Foster to make a difference
If you are checking out these pages, then maybe you are interested in becoming a Foster Carer with Here4Horses.
Foster homes for horses and ponies are key to our ongoing success – in fact we’d go as far as saying that it is an essential part of helping to keep the charities’ wheels turning.
Depending on the animal and the circumstances, a foster period can be quite short – as little as six to twelve months. We find that this can work well for some people with a foal or youngster of their own, needing to learn social skills and to play with others of a similar age.
However, long term fostering is also a very real option for anyone wishing to have an equine partner for themselves and/or a companion for other horses, without the commitment and potential implications of a purchase.
By caring for an animal on our behalf, you free up important space and resources at our rescue centres for horses and ponies needing specialist care and training.
For you, there awaits a truly rewarding volunteer experience, knowing you are helping give an ex-rescue horse or pony a second chance.
At Here4Horses we firmly believe that one of the most important things you can do to secure the welfare of a horse or pony, is to train them well.
We believe a clear understanding of how horses learn is essential. We therefore hope to find people who are dedicated to teaching horses and ponies the important lessons required in order for them to be safe and treasured partners and companions.
We are willing and able to help you develop your horsemanship skills, using appropriate, evidence-based techniques.
If you feel you are the kind of person who can love, teach and care for a horse or pony with these principles in mind, then we would love to hear from you. A truly worthwhile and rewarding experience awaits those special individuals who share our beliefs and goals.
Will you join us for the experience of a lifetime?
Read our volunteer Pam’s story HERE to get a feel for whether fostering for Here4Horses might be right for you.
Then, following your initial enquiry, a member of the Here4Horses team will get in touch with you for an informal discussion with regard to your experiences with horses.
Our horses and ponies have often seen very tough times and it is extremely important to us that their futures are bright and secure with knowledgeable, kind people. We are sure that the right people for our Foster programme will understand this.
We are not necessarily looking for gold standard premises – but we will want to see well kept and fenced paddocks, stables of sufficient size and evidence of a routine in place that is beneficial to healthy, happy horses.
If we are happy with the initial enquiry, we will arrange to visit the stable yard where the horse or pony would be kept, in order to put faces to names and provide an opportunity for everyone’s questions to be answered. An initial enquiry form will be completed at this stage.
We are perhaps understandably, a little bit fussy, so it is not unusual for us to mention one or two small things which may need to be addressed but if after the visit everyone is keen to continue, the next step is to identify suitable candidates for you.
If you have already identified a potentially suitable horse or pony on our website, then arrangements will be made for a visit so that you can meet face to face and get a feel for whether the relationship might work.
If you have yet to see a horse or pony that fits the bill, then we may have one waiting in the wings but not available publicly just yet and we will arrange for a visit when the time is right.
Alternatively, you can stay on our wait list until one comes along.
Trigger
Signing Up
All Here4Horses foster carers start out by signing up to a probationary period. This initial three-month period, which everyone embarks upon, is there to ensure that the programme is right for both you and our pony.
At the end of that period, a review is undertaken and both sides then agree on how best to proceed.
Take a look at our Terms and Conditions for Fostering where many of your questions are likely to be answered.
However, please let us know if you have any further queries. If you decide you’d like to submit an application to foster, please complete the form.
