Horse Available for Adoption

Available Horses

How to Adopt a Horse from MHWF

The process of adopting a horse from MHWF is simple, print out the application. Send that in along with a $10.00 processing fee and photos of your farm. Once it is received we will get in touch with you via telephone and will answer any questions you might have, whether they be about our program and policies or a particular horse in our program.

If after that phone call both parties feel like one or more of the horses is a possible match, we will set up an appointment for you to meet the horses. If the horse is a match, you may choose to adopt it and take it home after a little paperwork.

1. You must have an application on file to inquire about adoption horses, no exceptions.

2. You must call during our posted hours and not on off hours.

3. You must set an appointment via telephone with us before planning on coming to the MHWF farm. Calling or emailing to let us know you are coming is not setting an appointment and will not be honored.

4. You must be at least 18 years old to inquire about adoption horses or to file an application.

We try our best to make adoption as easy and fun as we can make it. It is for that reason that we have set these policies. Everyone at MHWF has a regular daytime job and we must make good use of our limited time as this is a volunteer job and the people who take their time off to spend with the horses and potential adopters do it because they love it and believe in it.

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This page is always current and updated immediately after an adoption takes place.

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This Bar Rocks (Scotch) - 15 yrs.

Why has nobody asked to meet Scotch?

$600 - This Bar Rocks is nicknamed Scotch. He is a 15 year old registered Paint gelding. Scotch has a history with MHWF and is part of the Lucky 7 horses. When we first met him, he was untrained. Once he got everything he needed, like his shots, trims, dental work, etc. we sent him off for training where he did really well. He got adopted and has been in his adoptive home since then, a little over 2 years, and has done really well. He has been on a few trail rides, has been ridden in the arena and has had kids led around on him. He is sound, healthy, current on everything and is a very easy going, polite horse to work with and be around. He is only back because of financial issues, nothing to do with him.

Scotch stands at 15.3 hands tall. He has a great start, but is still a somewhat green horse, so no green riders please. He is also not a kids horse. Scotch is a darn good horse, good manners, leads, loads, ties broke to ride and good looking with very, very little wear and tear on him since he was not ridden until he was 12 years old.

To read up on his entire story and his training, as well as videos and photos, simply click on the link below to go to his forum thread.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Witch Bay (FiFi) - 21 yrs.

$600 - Witch Bay is a 21 year old TB mare. She is dark bay, stands at 15.1 hands tall and is completely sound, healthy and in good shape. She ran a few races years ago, then was used as a brood more for a few more. She ended up getting broke to ride about 4 or 5 years ago, did some riding around the yard and neighborhood, swam with a rider on her back in the river and even went on one 3 hour trail ride. She is a really nice horse. She is green and needs some refresher work, but she is well-behaved, nice looking, stands great for grooming, the vet, the farrier, loads, leads, etc. For someone looking for a more mature horse with a good brain, put in a few rides and she will really excel. Super polite, well-built, no wear and tear on her, Witch Bay will make someone a wonderful trail partner.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Charlie - 19 yrs.

$600 - Charlie is a 19 year old grade QH gelding. He is sound, healthy, current on everything he needs and is broke to ride. He has been used as a trail horse, but started his riding days out as a rodeo horse, catching broncs in the arena. He stands at 15.1 hands tall and is a super laid back, easy going guy. Charlie leads, loads, ties, stands for the vet and farrier and gets along with everyone in the herd very well. He is just a super likeable horse all around. Under saddle he is super responsive and so far we have not seen him do a single thing wrong or naughty. He is going to be a popular horse so if you want to throw your hat in the ring for a chance to meet him, please give us a call after 4pm weekdays. We will not set up appointments via email.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Apache - 22 yrs.

Adopted

$500 - Apache is a 22 year old Paint/Pony gelding. He is sound, healthy, current on everything he needs and is broke to ride. He has been used as both a trail and show horse. He has also been ridden by kids and adults, but has some get up and go under saddle so kids need to be kids who can ride. Apache stands right about 14 hands tall. He is super easy going, very polite, leads, loads, ties and is good for the vet and farrier. He is full brother to Cowgirl and they have been together for pretty much their entire lives. Because of that, we are going to work like heck to keep them together. We do not want to be the ones to split them up after all these years. We are offering this pair up together. The adoption fee for the pair will be $500.00 each. These are really, really nice ponies and they were only given up because their owner had to move and could not take them with her.

These two have been in our program for about a year and were returned because their adopter has a health issue that no longer allows her to ride.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Cowgirl - 20 yrs.

Adopted

$500 - Cowgirl is a 20 year old Paint/Pony mare. She is sound, healthy, current on everything she needs and is broke to ride. She has been used as both a trail and show horse. She has also been ridden by kids and adults, but has some get up and go under saddle. Cowgirl stands right about 14 hands tall. She is super easy going, very polite, leads, loads, ties and is good for the vet and farrier. She is full sister to Apache and they have been together for pretty much their entire lives. Because of that, we are going to work like heck to keep them together. We do not want to be the ones to split them up after all these years. We are offering this pair up together. The adoption fee for the pair will be $500.00 each. These are really, really nice ponies and they were only given up because their owner had to move and could not take them with her.

These two have been in our program for about a year and were returned because their adopter has a health issue that no longer allows her to ride.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Lady - 20 yrs.

