him!
Like many children who utilize the mentorship program, Jackson often shows up to the farm bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. He is just overwhelmed from the day and his emotions. As soon as he sees his mentor, he holds his head higher and he immediately feels lighter. He runs to him and says “Hey Dude.” His mentor prays for Jackson, and they read a devotion. Jackson grows in his relationship with Christ through their bonding time.
Jackson has built so much confidence from doing farm chores and horseback riding. He was once afraid of horses, and now he asks to ride specific ones. He takes pride in completing his chores and his mentor encourages him every step of the way.
The Holy Spirit just moves in amazing ways at Hope for Hooves. It is like watching the hands and feet of Christ at work each week.
It has been an absolute new beginning for my son. He has been able to meet with God while meeting with others. He gets to participate in the Hebrew’s “gathering together and encouraging of each other” that hasn’t worked out for us anywhere else. This is huge! My son feels connected to others on a spiritual level now. He knows he is seen. He feels needed. He has become a contributor to the farm; finding a sense of pride in his work and a purpose through his time there.
I have been surprised by how much I enjoy my son’s time on the farm. It has become a time of refreshing and healing for me. I am able to sit quietly, communing with God through devotionals, life-giving podcasts, or soul-stirring biographies without the feeling of guilt for not doing something else. As caregivers to children with special needs, we can get frazzled; we can feel like the whole world is on our shoulders. To have a time each week, where we are allowed to be quiet, to sit with nature around us – a breeze blowing, a horse neighing, the smell of hay, ducks waddling across our view – it’s good for the soul. It’s the way God created us to be; for nature to heal us and ground us and bring us back to our awareness of and need for Him. That’s what I get when I sit and wait on my son at the farm. I get closer to HIM.
I have seen so many changes in my son throughout his time at Hope For Hooves. Every single person who is close to my son has seen a positive change. His speech teacher sees more concentration, focus, and determination. His grandparents see a more mature and responsible young man. His father and I see a change in his understanding of himself – my son feels proud of who he is now. He knows he can help lift heavy loads. He can take care of animals and their needs. He can work well with others. He can ride on the back of a horse (something he thought was much too scary at first). At home, he is now constantly helping around the house, taking initiative to keep our home clean and organized and recognizing when things need to be done without my even asking. For so many years, we have started programs and been asked to lessen our time or leave altogether. And, trust me, I can understand the reasons why. I get it. But my son needed one person (outside of his intimate circle) to see him for more than his behavior. That has happened at Hope for Hooves. His mentor, Stephanie, has taught me how to be more hands-off, how to let my son be himself. How to accept him for who he is, right now. This has been strictly through my observations of her with him and not through any coaching or counseling session. It’s just Stephanie being Stephanie. All of the girls on the farm are so patient and kind. Michelle is the epitome of being Jesus’ hands and feet. Always gentle. Always loving. Always caring and compassionate. Love radiates from this place and I don’t think they even realize how much. But I feel it. The animals live it. My son knows it. And it has changed him to his core.
This program has been an answer to so many prayers. At 3, my son was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder and then, later, Severe Intellectual Disability along with several other diagnoses. School has been a struggle due to behavior issues, with his day having been shortened over and over again before starting homeschool. We also had to leave a special program we were in due to behavior (while my son is 10 years old, he functions on a 4-5 year old level). At church, he must have a parent as his one-on-one. We had been limiting our outings to restaurants and other public places and even to family events. I was desperate. I felt we had tried so many things but nothing was reaching my son where he needed it; he wasn’t making the important connections. I prayed and prayed. Someone mentioned horse therapy. I looked for a year but somehow never found anything that I thought fit him. Then a casual acquaintance mentioned Hope for Hooves. I felt it could be our answer but still felt hesitant. I sat on the decision for about 6 months, just feeling nervous and afraid we would be asked to leave yet another program. I finally decided it was my own fears holding us back and should move forward for my son’s sake. It was the BEST decision we could have ever made. Each week, my son comes back to me refreshed and renewed. He finally feels confident and like he has a purpose. Our time at the farm has become our hour of blessing. I now know I had nothing to be worried about. This place is a place of hope. This place is a place of rebuilding. This place is a place where God’s love is tangible.
~ Crystal Huntsman
Do you love to be around horses but have no desire to ride? Do you wish you could own one but don’t have the means to provide for one? Are you seeking holistic therapy where your ‘therapist’ has four legs?? If you answered ‘yes’ to one or more of these questions then we have an opportunity for you to sponsor one of our sanctuary horses.
Your sponsorship will allow you to come out to the farm and care for the horse you wish to sponsor. Caring for one of our sanctuary horses includes feeding, grooming, bathing, reading to them, taking them on walks, feeding them treats, etc. Please keep in mind that the reason they are sanctuary horses is because they are non-rideable. But, they deserve love and attention just as much, if not more, than the rideable horses.
By making a recurring monthly gift towards the care of a specific horse you are helping to cover their necessary monthly expenses including, but not limited to, grain, hay, hoof trims, deworming, vet visits, and vaccines.
There are five levels of sponsorship to choose from:
Send an email to michelle@hopeforhooves.org with ‘Sponsor a horse’ in the subject line if you would like to sponsor one of our sanctuary horses. I will schedule a time for you to come meet all of them so that you can choose your favorite. (Actually, they will choose you!)
At Hope for Hooves Rescue, we know firsthand that horses and farm animals can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, as well as many other mental health concerns. Emotional healing takes place from being around these large, loving animals.
How Horses Provide Healing:
Anxiety: Research suggests that horses may have a sixth sense that can identify anxiety, thus helping individuals identify these emotions in themselves.
Depression: Horses can help build confidence, communication skills, trust, social skills, impulse control, and also help learn boundaries.
Trauma: The emotional healing that begins with the non-judgmental acceptance of a horse enables individuals to feel safe enough to be themselves.
PTSD: Through horse-human interaction, individuals learn how to recognize their feelings, regulate emotions, and communicate better, as well as build trust and come to trust themselves again.
People in Recovery: Spending time with horses has been linked with increased happiness and decreased stress.
Neurodiversity: Horses calm individuals with neurodiversity, allowing them to focus, think, and accept training. They learn to communicate verbally and physically with their horse. They learn to focus on something outside themselves.
As you can see horses play an extremely important role when it comes to human emotional and mental disorders. This is why we love partnering with other organizations, to help bring healing to those in our community who are currently experiencing any type of emotional or mental anguish.
Lessons Policy