Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue, Inc., is a non-profit equine rescue dedicated to improving the lives of draft horses by saving them from situations which threaten their health and well-being, including neglect or abuse situations, slaughter broker lots or auctions where they may be sold to slaughter, and those whose owners can no longer provide for their needs.  Horses coming through our rescue are quarantined, medically evaluated and treated, receive farrier care, vaccinations, deworming and dental care, and are then evaluated for riding or driving ability to determine the appropriate match for their “forever” home when they are placed for adoption.  Fundraising and adoption fees only recoup a portion of our expenses, but without them we could not continue to save more horses.  Adoption fees are non-negotiable and non-refundable.Our goal is to find every horse a home where they will be loved and treated well for the rest of their lives, and to ensure that they are never again in dangerous, neglectful or abusive situations.  For this reason, we follow-up on these horses for the rest of their lives. We adopt them under a “lifetime free-lease” condition, which allows you to have the horse as your own, forever…but provides a “safety net” for the horse.  Since we retain ownership of the horse, if the horse is ever neglected, starved, abused, abandoned, or ends up at an auction, we have the legal power to take that horse back to safety.  Be assured we have no desire to take horses back from you into the rescue once they have wonderful loving homes…our goal is to find homes for horses so we can rescue others…this is strictly for extenuating circumstances where the horse is in danger or winds up in the wrong hands.We require annual follow-up which includes documentation of basic veterinary care (vaccinations to include EWT, West Nile and Rabies), dental exam and/or floating of teeth, farrier care, and parasite control as recommended by your vet. We will need current photographs of the horse on an annual basis, and have the right to visit your farm to see your adopted horse (though we hope you will keep in touch more often, as we become quite fond of our rescues in the short time they spend with us).  We will need to be notified if the physical location of where the horse lives ever changes.  If you decide you don’t want or can’t keep the horse anymore, we have the right to take the horse back or to approve a new owner you may find yourself, and a new contract must be signed before the horse is transferred.  A vet must be called for any illness or serious injury, and if the necessary treatment cannot be provided for financial reasons, the horse must be returned to the rescue. We prohibit our rescue horses from ever being used for breeding purposes. You may always return your adopted horse to the rescue at any time, for any reason, no questions asked.
Applicants must be at least 21 years of age, and reside no more than a 4-hour drive away from East Hampton, CT 06424 (except by special exception, contact us for preapproval). We require both veterinary and personal references. We perform farm inspections to ensure that you provide a safe, hazard-free environment, with adequate shelter and free access to water (potable water other than a pond or stream).  We will not approve premises with inadequate or unsafe fencing, including smooth electric wire (unless it is secondary as a toprail protector) or barbed wire.  A non-refundable application fee of $15 is required to cover our time and effort; this fee will be applied towards an adoption fee on your chosen horse. If we do not have a horse that meets your needs at this time, we encourage pre-approval with a description of the horse you are seeking, as we often know of other horses in need that we can match you with or we can seek out an appropriate horse once you are approved. 
 
Please click the Paypal button below to submit your application fee; you will then be taken to the page with the application form once payment is submitted. The form may be emailed, faxed or printed and mailed once complete. Alternatively, the $15 application fee may be mailed to CDHR, 172 Hog Hill Rd, East Hampton CT 06424. We will mail or email an application form once payment is received.