Adopted

$600 - Lady is a 20 year old Standardbred mare. We do not know a ton about her, but we do know that she seems sound and healthy and is very easy going and polite. She stands at about 15.1 hands tall and is current on everything she needs, except her spring shots (still a little early for that). We are told she was bred for harness racing, but never made it to the track because she did not have the speed. From there she went to the Amish, where we can fairly safely assume she was ridden and driven. She is super sweet, nice looking and should make someone a nice trail horse. We have not yet test ridden her or tried to drive her, so whoever does come to meet her will be the one to test her out. We don't expect any problems though; she is a nice horse to be around. Leads, loads, ties, stands great for the vet and farrier, etc.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Shoshone (Show Show Knee) - 4 yrs.

Adopted

$600 - Shoshone is a 4 year old TB mare. She will be 5 in April. She stands at 16 hands tall and is sound and healthy. She is registered with the Jockey Club, but never raced. Shoshone is current on everything and has been branded and microchipped.

When it was decided that Shoshone was not fast enough for racing, she went in for pleasure horse training in Kentucky. Once her training was complete, she was purchased and has been in the same home ever since. Her owner decided to give her up because of his health issues. He rode her quite a bit, up and down the roads, alone, with other horses, trails, you name it.

She is very laid back and is super sweet, loves people and attention, easy to catch, gets along great with the other horses, leads, loads, ties, etc. We would like to see Shoshone get adopted as a trail horse. All of her training is on the roads and trails and that gives her a great shot at a long, healthy and sound life.

Because she is only 4, she is not for a new or green rider, but is also a pretty trustworthy horse under saddle. Nice horse, raised and trained the right way.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Festivo (Tivo) - 21 yrs.

Festivo is a 21 year old Westfalen (German Warmblood) gelding. He is a very big boy at 18 hands tall. He is jet black and is a retired hunter/jumper who became a trail horse in his later years. Tivo is about as easy going and sweet as they come, a true gentle giant. He has some arthritis in his back end and we need to evaluate that before we can even consider making him available. In the meantime, Tivo will make some new friends and has a safe place here with us until we know more.

Update: 1/7/2024

When we took Tivo in, we knew he had some lameness issues, but he still needed a safe place to go. We just were not sure what to expect. Sadly, he is a horse that we believe should never be ridden again. He is super sweet and as easy going and mellow as they get, but his lameness issues are much worse than we thought. It would be cruel to ride him. For that reason we can only make him available as a pasture pet only, no riding, which means that there is a very good chance he will live out his days here with us until we can no longer keep him comfortable. This is really the right thing to do. Passing him on to someone as anything other than a retired pasture pet would not be good for him or whoever adopted him. So Tivo has a safe place here with us for as long as he needs and if the right person comes along who is willing to give him a good place to retire, even better.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Lucas - 15 yrs.

Lucas is a 15 year old TB gelding. He stands at 16 hands tall. Lucas got his fall vaccinations and his teeth floated immediately after arriving at MHWF. He has done a bit of everything in his life. He started on the track, after retirement from racing, he was used as a lesson horse for kids and adults and was also used as a hunter/jumper. About 2 years ago, Lucas was diagnosed with kissing spine and was no longer ridden. We have the x-rays from his original diagnosis and did another extensive set of x-rays when he arrived at MHWF.

Lucas is super sweet, very laid back and loves people and attention. He has a very outgoing personality with people, but is a little more shy with new horses. We can go two ways with Lucas....he can be retired as a very nice, low maintenance pasture buddy, or someone can work and exercise him to build his back muscles back up and make him a riding horse again. We consulted with several very good vets on this and it was agreed that with proper work and exercise, Lucas would probably make a great riding horse again. That would take some time and work though.

We are not putting an adoption fee on Lucas for now. He is available and we are looking for the right home and can work with that person in regard to his adoption fee when the time comes. It will be low for someone willing to either retire him or get him back into working again. He is a very, very likeable horse with a ton of personality and is a very nice horse to look at and handle. Anyone who meets him will certainly like him.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Days Gone By - 15 yrs.

$300 - Days Gone By is a 15 year old Standardbred mare. She is sound, healthy and current on everything, including a brand new Coggins. She rides and drives and has been ridden on the roads and trails. Like most off the track STBs, she is great for the vet and farrier, leads, loads, ties, all the things a good horse should know. She is super sweet and is a pretty big girl at just under 16 hands. Days Gone By has been in the same home for the past 10 years, but sadly, her adopter passed away and she is now in need of a new home.

Update: 10/22/2023

Last week we had Days Gone By out for a test ride and she was acting a bit sour, trying to either tell us that she had pain or that she needed some work on her manners. As it turns out, she has an old hip injury and should not be ridden. She is fairly pasture sound and can run like the wind, but cannot support the weight of a rider anymore. We are changing her to a pasture pet only. This does not change the fact that she is a beautiful horse with little to no special needs and excellent ground manners. Even though she cannot be ridden, she is a joy to be around and will make someone a wonderful friend and companion.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

George - 22 yrs.

Must be adopted with Ringo - $1200 for the pair

Adopted

George is a 22 year old Belgian gelding. He is sound, healthy and is also broke to ride and drive. He stands at around 17 hands tall, so he is a pretty big guy, but is super mellow and very well-behaved. George has all of his shots, just got his feet trimmed and also just got a brand new Coggins and his teeth floated, so he is all set to go.

We were told that George and Ringo are a team, and from what we have seen, that seems to be true, so we will not separate them at this point. They even walk in unison and are never far from each other. George was ok for the farrier, but does need a little work on standing to be trimmed. Our guess is that after 2 or 3 trims he will be perfect. He was not a huge problem for his first trim, but did pull his feet away every now and then. We will cut him some slack since he had only been here 2 days when he was trimmed.

