The Hoofer horses are available to be 'adopted' by club members who would like a more hands-on approach to the program or who would like to spend time with horses without taking lessons. It's easy to do, just pick a horse, check his or her availability, schedule a check-out session and you're ready to 'adopt'. Please e-mail the Adopt-A-Horse Coordinator for more information about our horses, and visit our Hoofer Horses page to pick the horse for you.

Adopting a Hoofer horse can be anything from coming out to groom him or her, or taking your horse for a walk around the HEC property. Since there is no riding, you are able to have a much different relationship with your horse, one that involves one-on-one interaction on the ground. Many adopters take their horse into the arena for a roll, or have him or her graze outside while they lie in the grass (seasonal option! Not recommended for snow). Some horses like to play games in the arena, like herding you or doing some ground work to stay active. If you need more ideas, contact the Adopt-A-Horse Coordinator or your instructor.

There are no requirements on how often you come to the barn to see your adoptive horse, however we recommend that you come out about once at week (more if you have the time). In order to bond with your horse fully, he or she needs to have fairly regular contact with you, so once a week is a good start. You are welcome to pick the same time each week as well, for some consistency in scheduling for your horse. It's really up to you!

In order to adopt a Hoofer horse, you have to be a Hoofer Riding Club member, either as a regular member (which includes the possibility of taking lessons or riding) or a Social Member. In order to be a member of HRC, you have to be 8 years of age or older (some slight exceptions apply, please ask for more details), so the same rules apply for AAH participants. If you are a youth adopter, you must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Many parents with younger children adopt a Hoofer Horse and the children are welcome to come visit the horses while they are handled by adults.

Absolutely nothing! But if you feel that the program has helped you or you child, feel free to donate a few dollars to HRC for the volunteers who work very hard to make the program available.

Most of our horses are available for adoption, so please contact the Adopt-A-Horse Coordinator if you are interested in a specific horse. She will let you know if there is a horse that is not open for adoption. For the safety and protection of both horse and adopter, there are some of our horses who are only open to experienced riders who have a good grasp of horse body language and how to control a scared or naughty horse (hey, it happens!).

There is a schedule of events on the HRC Calendar that show Hoofer lessons and events coming up at the barn. You will need to watch for regular lessons and private lessons where you will have to check if your AAH horse is being used. How do you know for sure if your horse is being used? Heh, you will probably never know for sure. Horses can hurt themselves in the field, leading an instructor to use a back-up horse in a lesson, which could be your AAH horse! You will never know for sure, but you can get a very good idea if you pay close attention to the Calendar and horse use in lessons. It sounds hard, but HRC has a good system down and it is fairly regular. Before you come to the barn, be sure to check this Calendar as it is kept very up to date.

Some of the Hoofer horses are easy to catch, some are impossible to catch, but either way being in the field with a herd of horses is pretty dangerous! If you are a beginner, we encourage you to come out to see your horse at a time when they are already safely in their stall and ready to be loved. If you are an experienced rider with ample trips into the fields under your belt, you may be able to take your horse from the field. Please contact the Adopt-A-Horse Coordinator for more information about catching your horse (but if it's Shadow don't bother, he will refuse to be caught!).

HRC is happy to offer the AAH program for free at this time, so unfortunately we don't offer rides as part of the program. You are welcome to sign up for lessons when you feel comfortable, and if you are a Social Member you are eligible for one ring ride per semester. If you are a regular member ask your instructor if you can ride your AAH in a lesson, she may be able to accommodate you. Contact the Social Membership Coordinator for more information about riding as a SM. If you are a regular member, you are welcome to join HRC trail rides or ask an instructor if you can Ring Ride during a lesson. Prices are on the General Fees page.

Often times a cuddle and a kiss from 'mom' or 'dad' is treat enough for horses! Feeding horses treats is a grey area for many horse owners. We like to feed our pets treats because they clearly enjoy it, but with horses it can create bad habits which can be dangerous because of their large size. You may bring your horse treats, but we ask that you follow the HRC rules about hand-feeding - that is, do NOT hand-feed your horse at any time. We ask that you feed your horse a treat by putting it into his or her bucket only after you have interacted for the day and put your horse safely back into the stall. This is a reward for their cooperation and does not teach them to look for treats as soon as you come up to the stall. Remember, feeding treats teaches the horse that your presence means food, not that he or she should like you as a person any more or less! In a wild herd, horses groom each other, stand close and cuddle to reward and interact, there is no equivalent behavior for treat giving in nature.

Not having a car can be a problem for many Hoofer members, especially for students on campus, so please contact the Social Membership Coordinator if you are in need of a ride. Also, if you are able to give rides and are a regular HRC member please tell the Social Membership Coordinator so she can match you up with a person who doesn't have a car and you will receive Volunteer Points which can be used towards a free ring or trail ride or show class!