F.A.Q.

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. MHWF is 100% volunteer run. 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.

Because all MHWF staff are volunteers and have normal daytime jobs, we ask that you only call during the hours posted. Monday - Friday from 4pm to 9 pm and 9am - 9pm on weekends.

Most applications are processed the same day we receive them and are almost always processed within 48 hours. Depending on the time of day we complete your application, we may call or email. Please make sure to check your email for confirmation of us receiving and approving your application. Even if we deny your application we will let you know and give the reason so that you may make changes to get approved.

As a general rule, MHWF will adopt to Wisconsin and neighboring states, but we have made exceptions in the right circumstances and have adoption horses in almost all of the lower 48 states.

Yes, all MHWF adoption horses come fully vaccinated and with a current Coggins. You will also receive any health records we have as well as the contact info for the person who donated your adopted horse. Our goal is to send you home with a horse that is current on everything it needs as well as all the information you need to give the best care and easiest transition to your pasture as possible.

While your adopted horse is yours to bond with, ride and enjoy, MHWF keeps legal ownership of the horse for a period of no less than 5 years. During that 5 years you cannot sell or give away your adopted horse for any reason. If you cannot keep it or do not want to keep it, it MUST be returned to MHWF in good condition and with a current Coggins. Adoption horses cannot be bred for any reason.

We try to keep adoption fun and easy, but also want to ensure every horse entrusted to us is where it should be and is being properly cared for. What that means for adopters is that you need to feed, water, trim, vaccinate, de-worm and float teeth to keep the horse in good weight and health. We also love updates and photos, whether in email or posted on our discussion forum. Each year for the first 5 years you have your adopted horse, we require a yearly Health Report, filled out completely and signed by you and your vet. Those must be done after spring vaccations and must come with at least one or two current, full body, full color photos. Health Reports are due after spring shots but no later than June 15th of each year. The Health Report form can be printed directly off of our website. The Health Report is our only yearly requirement and we take these very seriously and hope every adopted does as well.

MHWF is 100% volunteer and every penny donated goes back into the care of the horses here at our facility and not into staff salaries, etc. The best and easiest way to help is to make a donation through any of the PayPal "donate) buttons on our website. You can also mail a check. MHWF also does a lot of fundraisers and we always need help with things like volunteering to sell raffle tickets, working concessions at Packer games with us, donating saleable items, etc. We could not do the work we do without you and we deeply appreciate everyone who pitches in to help out, however they can. You can also become an MHWF Sponsor. It is simply and you can simply set up a monthly donation that is made automatically from your credit or debit card or from your PayPal account.

If the horse is a good fit for you and your family then there is no reason you cannot take it with you the same day you meet it. About 1/2 of potential adopters bring their trailers with them. We can also help you find a hauler if you need one. We do not pressure people to adopt horses. Our goal is to find the right home, not just any home.

Horses are herd animals and need the company of other horses to be healthy and happy. MHWF does not allow adoption horses to be kept alone. If you do not already have horses, we are happy to work with you to find two that will not only work for you, but will get along and be good campanions to each other. All MHWF horses must have at least one pasture buddy. That pasture buddy needs to be an equine and we do not consider goats, cattle, llamas or alpacas as good pasture mates to an equine.

The people who donate their horses to MHWF do so because they care. They want the protections MHWF can provide when they can no longer keep their horse and want to be able to sleep at night knowing it is safe and in a good home where it is loves and cared for. This is more important than the check could ever be when selling a horse. Statistically, the average horse has had 5 homes by the time it is 8 years old. Not only is that horribly stressful to a horse, but it is truly sad. MHWF adoption horses are protected under contracxt for at least 5 years and it is our mission to keep them out of auction rings or worse.

We make it a point to return every email we get and do our best to reply back the same day it arrives. If you sent us an email and have not heard back from us, it is most likely sitting in your spam or junk folder. That seems to be an issue sometimes for virtual email addresses like ours.

If you are calling during our telephone hours, please make sure to leave a message and we will call you back. Keep in mind that when we are done with work, we still have chores and appointments and are not by the phone much, but we do try to call everyone back that leaves a message. Some nights we get more calls than we can return. When that is the case, we will call you back the next evening and if we do not, feel free to call us back.