He leads, loads, ties, ok for the farrier and is about as laid back and gentle as they come.

George is blind in one eye, but no big deal. A horse can see more with one eye than we can see with two. It does not really affect him.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Ringo - 22 yrs.

Must be adopted with George - $1200 for the pair

Adopted

Ringo is a 22 year old Belgian gelding. He is sound, healthy and is also broke to ride and drive. He stands at around 17 hands tall, so he is a big dude, but is ultra mellow and very well-behaved. Ringo has all of his shots, just got his feet trimmed and also just got a brand new Coggins and his teeth floated, so he is all set to go.

We were told that George and Ringo are a team, and from what we have seen, that seems to be true, so we will not separate them at this point. They even walk in unison and are never far from each other. George was absolutely perfect for the farrier and stood as well as any horse. He leads, loads, ties, perfect for the farrier and is about as laid back and gentle as they come.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Polly - 9 yrs.

Must be adopted with Lolly

$1000 for the pair (together only) - Lolly and Polly are two mule Jennies, who came to us all the way from Texas. They came in mid-June and have been in quarantine since coming. They are both super sweet and fun to be around. They need pretty much everything other than Coggins, which they obviously came in with since they came from Texas, but they need their shots, de-wormers, trims and probably dental work.

Polly only 9 years old and is the smaller of the two, standing at 14.3 hands tall. She loves attention and is a real sweetheart. She was a ride and pack mule in Kentucky, so we assume she rides and drives, but we have not been able to confirm that yet. She is very sound and in great shape other than her right eye, which was diagnosed with carcinoma. You can see it in her photos. We need to get her in and get this looked at much closer before we can say much about it. We are hoping it can simply be removed, but also know that if bone is already affected there is little we can do. Stay tuned for more on that.

Lolly is 15 years old and is a big girl at 15.3 hands. She is a little more shy, but once she gets to know you a bit, she loves attention too. Both have been very well-behaved for us and have been very friendly and polite. Lolly is sound, healthy and she also rides and drives.

We will be sharing updates about these two as soon as we know more about Polly's eye. Until then, we cannot yet make them available. Stay tuned for updates!

Update: 10/11/2023

Polly went in for surgery today and we are very happy to announce that her cancer and her bad eye were successfully removed today. She will stay at the vet clinic tonight yet and will come back to MHWF tomorrow (Thursday). After a little after-care, we will be able to make her and Lolly available for adoption.

This is great news for us because we really thought that it was not going to be a good ending. Finally a little luck and we expect a quick and full recovery!

Update: 11/8/2023

Lolly and Polly are now cleared to go and we can start to look for their new home!

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Lolly - 15 yrs.

Must be adopted with Polly

We will be sharing updates about these two as soon as we know more about Polly's eye. Until then, we cannot yet make them available. Stay tuned for updates!

Update: 11/8/2023

Lolly and Polly are now cleared to go and we can start to look for their new home!

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Roxy - 17 yrs.

$600 - Roxy is a 17 year old Peruvian mare. She is sound and healthy and is current on everything, teeth done, shots, Coggins, etc. She stands at 14.2 hand tall. Roxy is a horse that was saved from slaughter two years ago. Her donor got her healthy and current on everything, but could not get her past her fears from whatever she went through in her previous life. She is head shy and afraid of people, almost impossible to catch. One caught, she is a super sweet, very well-behaved horse. We are told she is broke to ride, but nobody has been on her back yet to confirm that or to find out what she knows or does not know. We are pretty sure she is broke to ride though and hopefully we can get a ride in on her soon and update her listing here. In the meantime, we are going to work on her fears and get her past being hard to catch. That might take a few days, it might take a year, but we will not have the answers to all the other questions about her until she gets past her fear of being caught. Stay tuned, she is a very nice horse, just needs a little understanding.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Kelly - 24yrs.

$400 - Kelly is a 24 year old Saddlebred mare that has been part of MHWF for 15 years. She came back to MHWF today (6/5/2022) after being gone since 2007. We do not know where or what she has been up to since her adopter got ownership of her 10 years ago, but she was found by someone who recognized her, then contacted us to see if she had a spot here. Of course, we always make sure to have room for any horse that has been through the MHWF program.

She needs a trim pretty badly and needs to put on a lot of weight, but she will get a fresh trim and vaccinations this week, got de-wormed today and has a brand new Coggins. She is still the same Kelly we have always known, super sweet, always polite, and as far as we know so far, is sound. She was always a great riding horse and we have no doubt she still is. We will get her evaluated as fast as we can and will update right here. Kelly stands at about 15.1 hands tall.

Update: 11-9-2022

Kelly is now fully rehabbed and looking good. She has had a few trims, been de-wormed a few times, has a brand new Coggins, all her vaccinations and had her teeth done. She is in really nice weight and is feeling like a 10 year old again. She is pasture sound and we know she is as well broke as they come. The only question we have left is is she sound with a rider on her back. We hope to find out soon. If you are interested in her and want to give her a test ride.....and have an approved application on file, give us a call.

11/27/2022

Time for an update on Kelly with results from her evaluation on Vet Day including radiographs and ultrasounds. MHWF had big Fall Vet Day on 10/29/2022, where some amazing veterinarians come and teach UW Madison vet students. Kelly had the amazing Dr. Kayla Le from the UW Madison do a full workup that included radiographs and ultrasound.

