Foster Homes provide care to horses in need as if the horse was their own horse. As long as the horse is physically or mentally able to perform there are not limits on how a foster home may interact with their horse. The may participate in fun shows, they may trail ride with the family, etc. In fact, they are encouraged to expose the horse(s) in their care to a variety of things. The more socialized a horse is and the more interaction a horse has, the easier it is to find the horse a forever home/

Foster homes help place the horses in permanent homes. No one knows a horse better than the person that feeds it daily, grooms it regularly and interacts with it routinely. As such, Foster Homes provide valuable input when matching applicants with horses. Foster Homes are encouraged to participate in this parcel - although the initial steps will not include the applicant's personal information. As an applicant is selected, the Foster Home will participate with the interview process and site visits. While these things are not mandatory for Foster Homes to participate in, CCFER does encourage it and does value the opinion of those that care for the horse.

Foster homes must provide for the horse(s)' expenses while in their care, at this time. This includes farrier work, routine veterinary care, feed and stabling expenses. Once the horse is placed, the Foster Home may submit receipts to CCFER and be reimbursed for up to the adoption fee of the horse(s). We hope, as we progress, to be able to cover part of these expenses for the Foster Home - our first goal being veterinary care.

Veterinary care may be obtained through the CCFER Veterinarian. If distance (180 mile radius) limits this, the Foster Home may imply their preferred veterinarian but must submit a report to CCFER outlining what was performed so that the horse(s) file is constantly up-to-date.

All horses will be initially vaccinated, EIA tested and wormed prior to placement if the situation allows for this. However, in some cases, time is not an option and a horse must be relocated quickly. If time prevents prior vaccination before delivery to the Foster Home, veterinary care will be provided for at the time of delivery. In short - the horse in foster will be up to date on everything and would not pose a liability to any horses already in the Foster Home's care.

Foster Homes are able to specify the type of horse they would prefer to work with. Obviously, placing a yearling with someone who is not comfortable with the antics of younger horses would not be a good environment for either horse or Foster home. Therefore, CCFER will only places horses into Foster Homes that match the horse's needs and in so-doing, a working relationship should be easy to establish between Foster Home and horse.

When a horse is placed in foster care, the Foster Home has the first right to adopt once the horse becomes available. The Foster Home has two weeks from the available date before the horse will be made available to the general public.

 

What Sort of "Things"  Do I Need to Foster?

        1.  Foster Homes must have either a barn with stalls and turnout area, or
             pasture with some sort of shelter (natural shelter is acceptable).

        2.  Foster Homes must have a fixed and constant water supply available
             year-round.  Creeks are not considered suitable as the only water
             source as they may run dry in seasonal conditions.

        3.  Foster Homes must have a means to feed each horse on their property
             individually.  A trough feeding is not acceptable.

        4.  Fencing needs are applied depending on the horses in Foster Care.  As
             a general rule, the fencing should be strong enough to keep the horse
             in while safe for the horse as well.  Barbed wire may be acceptable,
             but post/rail fencing is preferred.  Barbed wire will be evaluated on a
             case by case basis.

        5.  Foster Homes must either have a trailer of their own or the ready use
             of a friend/neighbor's trailer if emergencies arise.



    What do I need to do to Foster?

        1.  All parties interested in applying must fill out the Foster Home
             application.  (See Bottom of Page).

        2.  All parties must have three references available -- a veterinary
             reference, an equine professional reference and one personal
             reference. 

        3.  All parties must be willing to have a site-visit conducted at a pre-
             arranged time.

        4.  All parties must be willing to endorse and abide by the CCFER
             policies and procedures.

View the: 
Foster Home Application