Welcome to HorseWorld’s Fostering Scheme!

We are looking for knowledgeable and experienced people to offer temporary homes to some of our rescued youngsters and to help them in their journey from rescue to rehabilitation. Our innovative Discovery programme can offer some of our rescued horses a great future helping vulnerable and disadvantaged young people and we are looking for unique foster homes that can help provide a safe and knowledgeable space for the young horses to allow them to grow and develop which is a crucial part of their journey into Discovery. At the end of the Foster Loan, the horse will return to HorseWorld with the hope that they will be backed and go on to join our Discovery Programme. HorseWorld will provide some financial support for the duration of the loan; covering all veterinary, dental and chiropractic costs.

Foster loans help to provide vital handling, basic training, and care to horses that have been selected by our expert team for the Discovery programme; Thereby helping to reduce capacity on the farm and free up crucial space and resources for us to rescue more animals in need. A foster loaner would also be helping a rescued animal find a new lease of life and be a vital part of that animal’s journey from rescue to rehabilitation. We hope that all of our rescued young horses and ponies have bright futures ahead of them with the right care and training, and we need your help to achieve this.

Please note, we have a foster loan radius of approximately 1-hour drive from our yard based in Bristol. If you are unsure as to whether you are within this radius, please contact the team and they will be happy to advise you.

If you think Foster loaning could be for you, then please read through our fostering criteria and email rehoming@horseworld.org.uk

Fostering Criteria

Our foster ponies require special training, so we are looking for specific homes who are willing and capable to do this. Please carefully read the fostering criteria below to see how our foster loans work and what we are looking for in potential foster homes.

Fostering Criteria:
• You are knowledgeable and experienced in owning/caring for horses. Experience with youngsters is not a must but is beneficial.
• You would be willing to take on the foster loan for a minimum of 1 year.
• You have the time and facilities to care for and train the pony.
• The horse/horse’s ours would be kept with are of a similar age to the foster pony so that they can play and socialise together.
• The foster pony must be kept with a companion and be able to freely interact with them in the same paddock on a daily basis, or that you would be willing to take on more than 1 foster pony if you did not have a companion for it.
• The foster loan is only temporary, and you are prepared for the foster pony to return to us at the end of the loan.
• HorseWorld will cover the costs of veterinary bills, dental bills and chiropractic costs for the foster pony for the duration of the loan.
• You are responsible for day-to-day costs of keeping the pony i.e. feed, bedding etc.
• The foster pony will be sent on loan with an estimated return date, but this date will be flexible and open to change if needed.
• There is a minimum 1-month notice period for the pony’s return, should the return date need to be changed.
• The main aim for most of our foster pony’s is for them to join our Discovery Programme in the future.
• The backing of the horse will be completed by the training team at HorseWorld once the horse has returned from loan. Foster loaners are not permitted to back the horse themselves, unless formally agreed otherwise and/or stated in the loan agreement. All training up until the point of backing will be reviewed and permitted dependant on the pony (behaviourally and physically) and the loaners experience/competence.
• You are prepared/willing to demonstrate your ability in the types of training you will be looking to do with your foster pony, should you be invited in to HorseWorld for a viewing.

If you think you meet the criteria above and would make a suitable candidate for Foster Loans, please also read through our fostering terms and conditions below before applying.

Terms and Conditions for Foster Loan Home

HorseWorld is referred to as ‘the Owner’ and Loaners are referred to as ‘the Loaner’ in the following:

Administration
a) That the Owner or their representative shall have the access and the right to inspect the loaned equine at any time.
b) That the Loaner will give the Owner at least 2 weeks’ notice, should the Loaner intend to move or relocate the loaned equine from the location as defined on the Initial Home Check Form. The Owner must inspect and approve the new premises, prior to the relocation of the loaned equine.
c) That should the contact details of the Loaner change from those defined in the agreement, they will notify the Owner with immediate effect.
d) That the equine’s passport must be made available for inspection at any time. The Loaner must inform the Owner immediately if the passport is misplaced or lost. The Loaner will be responsible for any costs associated with the loss of the passport.
e) That the Loaner shall not use the equine for any purpose other than the purpose for which the equine is loaned, as specified in the agreement, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Owner.
f) That the Loaner is not to breed from the equine under any circumstances.
g) That the equine must not be transferred or sold to a thirty party by the Loaner.