Evaluation showed that Kelly has severe effusion of left hind femoropatellar joint. Decreased range of motion of left hind limb. Evidence of previous left stifle injury that was sutured. Enthesophytes evident on the left medial proximal tibia and distal femur with medial meniscus extrusion. This is a bony spur forming at a ligament or tendon insertion into bone, growing in the direction of the natural pull of the ligament or tendon involved. Injections could help Kelly with this. We will keep close eye on her pain level and continued evaluation as to the best course for her.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Snow - 24 yrs.

$400 - Snow is a true rescue that came to MHWF from a sad situation. She came in with two other horses, Peanuts and Ginger. All three of these horses were kept together, in the remains of a collapsed dairy barn, no pasture, no handling and no veterinary care for quite some time. Clark County authorities stepped in to deal with the situation, calling us to help. We went to the location with a trailer yesterday (1/7/2021) and brought them back with us. Snow is a BLM Mustang mare. Snow was gentled many years ago but has not been has not been handled since, so he is a true wild Mustang. She stands at just over 14 hands tall. She is going to need absolutely everything, shots, Coggins, de-worming, trimming, dental work and a ton of training. She also looks to have some kind of edema on her belly. Of course, there will be a lot of work to do before we can even address her health needs. On the positive side, she seems sound, with big inquisitive eyes. Other than that, we have our work cut out for us for sure. We will be looking for a trainer for her, someone with experience training wild BLM Mustangs.

Update: 6-22-2021

Snow and Peanuts are now back from the trainers where they were both worked with daily for 120 days. Both are now gentled, can be caught, lead, load, tie and can be handled and trimmed. That is a lot of progress considering their ages and history of neglect. Snow is now broke to ride, but is still very, very green. We can now make her available for adoption, but anyone inquiring about her should be someone with a lot of experience and training experience. Other than being blind on one eye, she is sound, healthy, current on everything and ready to go to her new home where she can continue to learn and trust.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

WWA Talag (Bullet) - 20yrs.

$500 - WWA Talag, or Bullet as he is known, is a 20 year old registered Arab gelding. Bullet is sound, healthy and current on everything, Coggins, shots, de-wormers, trims etc. Bullet is broke to ride, but needs someone who is patient, gentle, and can be his confident leader. He is not a horse for someone who just wants to hop on and tear around. Years ago he was owned by someone who was rough on him and because of it, he lacks confidence under saddle. He has not offered to buck or bolt, but is timid under saddle and needs to trust his rider. For the right person, Bullet will be the horse of a lifetime.

Bullet does have a condition we call locking stifles. He will occasionally step a little funny in the back end. Most of the time you won't notice it at all and it does not affect his soundness. Bullet is a super polite, very sane boy who loves people and attention and is always a joy to be around. Can you tell we like him a lot already? We really want to do right by this horse and we know the right person will really like and appreciate this guy and bond well with him. If you are the kind of person who loves a horse with personality, smarts and needs to build a strong bond with your horse, that right person might be you.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Lacy - 21yrs.

Free to a good home - as a pair

Lacy is a 21 year old QH mare. She came in along with her pasture mate Buck (below). Her owner recently passed away and MHWF was contacted by family members seeking help, since they were not horse people. We are told that both horses are broke to ride, but other than that, we had no information to go off of.

Since coming to MHWF, both horses have brand new Coggins, both have had their teeth floated, were given all their vaccinations and were de-wormed and trimmed. We still need to test them for soundness and then for training. So far both horses seem very well behaved, easy to deal with and are in decent shape.

Update: 7-4-2022

Besides getting everything they needed, such as dental work, shots, new Coggins, trims, deworming , etc., we have had a chance to get to know them a little bit and evaluate them. It appears that is has been many years since either horse has been ridden and instead of working them hard to retrain them, we have decided that it is ok to let them retire from work and become someone's pets and pals. These two have been together for years and years and we are only going to offer them up as a pair. They are current on everything they need and are very low maintenance, no special needs. If you can offer these two a good home, we want to hear from you!

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Buck - 25yrs.

Free to a good home - as a pair

Buck is a 25 year old QH gelding. He came in along with his pasture mate Lacy (above). His owner recently passed away and MHWF was contacted by family members seeking help, since they were not horse people. We are told that both horses are broke to ride, but other than that, we had no information to go off of.

Update: 7-4-2022

11/27/2022

Buck and Lacy do not hang out together all the time anymore, they are not a tightly bonded pair. They actually don't hang out together that much at all anymore. Of course, they are friends, but it's common occurrence to see each of them spending a good share of their time with other horses and not each other. This means that we definitely could split these two up and they do not need to be kept together like we had originally thought. It's always nice to be able to observe horses for a longer period of time to get all behaviors in order to figure out what is best for them.

MHWF Fall Vet Day with the amazing veterinarians who come here to teach students from the UW Madison happened on October 29, 2022. Buck had a full lameness evaluation with radiographs with the amazing Dr. Kelly Manion. Dr. Kelly and the students did everything from flexion tests, a block and radiographs. Buck has no evidence whatsoever of any laminitis or founder, past or present. As we suspected, Buck was diagnosed with navicular disease/navicular syndrome. He showed heel pain on both front feet, he was blocked to PD in left front. Navicular disease was evident on radiographs, suspect ossificiation of ligament proximal to navicular bone left front. OsPhos was recommended, and Buck received OsPhos injections on November 2, 2022, and Buck was trimmed again on November 18, 2022.

Buck is doing fantastic in all respects. Buck has really become a wonderful equine citizen, has learned to take treats (I know, that sounds silly, but it's wonderful), seeks out attention, and he feels great!! An added bonus - Buck is just simply gorgeous! We will update to let you know how he does in the weeks coming after his OsPhos injections.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Lucky - 23yrs.

