Policy and Procedures

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

Wear appropriate clothing according to the weather the day of session.
Closed-toed shoes must be worn when entering the barn, paddocks or pastures, when working with the horses, and/or riding a horse. Boots are recommended, however, other types are acceptable. (Crocs & other slip-on shoes without a heel are not acceptable).
Long pants are highly recommended for riding.
You are only allowed to enter the barn, paddock, pasture or other animal enclosure with a mentor. NO EXCEPTIONS. Doing so may forfeit your remaining sessions.
No running around inside the barn or around the horses.

FOR FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

1. Please arrive no more than 10 minutes prior to your child’s session and remain in the car until their mentor comes to get them. If the child arrives late the session will still end at the regular scheduled time and this time will not be able to be made up in the future.
2. Family members and friends are more than welcome to walk around with your child and their mentor but please remain at a distance far enough as to not cause any interruptions. Anyone who does not adhere to this rule will be asked to sit in their vehicle for the remainder of the session.
3. The barn, paddocks, pastures and other animal enclosures are for children who are with their mentor ONLY. Family members and friends are not allowed to enter.
4. For their safety, do not bring personal pets to the farm. We have guard dogs on the property and they enjoy their job.
5. There is NO SMOKING OR VAPING allowed on the premises. Doing so will cause your child’s remaining sessions to be forfeited.
6. NO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL are allowed on the premises. If you do not adhere to this rule your child’s session will end immediately and you and your child will be asked to leave the premises. At this point your child will be considered terminated from our program and will not be placed on our waiting list.
7. While you are waiting for your child’s session to end we highly encourage you to read your Bible and/or pray. We also have several opportunities for you to volunteer.
8. Remember, this is a place where YOU can also receive healing from the Lord. Bring all of your worries and burdens with you and cast them all upon Jesus before you leave. We want you to go home refreshed and renewed as well.

Hope for Hooves Rescue requires that a parent/legal guardian remains on-site for the duration of their child’s session.

Hope for Hooves Testimonial

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.

1) What is it like for your child as a participant of our equine-assisted mentorship program?

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.

2) What has surprised you the most?

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.

3) Do you have a special memory or moment you witnessed? Have you seen any changes in them since their mentorship?

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.

4) What would you say to someone who is curious about applying for their child but may feel a little hesitant/scared/unsure?

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

Hope for Hooves Sponsor a Hero Program

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:

Bronze Sponsor: $35 per month allows us to purchase one bag of grain. Allows 1 visit per month to care for your sponsored horse.
Silver Sponsor: $65 per month allows us to purchase one round bale of hay. Allows 2 visits per month to care for your sponsored horse.
Gold Sponsor: $100 per month allows us to purchase one bag of grain and one round bale of hay. Allows 3 visits per month to care for your sponsored horse.
Platinum Sponsor: $250 per month allows us to purchase two bags of grain and two round bales of hay. Allows 4 visits per month to care for your sponsored horse.
Diamond Sponsor: $400 per month allows us to purchase three bags of grain and five bales of hay. Allows UNLIMITED visits per month to care for your sponsored horse.

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!)

Equine-assisted Mentorship Program

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.

Riding Lesson Policies

Lessons Policy

• Students are asked to arrive 15 minutes early.

• Please let us know in advance if you will be late to reschedule.

•The start of each lesson is dependent on the rider’s timely arrival. Lessons will end at the designated time with no exceptions to prevent the next scheduled appointment to wait.

•Students are expected to exercise safety at all times in the barn and while riding.
•Students are responsible for cleaning ALL tack and neatly returning any tack/supplies to their proper places at the end of each lesson.
• Students are required to wear appropriate attire, including an approved helmet.

Payment/Cancellations Policy

• Payment is due when the appointment is scheduled.

• Please respect time: if you aren’t able to make it to a lesson, do your best to call/ text/ email 24 hours ahead. Failure to give 24-hour notice when making a cancellation will result in a “No Show”. Your payment will still be due before your next scheduled lesson.

• Cancellations made with at least 24-hour notice may be rescheduled, subject to availability.

Weather Policy

• Provided it is still safe to ride, lessons will continue if damp or sprinkling. If it’s thundering or pouring, lessons will resume at the next scheduled date.

• Safety of the horse and rider is important! Weather delays/cancellations are at the discretion of the instructor.

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