What is the Adoption Process?
1. Submit Adoption Application & Schedule a Riding Examination
The first step in the adoption process is to submit an adoption application through our website. Once we have your application, we can set up a time for you to come to the ranch to meet the horse you are interested in. These visits are by appointment only, but generally weekday evenings (after 5:30PM) and weekends are reserved for potential adopters. Potential adopters are required to ride the horse that they are interested in prior to adoption if they are adopting a riding horse. Through our evaluation we will then determine if the pair are a good fit.
Please note that an appointment does not reserve the horse you are interested in. Potential adopters should assume the horse they are interested in will be shown to others and available for adoption to other parties until an adoption contract has been signed and the adoption fee or deposit has been paid. If we deem the rider and horse a good fit, a deposit of $200 can be placed on the horse as a 'holding fee' meaning the horse will not be shown to any other applicants until the home inspection has been passed and paperwork is complete. This deposit will go towards the adoption fee. If DHOH declines the adoption for any circumstance, the potential adopter will receive their $200 deposit back. If the potential adopter declines the adoption for any circumstance, the potential adopter will not receive the $200 deposit back.
2. Home Inspection.
We will then determine if the potential home is suitable for the specific needs of the DHOH horse. Some of the things we consider are size of property, shelter, feeding schedule, water access, fencing and how well the property is maintained. Safety is our number one priority. Our animals are our clients. Our job is to find each of our animals the right home. Rejected applications are not necessarily a reflection on the applicant's home, but rather based on the determination that the home is not the right match. Learn more about our home check here.
3. Adoption Paperwork & Fee.
We will then ask for a completed Adoption Contract and adoption fee. Adoption fee varies by horse, and all details of the adoption contract are required. Adoption fees are non-negotiable and we do not accept payments. We also require the adoption fee to be paid in either cash or a check.
4. Going Home.
At this point in the process, the horse may go home with his new family, and get settled in. If you do not have a trailer, we have transport services that we can refer you to. Please note, we do not allow horses to leave in a straight load trailer. Horses must be transported in a slant-load or stock type trailer, and the trailer must be at least 7ft tall. Also note that we will only hold horses at our facility for two weeks.
5. Regular Inspections.
There will be 2 home visits within the first six months to ensure that the rescue horse and new family are doing well together and to continue the evaluation of the horse property and horse's overall health.
6. Brand Inspection.
If the new home passes these inspections, and we believe that our horse is in good hands, we will sign over the brand inspection at six months. The details of the adoption contract with DHOH stand for the the lifespan of the horse.
7. A New Life Together.
Congrats! You're the proud family member of a DHOH rescue horse and you've helped another horse find their loving forever home.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I am interested in a horse?
If you're interested in a horse, please begin by filling out an Adoption Application on our website. This way, we'll get to know more about your, your goals and interest, and help see who might be the perfect addition to your family! If you already have an adoption application on file, please send us an email about your interest so that we can work on scheduling an appointment.
Can I schedule an appointment to see a horse I am interested in?
We'd love to schedule an appointment for you to come see a horse! We just simply ask that you have an Adoption Application on file. Once we have reviewed the application and photos you provide, we'll work with you to coordinate an appointment time. Please note on weekdays we usually run appointments after 6pm as our volunteers have day jobs and weekends are more flexible for us.
What are the usual adoption appointment time slots?
We generally schedule adoption appointments on weekdays after 6pm or on weekends during the day. Unfortunately we are rarely available for daytime appointments during the week due to the work schedules of our riding team.
Are adoption fees negotiable?
We do not negotiate adoption fees to ensure that the adoption process is fair for everyone.
Can I get "first dibs" on a horse that I like or am interested in?
We also do not offer a "dibs" program for our horses. Instead, we focus on the horse and horse's best needs as the central part of the adoption process, and look for the best home for the horses' goals, interests and desires.
What should I do if I'm interested in adoption but you don't currently have a horse that matches my adoption criteria?
Please check our Available Horses page and Facebook page regularly to see our new horses. We always have new horses coming in, and hopefully one of them will be a great match for you! We recommend keeping an adoption application on file with us and reaching out via email when a horse interests you.
How does the home check process work?
We will connect you with our home check expert, who will work with you to schedule a day and time for the home check. Home checks are required prior to adoption of the horse, and we are looking for safe fencing and shelter as well as good condition for the current horses on the property. You can learn more about what we look for in a home check here.
What are some of your home requirements?