$400 - Lucky is a grade QH gelding. We are told that he is 18 years old, but believe him to be more like 23 years old. He is sound and healthy as far as anyone knows and stands at 15.2 tall. Lucky was a true rescue from a kill pen a few years ago. He was nursed back to physical and mental health then used as a lesson horse for beginner riders and eventually on to trail rides, and some low level jumping and dressage. He recently had two major blow-ups with lesson kids on his back and because of this he had to be retired from his lessons to make sure no kids got hurt. MHWF offered to take him in to get him fully evaluated and to give him some time off. We will not make Lucky available until we know for sure there is no pain issues and he has had the time he needs off to get past whatever made him blow up during lessons. Hopefully we will get him figured out sooner rather than later and can make him available once these questions have been answered. In the meantime, Lucky seems like a very sweet horse, very easy going, polite and sweet. Keep your eyes open for updates on him as we get to know him better.

Update: 3-21-2022

On Friday (3-18-2022) Lucky got his teeth floated, nothing terrible, but they did need to be floated. Hopefully this will help him maintain his weight a little easier and we hope to get him his first test ride in the next couple of weeks.

Update: 7-4-2022

Lucky seems to go up and down in weight and is a cribber as well. It is very clear that he has had a lot of stress in his life and needs the time to work through it. He also needs to be treated for ulcers as we are certain that is a big part of his problem. We cannot put a timeframe on all of this, but we will not make him available until we know he is 100%. It will take as long as it takes and we will update as there is new info to share.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Rose - 24 yrs.

$400 - Rose is a 24 year old Percheron mare. She stands at 16.2 hands tall. Rose has a brand new Coggins, had her teeth floated in December 2020 and will be fully vaccinated within a few days of her arrival. Rose has very good ground manners and is a sweet, laid back gal. She is a nice looking horse as well. We do not know much about her history or training since she was a true rescue in fall of 2020. We will work with her to find out if she rides or drives and get her evaluated to make sure she is sound. So far she seems sound and healthy. She does have Cushings, so anyone considering her should be prepared to give her one Prescend per day, which she takes willingly and works well for her. She came to MHWF with a 6 month supply of the Prescend. Her adopter will also have to keep a very good eye on her weight and be able to adjust her pasture time as needed. The only reason we are not making her available for adoption right away is to see if and how she rides and drives and to make sure she is sound. Once we know the answers to these questions, we will make her available immediately and will update her listing.

Update: 7/29/2021

Rose got her first trim here at MHWF since she arrived. We were told that she is very hard to get trimmed. That is the absolute truth. It is very clear that she is used to being trimmed in a stock and trimming her without one is no less than an act of bravery and heroism. She is super, super sweet, ultra-easy going and mellow and has near perfect ground manners. All of that is out the door when it comes to trimming. So, anyone considering adopting her must be prepared to put the time in to get her taught how to stand to be trimmed. Having done this ourselves many times, we want to say that it is hard and takes a lot of time and effort. It is not your farrier's job to teach her either. Anyone considering her should be prepared to work with her on it, teach it to her, put the time and lumps and bumps into it and get it done.

Having said that, we also got to work with her for the first time today as well. It turns out that she does ride and drive. She is a bit rusty, but did very well and did not offer to do anything other than what was asked....no bucking, bolting, kicking or anything stupid. She did very well. Being that she is a big girl and is a little rusty, no green riders or handlers please. She knows she is big and powerful and her rider must be someone who is not easily intimidated and can work through any rust they might run into with her training.

Rose is sound, healthy and does very well with her one pill per day. No worries as far as her health is concerned.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Reba - 25 yrs.

$200- Reba is a 25 year old QH cross mare. She stands at 15 hands tall. While she looks all QH, we are told that she does gait, so it is anyone's guess as to what she is crossed with. She has had excellent care, is current on absolutely everything she needs as far as trims, shots, etc. and is broke to ride. Reba has been diagnosed with Navicular, but this seems to be very manageable and the only reason why we are not yet making her available. We need some time to evaluate her and make any adjustments to her feet that might be needed and can then make her available, once we know what her limitations and needs might be. She is super sweet, very well-behaved, nice looking, put together well and is super easy going. Once we get her ready for adoption we think she will be a real gem for the right person willing to give her that little extra hoof care in trade for a very nice, solid, reliable horse. Stay tuned!

Update: 4-25-2021

The horses that needed anything for the year (Coggins, vaccinations, trims, dental work, de-wormers or hoof trims) all got that done on Spring Vet Day on 4-24-2021. Everyone here at MHWF is now 100% current on everything they needed. Reba also got a second shot of Oshpos and we will wait a few weeks to see if it helps her Navicular at all.

Update: 6-22-2021

On 4/24/2021 we gave Reba a second and final dose of Osphos to see how much it would help her Navicular before making her available for adoption. This takes time to work and we wanted to know exactly what she could and could not do before letting her go to a new home. Her Navicular was pretty advanced when we first met her and we were not sure if she would respond to treatments or not. At this point we are ready to make Reba available for adoption with a few simple caveats. Reba can be used by light riders (under 150 lbs) for very light riding, if she is kept shod on her front feet 24/7 and 365, or she will make an excellent pasture buddy for another lonely horse. She is very easy to get along with, easy to work with, a veteran riding horse and other than her Navicular, she is a very healthy, sane horse. A front pair of shoes is a very small price to pay for a horse like Reba who will take great care of her handler/rider if you take care of her.

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Peanuts - 16 yrs.

