The 20 Best Horse Rescues in The USA! (2024)

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Horses are majestic animals, but their popularity makes them vulnerable to abuse and neglect. Fortunately, many organizations in America have begun helping them find safe new homes.

Rescue organizations come in all sizes, from small operations run by volunteers to large sanctuaries with their veterinarians.

Some have been operating for decades, while others have opened their doors recently. We’ve compiled a list of the best 20 horse rescues in the United States.

Other articles you would like: Horse Rescues in California and Mini Horse Rescues in the USA.

Why Do Horses Need Rescues?

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Horses need rescues because often they are sold for slaughter outside of the United States. While the practice is illegal in the US, it is legal in Mexico, where most of the horses are sold.

Because of this fact, many horse rescues in the US work to keep these wonderful companions from this fate and instead provide them with a loving home.

Horse rescues also ensure that domestic horses kept in improper conditions have a chance to get a better life.

20 Best Horse Rescues in The USA

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Let’s look at the largest twenty horse rescues in the United States.

1. Epona Horse Rescue

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Epona Horse Rescue believes that all animals, including horses, deserve to be free from brutality, abandonment, and torture. The founders of this non-profit organization set out to end the unnecessary suffering of all horses across America.

The rescue hopes to give horses a chance at a better life by giving them a safe place to stay while they look for a permanent family to care for them. Their sanctuary serves as the horse’s refuge if they fail to find a permanent home.

The organization has a training program for horse owners as a weapon in the fight against abandonment. When owners know it is necessary to properly care for their unwell or elderly horses, they are less likely to subject them to cruelty or neglect.

Epona Horse Rescue rehabilitates even elderly equines frequently turned away from other facilities.

Epona Horse Rescue Details:

2. Routt County Horse Rescue

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Located in Northwest Colorado, the philanthropic organization helps needy horses and gives back to the local community.

They are proud to be the first organization of its kind in the Steamboat area, providing permanent homes for adoptable horses.

The group’s mission is to meet homeless horses’ daily needs. The rescue gives each horse the opportunity for rehabilitation, training, and eventual placement in a permanent home.

Since its inception, the organization has rescued over 50 horses from neglect by irresponsible owners.

Some horses that end up in Routt County Horse Rescue are perfectly healthy. Others come to the rescue center suffering from injuries or illnesses brought on by severe malnutrition. Eighty percent of rescued horses find permanent homes.

Routt County Horse Rescue Details:

3. Lasso Horse Rescue

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Lasso Horse Rescue seeks to eliminate avoidable suffering among Colorado’s big animals, including horses, due to human activity or natural disasters.

It offers training programs for all big animal owners to ensure they know the complexities and obligations involved in caring for their animals and the consequences of neglecting those tasks.

The rescue collaborates with local and regional law enforcement organizations to help animals undergoing injuries and offer them shelter and care services.

Additionally, they partner with animal owners to give aid and treatment to animals whose guardians cannot do so for short or long periods due to budget constraints.

Moreover, the organization arranges yearly riding events for people with special needs, where they offer them therapeutic riding.

Lasso Horse Rescue Details:

4. Terolyn Horse Rescue

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Terolyn Horse Rescue has been adopting horses and saving them from cruelty from breeders and owners for years.

They collaborate closely with equine veterinary professionals, seasoned farriers, and trainers. The rescue gives the horses the utmost compassion, medical attention, and individualized rehabilitation plans.

After rescuing them, most animals find homes through horse adoption.

Those who don’t find loving homes live out their lives on a ranch that’s more than 100 acres big. Occasionally, Terolyn Horse Rescue holds fundraising events to save horses from life-threatening circumstances.

Terolyn Horse Rescue Details:

  • Location: 47480 County Road 29, Elizabeth, CO 80107
  • Phone Number: 303-243-1147
  • Website: Terolyn Horse Rescue

5. Diamond Bar Ranch Equine Rescue and Sanctuary

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Diamond Bar Rescue provides permanent homes for at-risk horses. The organization strives to make lasting change in the community by educating about animal welfare issues and promoting responsible horse ownership.

They also provide an outlet for volunteers who wish to help animals in need through hands-on work experience at their facility.

Since 2002, the organization has rescued more than 165 horses from abusive situations and found them loving homes across the United States.

Diamond Bar Ranch Equine Rescue and Sanctuary operates an equine-assisted therapy program that considers each horse’s unique needs when determining what kind of therapy will work best for them.

Diamond Bar Ranch Equine Rescue and Sanctuary Details:

6. Next Step Horse Rescue

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Next Step Horse Rescue is located in Colorado and provides a home for horses and other equines undergoing abuse.

It provides a haven for horses while they heal physically and emotionally from the trauma.

