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Rehome a Horse

How to rehome a horse or pony

Rescue horses and ponies can make wonderful companions and it's extremely rewarding knowing you've made a real difference to an animal's life.

Video: How does the horse adoption process work

Finding the right horse for you 

Many of our horses are unridden and will need experienced people to bring them on. Our rehoming process aims to make sure horses and owners are perfectly matched.

We also have a number of horses and ponies which are only suitable to be kept as companion animals.

  • If you are looking for a riding horse, please be honest about your riding skills.
  • If you're looking for your first horse, read our advice on caring for horses and ponies
  • Do you have the necessary skills, time and money to meet the welfare needs of a horse or pony?

Here's how you can find horses for adoption

  1. Use our find a horse search.
  2. Enter your postcode or town.
  3. Submit a horse and pony fostering and adoption application form.
  4. We'll then contact you if there is a suitable horse or pony available.

Please note: There's an adoption fee to adopt an RSPCA horse or pony which can be anything from £150 to £500, depending on the type of equine and the animal's rehabilitation.

It costs us at least £5,000 to care for, rehabilitate and rehome each horse so the adoption fee really is a small contribution towards this cost. It also helps to cover the costs of microchipping and vaccinations.

Video: What does the horse adoption fee cover?

Viewing an RSPCA rescue horse 

RSPCA specialist equine centres are in County Durham, Shropshire and Surrey. Our centres in Wales also have a selection of ponies for rehoming. 

If your application is successful, you'll be invited to either meet your chosen horse or meet an equine that may be better suited to you. You may have to travel if you want to adopt a horse because they are never rehomed unseen.

You may need to travel to an equine centre more than once to ensure that you and the horse are right for each other.

Home visit

Before a horse or pony can be adopted we will carry out a home visit. This provides an opportunity to assess both your expertise and your facilities. It also allows us to check that you have the commitment to be a horse owner.

Happy endings

There's nothing quite like the feeling we get from successfully rehabilitating and rehoming a rescue animal.

Through horse adoption, you'll be playing an essential part in ensuring animals have a good life by rescuing and caring for those in need.