$400 - Peanuts is a true rescue that came to MHWF from a sad situation. He came in with two other horses, Snow and Ginger. All three of these horses were kept together, in the remains of a collapsed dairy barn, no pasture, no handling and no veterinary care for quite some time. Clark County authorities stepped in to deal with the situation, calling us to help. We went to the location with a trailer yesterday (1/7/2021) and brought them back with us. Peanuts is a BLM Mustang gelding, picked up at the Marshfield, WI sale back around 2006. He has not been handled or touched before or since, so he is a true wild Mustang. He stands at just under 14 hands tall. He is going to need absolutely everything, shots, Coggins, de-worming, trimming, dental work and a ton of training. Of course, there will be a lot of work to do before we can even address his health needs. On the positive side, he seems sound and is cute. Other than that, we have our work cut out for us for sure. We will be looking for a trainer for him, someone with experience training wild BLM Mustangs.

Update: 6-22-2021

Peanuts and Snow are now back from the trainers where they were both worked with daily for 120 days. Both are now gentled, can be caught, lead, load, tie and can be handled and trimmed. That is a lot of progress considering their ages and history of neglect. Peanuts was not yet ready to have a person on his back, but he has come a very long way. He is also blind on one eye, but is sound, healthy and current on everything he needs. He will need someone willing to put in the time to get him to trust even more and work toward riding. This is a little, stocky guy, but he will need someone with a lot of experience, willing and able to train, along with a lot of time and patience.

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He's A Hot Superstar (Victor) - 15 yrs.

Any Donation and a Good Home

He's A Hot Superstar, or Victor as he is known as, is a 15 year old QH gelding. Our guess is that Victor is probably the tallest QH you have ever seen. He is definitely the tallest we have ever seen. He stands at a full 17.1 hands tall. Victor is broke to ride both English and Western and has been used for trail rides and for a while as a therapy horse. Sadly, he is no longer a sound horse. He had surgery for string halt that was unsuccessful years ago. Victor cannot be made available until he puts some weight back on and builds some muscle, then we can think about what he can or cannot do under saddle and can make him available when that time comes. In the meantime, we will be working to make Victor the big bulky horse he should be. Once that is complete, we will put some rides on him to see what his limitations are. What we can tell you about Victor so far is that he is a very sweet horse who loves attention and to be doted on once he knows and trusts you. For now, he seems very happy here, getting good meals and hanging out with the rest of the herd.

Update: 3-1-2021

Victor has been here at MHWF and we would like to think that we have gotten to know him pretty well and can now make him available for adoption to the right home. Victor is very tall, as you can see, so he will need someone who likes them super tall. He is also a bit of a hard keeper, so he will need to be given grain daily. He also has string halt, so he can only be considered as a pasture pet or for very light riding only. By light riding we mean putzing around the yard or arena, no trail rides, no jumping, etc. Other than that, Victor is very sweet, not a mean bone in his body, loves people and attention and needs a person of his own. He is current on everything and was just trimmed today as we post this update, so he is ready to go for the season. Do you have a little room in your heart and in your herd for this gentle giant, if so, let us know!

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Majalita - 21 yrs.

Pasture Buddy Only - No Riding

$200 - Majalita is a 21 year old Paso Fino gelding. He stands at a hair over 14 hands, but has a very strong, stocky build. He is sound and healthy and is current on everything, shots, trims, de-worming, Coggins, etc. He is also a very easy keeper, like a lot of Pasos. As far as hot gaited horses go, this guy is pretty chill and we really like him. He has that "something" that is impossible to explain. His ground manners are near perfect, easy to catch, great for the vet and farrier, loads and ties like a pro, all the things a good horse should know. Majalita is broke to ride, but until he came to MHWF he had not been ridden in 8 years. We did get a chance to test ride him though. He stood perfectly next to the mounting block to be backed and although he was very, very nervous, he did not do a single thing wrong. He is sound, gaited of course, just needs some refresher work to build his confidence back up. He is very, very trusting once he knows you are ok. He really relies on his handler/rider for his confidence. Super sweet and very nice looking too. While whoever adopts him does not need to be a trainer, his adopter should be a person who instills confidence and experience with horses and someone who knows, or is willing to learn about Paso Finos and how to treat and ride them. This horse is really a gem and one of those horses that draws you in for whatever reason. If you are not an excellent rider with a lot of experience, this is not the right horse for you.

Update: 3-7-2021

Majalita is not the same horse that came to us all those months ago. Today was his 4th time being taken from the herd and ridden and you would not think this was even the same nervous horse we saw all those months ago. He rode with energy, like a Paso should, but was much more relaxed and even seemed to enjoy being ridden today. This is not and will probably not ever be a horse for someone who is timid or green, but for those people that understand and like the spunk and spirit of the breed, he is a really nice horse and will make the right person a once in a lifetime partner. He needs someone soft-spoken, gentle, patient and confident. The payoff is a great nicely gaited horse who will work his butt off for you once he knows and trusts you.

Update: 8/13/2021

After all this time and all the work and rides that were put into him, we honestly thought Majalita's issues under saddle were behind him and that he was ready for his new home/rider. Sadly that is not the case and although he is sound, healthy and a fun horse to work with and have around, we do not know if he will ever be that trustworthy horse people are looking for. He has an all-out blow up under saddle this week and for what seemed to be no reason at all. Because of this, we are making him available as a pasture pet. He is 21 years old now and it's ok to retire him. He is easy to deal with, has no special needs and is beautiful to watch move out in the pasture. Unless there is someone out there who thinks that can get him past his blow up issues under saddle, we will call him a pasture pet only.