- A total of at least 2 horses
- T-post caps on all T-posts
- At least 35 acres if barbed wire fencing is used
- Recent farrier, vet and dental care on current horses
- Good weight and condition of current horses
- Appropriate feed/hay/water for the current horses or incoming horses
- Adequate and safe shelter for number and size of horses
- Safe and secure fencing (no down fencing)
- Additional requirements are at our discretion
You can learn more about what we look for in a home check here.
What happens during a riding evaluation/adoption appointment?
During the appointment, the DHOH riding team will assist you in the grooming, tacking and bridling process. Then the DHOH team member will ride the horse for you so that you can see their gaits and how they move under saddle. If both you and the DHOH team member are comfortable, they will then invite you to ride the horse. Both you and the DHOH team member must be comfortable with the partnership under saddle to move forward with the non-companion horse evaluations.
Do you adopt horses out-of-state?
We are located in Franktown, Colorado and unfortunately we rarely adopt our horses out to other states as we do require riding evaluations and home checks which would take substantial coordination.
Do you adopt horses to lesson programs?
We primarily look for private homes for our rescue horses as many are retiring from dude ranches or lesson programs and are looking for an easier workload.
What are some of your potential adopter requirements?
- Knowledge of haltering, grooming, blanketing, trailering basic medical care, basic nutrition (all adopters)
- Knowledge of vet, farrier and dentist schedules (all adopters)
- Knowledge of recognizing the signs of lameness, injury, etc (all adopters)
- Knowledge of grooming, tacking, bridling (non-companion horses)
- Knowledge of general equine safety (all adopters)
- Providing a forever home for the DHOH horses
- No record of previous horse abuse
What are adoption deposits?
The $200 deposit reserves a horse so that no other potential adopters will be able to meet them. The deposit holds a horse for a maximum of two weeks to complete the remaining portions of the adoption process.
Are adoption deposits refundable?
Adoption deposits are non-refundable, and will become a donation to the rescue if the potential adopter decides not to pursue adoption after a deposit has been placed (ie if the horse fails a vet check or if you find another horse outside of DHOH). If the DHOH team decides not to follow through with the adoption after a deposit has been made (ie home check fail), the $200 deposit will be refunded.
I am interested in a horse that I haven't met yet, can I place a deposit to reserve them?
We accept deposits only after the potential adopter has completed and Adoption Application as well as a riding evaluation aboard the horse. We are not able to accept deposits on horses that individuals have not yet met.
1. Submit Adoption Application & Schedule a Riding Examination
The first step in the adoption process is to submit an adoption application through our website. Once we have your application, we can set up a time for you to come to the ranch to meet the horse you are interested in. These visits are by appointment only, but generally weekday evenings (after 5:30PM) and weekends are reserved for potential adopters. Potential adopters are required to ride the horse that they are interested in prior to adoption if they are adopting a riding horse. Through our evaluation we will then determine if the pair are a good fit.
Please note that an appointment does not reserve the horse you are interested in. Potential adopters should assume the horse they are interested in will be shown to others and available for adoption to other parties until an adoption contract has been signed and the adoption fee or deposit has been paid. If we deem the rider and horse a good fit, a deposit of $200 can be placed on the horse as a 'holding fee' meaning the horse will not be shown to any other applicants until the home inspection has been passed and paperwork is complete. This deposit will go towards the adoption fee. If DHOH declines the adoption for any circumstance, the potential adopter will receive their $200 deposit back. If the potential adopter declines the adoption for any circumstance, the potential adopter will not receive the $200 deposit back.
2. Home Inspection.
We will then determine if the potential home is suitable for the specific needs of the DHOH horse. Some of the things we consider are size of property, shelter, feeding schedule, water access, fencing and how well the property is maintained. Safety is our number one priority. Our animals are our clients. Our job is to find each of our animals the right home. Rejected applications are not necessarily a reflection on the applicant's home, but rather based on the determination that the home is not the right match. Learn more about our home check here.
3. Adoption Paperwork & Fee.
We will then ask for a completed Adoption Contract and adoption fee. Adoption fee varies by horse, and all details of the adoption contract are required. Adoption fees are non-negotiable and we do not accept payments. We also require the adoption fee to be paid in either cash or a check.
4. Going Home.
At this point in the process, the horse may go home with his new family, and get settled in. If you do not have a trailer, we have transport services that we can refer you to. Please note, we do not allow horses to leave in a straight load trailer. Horses must be transported in a slant-load or stock type trailer, and the trailer must be at least 7ft tall. Also note that we will only hold horses at our facility for two weeks.
5. Regular Inspections.
There will be 2 home visits within the first six months to ensure that the rescue horse and new family are doing well together and to continue the evaluation of the horse property and horse's overall health.