In addition to providing much-needed care, it offers programs for people with disabilities and at-risk youth so they can learn about caring for animals by working with the horses at the ranch.

The generosity of patrons, contributors, and volunteers allows the organization to continue its work.

You may demonstrate your love for horses and support the equine community by making monetary donations or attending one of their fundraising events.

Next Step Horse Rescue Details:

7. Missouri Forget Me Not Horse Rescue and Sanctuary

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Missouri Forget Me Not Horse Rescue and Sanctuary provide foster homes for rescued horses until they are healthy enough for adoption.

The organization also strives to prevent neglect and cruelty of horses by educating the public and providing a permanent home for horses you can’t rehome due to old age or disability.

Since 2011, the organization has been a refuge for more than 738 horses and found homes for over 380 horses through adoption. It began with 21 horses and now has more than 180 horses, with around 56 in foster care.

The sanctuary also conducts fundraisers to help pay for veterinary care and other expenses. Contact the rescue center to learn more about their volunteer opportunities if you’re interested in volunteering.

Missouri Forget Me Not Horse Rescue and Sanctuary Details:

8. Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue

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After rescuing a horse, Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue attempts to find homes for the horses. However, if they don’t find a suitable home for a particular horse, it will live its natural life in the rescue’s sanctuary.

Several factors can make a rescued horse unsuitable for adoption, including its age, temperament, conformation, or maltreatment history.

The organization rescues horses from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and other government agencies that round up wild horses from public lands.

The rescue also takes in neglected animals from private owners and those suffering from illnesses or injuries.

Since 1997, the organization has saved over 400 horses meant for slaughterhouses or auction houses across America.

Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue Details:

  • Location: 35700 Sand Canyon Rd, Caliente, CA, United States, California
  • Phone Number: 661-867-2661
  • Website: Wild Horse Rescue

9. Hope Reins

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Hope Reins rescues horses from slaughter and provides them with the care they need to recover.

They also have a foster program for horses needing rehabilitation before rehoming them. The rescue receives donations to help fund its mission to rescue horses.

Even though the size of their property prevents them from responsibly taking in all horses, they do their best to assist anyone looking to adopt horses or direct them to someone who can.

Hope Reins Details:

  • Location: 8420 Wake Forest Hwy, Raleigh, NC, United States, North Carolina
  • Phone Number: 919-345-4914
  • Website: Hope Reins

Other articles you would like: Horse Rescues in South Carolina and Horse Rescues in Illinois.

10. Blue Moon Rescue & Sanctuary

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Located in Arizona, Blue Moon Rescue & Sanctuary commits to caring for animals that have been abandoned.

The sanctuary aims to rehabilitate orphaned and injured horses, work with the community to protect horses from abuse through education programs, and aid in the adoption process.

You can donate or volunteer your time to be part of the organization. In addition, you can attend several fundraising events throughout the year as an individual or bring your equestrian group.

The organization also offers educational tours where visitors learn about proper horse care at a horse rescue operation.

Blue Moon Rescue & Sanctuary Details:

11. Rocky Mountain Horse Rescue

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Rocky Mountain Horse Rescue provides horses with medical care, rehabilitation, and adoption services.

The organization’s mission is to alleviate the suffering of abused or neglected equines by providing refuge until they successfully restore their physical health.  

In 2004, the organization saw an imminent need to free neglected horses. Since then, they have received messages from people who have to give up their animals due to challenging circumstances such as unemployment, relocation, illness, or death.

For the group, rescuing a horse entails rehabbing it so it can be adopted. It also entails teaching people and organizations about animal welfare.

Rocky Mountain Horse Rescue is committed to the animals they rescue and offers a permanent home for those who cannot find new homes.

Rocky Mountain Horse Rescue Details:

12. The Horse Protection League

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The organization is located in Arvada, Colorado. The Horse Protection League offers a haven for horses, donkeys, and mules whose previous owners have given up ownership of them and for animals taken by the court or animal welfare groups.

These equines receive healthy nutrition, veterinary and farrier attention, training, companionship, and access to open pasture from the organization. Its personnel and volunteers assess, groom, and train the horses.

The Horse Protection League Details:

13. The Equine Rescue Center

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The Equine Rescue Center cares for horses and provides them with 159 acres of grassland, shelter, and an endless water supply. Since its inception thirteen years ago, the organization has saved over fifty horses from being slaughtered.

They take satisfaction in offering a haven for neglected horses and employ humane practices to improve their quality of life.

All the horses are kept in a herd to ensure their well-being and socialization. To ensure they find permanent homes, most horses undergo retraining.