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Scotch Lace - 25 yrs.

No longer available for adoption

Scotch Lace is a 25 year old double registered APHA and AQHA mare. She stands at 14.3 hands tall and so far seems sound and healthy. Lace is part of a group of horses that came to MHWF that we are calling the Lucky 7. This is a situation with 7 horse, 3 geldings, 2 mares and 2 stallions. Their owner had emergency heart surgery and could no longer care for them. He allowed MHWF to take them in. They came to MHWF needing absolutely everything. Besides feed, hay and trimming, all 7 of these horses needed to be vaccinated, new Coggins, teeth floated, de-worming and then training, since only a couple of them have ever been ridden and none of them have been ridden in about 12 years, not to mention that we will had to geld and give after-care to the 2 stallions. This is a huge project that will take a lot of time and money. They are good horses and deserved better than ending up in a bad place. Stay tuned for updates as we get to know them better and make progress on their needs to make them adoptable.

If you can and would like to make a donation toward their care, we can certainly use your help. Simply click on any of the PayPal "Donate" buttons here on our website or send a check or money order to our address, posted on our Contact page. Thank you again for giving us the opportunity to help horses like these, who simply needed a safe place to go.

Update: 10-17-2021

It took us long enough, but we finally got some answers in relation to the bleeding from Lace's nose. The bleeding was a small drip here and there, but she came in with it and we could not make her available until we had some answers. it turns out that Lace has a huge ethmoid hematoma deep in her nasal cavity. Luckily this is very treatable, but it will take some time and work. She will need 3 injections of formaldehyde, each one month apart. This will kill the hematoma and she will once again be a normal healthy horse. Being that this is a 3 injection process, we have to find a place where she can stay in the Oregon, WI area for about 2 months while she gets those treatments. We should have her cleared up and ready to be adopted in early 2022.

Update: 3-22-2022

Lace is now back from her treatments and is looking and feeling much better. The issue with the tumor in her nasal cavity is now resolved and the tumor is gone and not expected to come back. All we need to do now is get a test ride or two on her and we can make her available for adoption. She is a sweet mare, very friendly and a joy to have around and we are very happy that everything went so well with her treatments.

Update: 4-4-2022

Lace has now been evaluated in regard to her training and we can now make her available for adoption. Her treatments are done and her health issues are now behind her. She is sound, healthy, current on everything and in great shape. She is also super easy going and a joy to be around. She looks like a horse half her age.

Years ago Lace was ridden and shown and even earned points in Western Pleasure, but that was many years ago, so we needed to see where she was at with training and riding. She stood ok to be tacked and mounted, but once the rider was on her back, she got very nervous and started backing up. She did not blow up, did not buck or rear, just was confused. So while we are ready to make her available, she will need someone able and willing to work with her to get her back to riding. This is not a big project and she is not a crazy mare, it has just been a very very long time since anyone has ridden her. Everything else is in place. She is good for the vet and farrier, leads, loads, ties, an all around nice horse to be around. She is also super sweet and still very athletic for an older gal.

Update: 5/9/2023

We have very sad news to share in regard to Lace. This past weekend we had her scoped to make sure her tumor had not started to grow back. Sadly it has. At this point we have to reconsider making her available for adoption. We do not want to burden someone else with her care or possible surgery, which would be a few thousand dollars. For now we are going to monitor the tumor and see how quickly it grows, then make a decision on where to go from there. This is not supposed to happen and we really have little worry that it would come back, but it did. For now we are not making her available for adoption.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Boston Scotch - 12 yrs.

Rehabbed - Training Evaluation Needed

Boston Scotch is a 12 year old registered APHA stallion. He stands at 15.2 hands tall. Boston is part of a group of horses that came to MHWF that we are calling the Lucky 7. This is a situation with 7 horse, 3 geldings, 2 mares and 2 stallions. Their owner had emergency heart surgery and could no longer care for them. He allowed MHWF to take them in. They came to MHWF needing absolutely everything. Besides feed, hay and trimming, all 7 of these horses needed to be vaccinated, new Coggins, teeth floated, de-worming and then training, since only a couple of them have ever been ridden and none of them have been ridden in about 12 years, not to mention that we will had to geld and give after-care to the 2 stallions. This is a huge project that will take a lot of time and money. They are good horses and deserved better than ending up in a bad place. Stay tuned for updates as we get to know them better and make progress on their needs to make them adoptable.

So far Boston seems be behave really well and has kept his manliness reasonably under control. He is of course separated from the herd with two rows of heavy duty panels between him and the other horses, just to be safe. he is scheduled to be gelded on May 20th. Right now he is lame on all 4 feet, but his hooves are a mess and we are hopeful that a decent trim will make all the difference. We will post updates as we go along.

Update: 5/20/2021

As of today, Boston Scotch is no longer a stallion. He got a new Coggins, got his teeth floated and was gelded today. last week he got his vaccinations and de-wormer and yesterday his feet were trimmed for the first time in what looked to be a really long time. He was already super sweet and well-behaved, but after some quarantine time, he will be ever sweeter and can finally be part of a herd, free to run in the pastures. That is a big deal and we have our supporters to thank for that. Thank you!

Update: 7/4/2022

It has been a very long road for Boston. When we first met him, his feet had basically rotted off and he was super sore in all 4 feet, but especially in both fronts. It has taken a little over year, but Boston is now looking good and looking pretty sound. It is not uncommon to see him running full speed across the pasture now, something we never though would be possible. He is also one of the sweetest, most easy going horses you will ever meet. We do not believe he has ever been ridden, but we will find out and give our honest opinion as soon as we can. He is ready.