6. Brand Inspection.
If the new home passes these inspections, and we believe that our horse is in good hands, we will sign over the brand inspection at six months. The details of the adoption contract with DHOH stand for the the lifespan of the horse.
7. A New Life Together.
Congrats! You're the proud family member of a DHOH rescue horse and you've helped another horse find their loving forever home.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I am interested in a horse?
If you're interested in a horse, please begin by filling out an Adoption Application on our website. This way, we'll get to know more about your, your goals and interest, and help see who might be the perfect addition to your family! If you already have an adoption application on file, please send us an email about your interest so that we can work on scheduling an appointment.
Can I schedule an appointment to see a horse I am interested in?
We'd love to schedule an appointment for you to come see a horse! We just simply ask that you have an Adoption Application on file. Once we have reviewed the application and photos you provide, we'll work with you to coordinate an appointment time. Please note on weekdays we usually run appointments after 6pm as our volunteers have day jobs and weekends are more flexible for us.
What are the usual adoption appointment time slots?
We generally schedule adoption appointments on weekdays after 6pm or on weekends during the day. Unfortunately we are rarely available for daytime appointments during the week due to the work schedules of our riding team.
Are adoption fees negotiable?
We do not negotiate adoption fees to ensure that the adoption process is fair for everyone.
Can I get "first dibs" on a horse that I like or am interested in?
We also do not offer a "dibs" program for our horses. Instead, we focus on the horse and horse's best needs as the central part of the adoption process, and look for the best home for the horses' goals, interests and desires.
What should I do if I'm interested in adoption but you don't currently have a horse that matches my adoption criteria?
Please check our Available Horses page and Facebook page regularly to see our new horses. We always have new horses coming in, and hopefully one of them will be a great match for you! We recommend keeping an adoption application on file with us and reaching out via email when a horse interests you.
How does the home check process work?
We will connect you with our home check expert, who will work with you to schedule a day and time for the home check. Home checks are required prior to adoption of the horse, and we are looking for safe fencing and shelter as well as good condition for the current horses on the property. You can learn more about what we look for in a home check here.
What are some of your home requirements?
- A total of at least 2 horses
- T-post caps on all T-posts
- At least 35 acres if barbed wire fencing is used
- Recent farrier, vet and dental care on current horses
- Good weight and condition of current horses
- Appropriate feed/hay/water for the current horses or incoming horses
- Adequate and safe shelter for number and size of horses
- Safe and secure fencing (no down fencing)
- Additional requirements are at our discretion
You can learn more about what we look for in a home check here.
What happens during a riding evaluation/adoption appointment?
During the appointment, the DHOH riding team will assist you in the grooming, tacking and bridling process. Then the DHOH team member will ride the horse for you so that you can see their gaits and how they move under saddle. If both you and the DHOH team member are comfortable, they will then invite you to ride the horse. Both you and the DHOH team member must be comfortable with the partnership under saddle to move forward with the non-companion horse evaluations.
Do you adopt horses out-of-state?
We are located in Franktown, Colorado and unfortunately we rarely adopt our horses out to other states as we do require riding evaluations and home checks which would take substantial coordination.
Do you adopt horses to lesson programs?
We primarily look for private homes for our rescue horses as many are retiring from dude ranches or lesson programs and are looking for an easier workload.
What are some of your potential adopter requirements?
- Knowledge of haltering, grooming, blanketing, trailering basic medical care, basic nutrition (all adopters)
- Knowledge of vet, farrier and dentist schedules (all adopters)
- Knowledge of recognizing the signs of lameness, injury, etc (all adopters)
- Knowledge of grooming, tacking, bridling (non-companion horses)
- Knowledge of general equine safety (all adopters)
- Providing a forever home for the DHOH horses
- No record of previous horse abuse
What are adoption deposits?
The $200 deposit reserves a horse so that no other potential adopters will be able to meet them. The deposit holds a horse for a maximum of two weeks to complete the remaining portions of the adoption process.
Are adoption deposits refundable?
Adoption deposits are non-refundable, and will become a donation to the rescue if the potential adopter decides not to pursue adoption after a deposit has been placed (ie if the horse fails a vet check or if you find another horse outside of DHOH). If the DHOH team decides not to follow through with the adoption after a deposit has been made (ie home check fail), the $200 deposit will be refunded.
I am interested in a horse that I haven't met yet, can I place a deposit to reserve them?
We accept deposits only after the potential adopter has completed and Adoption Application as well as a riding evaluation aboard the horse. We are not able to accept deposits on horses that individuals have not yet met.