It’s a perfect home for horses needing medical attention, behavioral modification, companionship, and a good diet. Additionally, the organization works to educate community members about rescuing horses and the importance of animal care.

The Equine Rescue Center Details:

14. Rainbow Meadows Equine Rescue and Retirement, Inc.

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Since its founding in 2005, Rainbow Meadows Equine Rescue and Retirement has been instrumental in saving countless horses.

When the staff brings a house to the sanctuary, it undergoes requisite rehabilitation before being adopted to a permanent home where it will receive the love and care it needs for the rest of its life.

The organization also provides a retirement program for horse owners who want to send their equines to the magnificent Flint Hills, where they can live permanently with their horses.

Furthermore, since overbreeding is a significant problem for the horse population, the organization has emphasized training community members about ethical horse ownership and management.

Rainbow Meadows Equine Rescue and Retirement Details:

  • Location: P.O. Box 1452 4768 K-157, Junction City, KS, United States, Kansas
  • Phone Number: 785-257-3005
  • Website: Rainbow Meadows

15. Ranger’s Legacy Equine Rescue

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Range’s Legacy Equine Rescue rehabilitates and rehomes horses who are neglected in New Mexico and nearby states.

The organization’s primary focus is to provide a shelter for horses that can no longer be safely returned to their owners but are not yet ready for adoption.

The organization maintains a large facility in rural that houses the rescued horses while providing a place for volunteers to foster and rehabilitate equine companions.

Each horse is individually cared for by the organization’s devoted staff of volunteers. They visit the facility daily to provide basic care such as feeding and cleaning stalls, exercising, and grooming.

Ranger’s Legacy Equine Rescue Details:

16. Sunrise Horse Rescue

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Sunrise Horse Rescue aims to help abandoned and abused horses in Napa and the neighboring counties by sheltering them and spreading awareness about the problems that horses face today.

They also offer a special equine-assisted instruction and treatment service to the local populace.

Sunrise Horse Rescue frequently offers food, temporary housing, veterinarian care or counseling, information on horse health, nutritional requirements, and long-term care to animal lovers in need.

The rescue regularly updates information on their rescued horses. On their website, you can read when the horse was born, and the year it was rescued.  

Sunrise Horse Rescue Details:

17. Begin Again Horse Rescue

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Begin Again Horse Rescue intends to save as many horses as possible from suffering by providing them with a second chance. They rehabilitate them and locate permanent rental homes for the horses whenever feasible.

In addition to advocating for the humane treatment of horses, they educate the public on the animals’ history, needs, care, and the challenges that modern horse keeping presents.

The rescue doesn’t sell horses but helps find good homes for the ones they save.

In addition, Begin Again Horse Rescue tries to place horses in homes with caring and knowledgeable people. They will take in horses in any condition when there is room, including those given up by their owners.

Begin Again Horse Rescue Details:

  • Location: 2828 Plank Rd (Route 15A), Lima, NY 14485
  • Phone Number: 585-322-2427
  • Website: Begin Again Rescue

18. Urban Acres Horse Rescue

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Urban Acres Horse Rescue has rehabilitated neglected horses for nearly 30 years. The facility is run entirely by volunteers and funded through donations, grants, and fundraising events.

The organization also educates the public about responsible horse ownership, especially caring for older horses.

Urban Acres Horse Rescue Details:

  • Location: 4806 Redman Avenue Omaha, NE, US 68104
  • Phone Number: 402-657-9247
  • Website: Urban Acres Rescue

19. RVR Horse Rescue

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RVR Horse Rescue is a horse rehabilitation center located in Plant City. The facility is not a sanctuary but a place where rescued horses can heal physically and emotionally before adoption.

They give each horse the time, attention, and healing environment it needs to improve.

The center collaborates closely with a group of equine experts who help make decisions about the care of individual horses based on what is in their best interests.

The horses live in herds to allow them to form strong ties with one another. These connections are crucial to their recovery.

Because every horse is different and requires a unique level of care and attention, the facility works hard to locate an ideal permanent home.

RVR Horse Rescue Details:

20. Maryland Horse Rescue

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The organization is located in Westminster, Maryland. They assist in the process of rescuing, rehabilitating, and finding permanent homes for the animals who are in their care.

While Maryland Horse Rescue has a few permanent residents in its facility, its primary goal is to find foster homes for as many horses as possible.

Although the organization focuses on elderly and blind horses, they will take in any needy horses from the local animal shelter or other rescue groups.

Maryland Horse Rescue Details:

Conclusion For “Best Horse Rescues in The USA”

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Horses are an essential part of American history but are among the most abused animals in the United States.

Horse rescues are a great way to help out horses undergoing mistreatment. The above horse rescues deserve recognition for their efforts in finding permanent homes for these animals.

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