Update: 11/27/2022

We wanted to wait on Boston's update for a couple of weeks after MHWF Fall Vet Day, so that we could give a better and more accurate update as to how things went for Boston for a couple of weeks after. As most of you know, the big MHWF Vet Days are when some awesome veterinarians come and teach students from the UW Madison, and loads of teaching, learning and great things happen for the horses and for all involved. Boston came to MHWF as part of the "Lucky 7" herd, and his feet were awful, basically about as bad as they can get, and he has had a problem with recurring abscesses early on, and then down to not as often. The whole team got together on Vet Day for Boston, and he had an incredible workup and even surgery to help him.

The surgical team was led by Dr. Kayla Le, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgical Sciences at UW Madison.

Boston had a full workup that included lameness evaluation and radiographs. Boston's hocks have been a question and worry, and they show mild arthritis, but nothing serious, so that is really good news. Boston's back feet now are great. The problem in his front is that he is/has been club-footed, and in turn this causes problems in the feet and the way he moves and the way his feet grow, and in turn that causes problems with him being more prone to abscessing, and he also has thin soles. Mind you, his feet have improved dramatically over the past year, but still an issue. As a matter of fact, Boston has just developed an abscess about a week before Vet Day, and that was already drained, but still sore on Vet Day. Dr. Suzanne had been talking about Boston being club-footed all along and how this causes issues, and our farrier Mike has been doing a great job with Boston's feet.

Dr. Le went over everything regarding Boston's club-footedness and the tendons being so tight and not allowing Boston's heel to drop to "normal" position, and how check ligament surgery could help him. Many horses have this check ligament surgery to help, and even go on to having showing careers under saddle. So, Boston had check ligament surgery on Vet Day and the check ligaments were cut on both fronts.

Boston had one trim to bring the heels down a bit after surgery took place on 10/29/2022, and then he saw the farrier again on 11/18/2022. We had been keeping boots on him for a bit, but the boots are off now. Boston has recovered very well from the ligament surgery and is doing fantastic, and his heels are already in a much more normal position than they ever have been, which is very remarkable and showing signs of success. Boston is almost ready to be turned out and join the herd again. I have been keeping him up in the paddock and arena since 10/29/2022, and he probably could have gone out already, I wanted to be extra cautious and give him a bit of extra time (he has a buddy with him to keep him happy too).

This was a very exciting thing to have the opportunity to have this done for Boston, and we are extremely grateful as well as being very excited to see what the future holds for Boston and how much of a difference this will make for him.

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

Cowboy (Cowboys Bar Time) - 15 yrs.

$250 - Cowboy is a 15 year old registered APHA gelding. He stands at 16.2 hands tall and so far seems sound and healthy. Cowboy is part of a group of horses that came to MHWF that we are calling the Lucky 7. This is a situation with 7 horse, 3 geldings, 2 mares and 2 stallions. Their owner had emergency heart surgery and could no longer care for them. He allowed MHWF to take them in. They came to MHWF needing absolutely everything. Besides feed, hay and trimming, all 7 of these horses needed to be vaccinated, new Coggins, teeth floated, de-worming and then training, since only a couple of them have ever been ridden and none of them have been ridden in about 12 years, not to mention that we will had to geld and give after-care to the 2 stallions. This is a huge project that will take a lot of time and money. They are good horses and deserved better than ending up in a bad place. Stay tuned for updates as we get to know them better and make progress on their needs to make them adoptable.

Update: 4-25-2021

Update: 7-4-2022

Cowboy is now fully rehabbed, looking good and is one of the nicest, most likeable guys you will ever meet. He is also current on everything he needs. Cowboy is as sound as he is ever going to be. He has some arthritis in his hocks. He is pasture sound and loves to run and play, but we do not think he will ever be a riding horse. If he can carry a rider, it will have to be short rides around the neighborhood at a walk, maybe an occasional trot. Don't overlook Cowboy simply because he cannot be ridden for lessons and up and down hills. He is a joy to be around and never seems to do anything wrong. You will like having him around as much as we do.

11/27/2022

MHWF had big Fall Vet Day with amazing veterinarians who teach UW Madison vet students, and a whole lot gets done on those days. Cowboy had a full workup again along with radiographs. Dr. Kayla Le of the UW Madison did an amazing job with Cowboy and gave us a lot of great information.

I want to address the past things first that have been mentioned about Cowboy in the previously, including his sore back. His back is not sore like it was, and we went through all kinds of evaluation to see if he was neurologic, and found he was not. At best, his vitamin E level was a little low in the past and he did get proper vitamin E supplementation. His sore back was from a combination of his sore feet from extremely thin soles and his bad hocks.

On evaluation, Cowboy showed grade 3/5 left hind limb lameness at baseline.

Radiographs show severe osteoarthritis of the left distal hock joints with lysis and partial ankylosis. The veterinarian suspects that the joints will fuse with time and lameness will improve. We are talking about a possible injection with an osteocushion product to help his comfort level. So, all in all, it is going to take time for Cowboy's hocks to fuse, and he will wind up being much more comfortable, and likely ride-able. He battles with very thin soles yet in the front and we are dealing with this, and trying to keep him on hoof supplements to help with that growth (check out MHWFs Amazon Wish List if you'd like to help with some of that).

Overall, Cowboy is doing pretty well. He is the sweetest boy, and also drop dead gorgeous to boot with such a shiny coat!

Click here for more information, photos and updates on our discussion forum

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