Equine Welfare
h) That the Loaner will provide and maintain a safe and suitable environment for the equine.
i) That the Loaner will provide the equine with proper food, stabling and attendance and do all that is necessary to keep it in sound health and condition.
j) That the Loaner will implement a proper grazing plan to ensure that suitable grazing and turnout areas are available and free from dangerous and/or diseased livestock or vegetation e.g., Ragwort.
k) That the Loaner will ensure that adequate shelter is available for the equine throughout the year, when out at pasture.
l) That the Loaner will ensure that the equine is kept with an equine companion that it can freely interact with in the same paddock on a daily basis.
m) That the Loaner will notify the Owner immediately should the Loaner be unable to continue to provide such a required environment or care as described from h) to m) above.

Equine Health
n) That the Loaner will ensure that a programme of proper foot treatment is available from an approved professional to maintain healthy and balanced feet and that records are kept.
o) That the Loaner will ensure that a proper health plan is implemented for the equine to include worming and vaccinations (against equine flu and tetanus) and that records are kept.
p) That the Loaner will ensure that a proper dental care programme is implemented for the equine and that records are kept.
q) That the Loaner will ensure that adequate stabling is available for the equine in case of injury or sickness.
r) That a qualified Veterinary Surgeon shall be consulted by the Loaner in every case of sickness, accident, disability or disease and that their advice is followed.
s) That the Owner has the right to access all veterinary records and other treatment records relating to the loaned equine.
t) That in the event of the equine suffering a serious illness or accident and a Veterinary Surgeon, or the Owner upon an inspection, advising that it is necessary for the equine to be destroyed to avoid further suffering, the Loaner will have the equine humanely destroyed. The Loaner will immediately inform the Owner and supply full details of the situation and date of destruction. All costs will be incurred by the Loaner.

Foster Loan Specifics
u) The purpose of the Foster Loan is to provide the loaned equine with time to develop its training and gain life experience on a temporary home, outside of HorseWorld. The Loaner will work towards the specific aims of the loan, as per the Loan Agreement, under guidance from the Owner.
v) That the Owner will cover costs of preapproved Veterinary Treatments, Musculoskeletal Treatments and Dental Treatments. All other costs involved with the keeping and daily care of the equine will be incurred by the Loaner. The Owner is not obligated to pay for treatments that they have not preapproved; the Loaner will be held accountable for these costs.
w) That in an emergency, when preapproval is not attainable, the Owner will cover emergency veterinary costs of up to £1000. The Loaner will be held accountable for costs spent in excess of this amount. This excludes colic surgery - The Owner will not cover the costs of colic surgery.

Risk and Liability
x) That no warranty is given by the Owner as to the fitness or suitability of the equine for any purpose and that the Loaner shall indemnify the Owner against any claim for injury or damage caused by the equine.
y) That the equine will be kept at the Loaners risk and the Loaner will take out adequate insurance cover that at minimum must cover 3rd party insurance. The Owner does not accept any liability for any damages to persons or property which might be caused by the equine while it is in the Loaners care.
z) That any training is undertaken entirely at the Loaners risk. To minimise risk the Loaner must ensure they have a suitable level of experience with training horses, to be agreed alongside the aims of the Foster Loan.

Termination
aa) That the Owner shall be entitled to terminate this agreement without warning and to take back into its care the equine described in this agreement should any of the above points be breached or if in the opinion of the Owner the health or happiness of the equine is compromised.
bb) That this agreement can be terminated by either the Loaner or Owner at any time by giving not less than one month’s notice in writing to the other party.