Fostering

FM has foster homes all over the country and always needs more! Please consider fostering for FM and helping these horses find their forever home.

What does a foster do?

Fosters provide food, shelter, farrier, and ordinary vet care. These expenditures for each foster are considered a donation for tax purposes.

The foster is in the best position to evaluate the horse in their care, as they are the one in daily contact. Remember that these horses may have been through a lot before landing in your gentle hands and may need some special handling, TLC and time before they come around. It requires an understanding that they won't immediately be the perfect horse they were born to be. Most importantly, fosters teach a horse to trust again.

Fosters may be asked to talk with prospective adopters to provide feedback on the horse and any information you might have about their quirks, likes, and dislikes, along with their care and needs.

FM is responsible for transporting the horse to the foster. Some fosters are able and willing to quarantine and/or transport the horse themselves at their expense, which is greatly appreciated.

What are the foster's responsibilities?

Fosters treat the horse like it is one of their one, including feed, care, training and use. Many times horses coming in through rescue are underweight, in poor condition, have health issues, and are in need of regaining trust in humans. They may also need some training or re-training in order to be able to place them in a forever home. The foster takes care of the horse's physical and emotional needs.

Fosters are key in helping the horse find a forever home. FM will promote the horse as much as possible, but relies on the foster to provide an honest evaluation and regular updates, photos (and video, if possible), and responding to potential adopters. Communication and visibility are extremely important in finding each horse a forever home!

Fosters should ALWAYS feel free to contact Forever Morgans for advice and concerns. We want all our fosters to know that they have our support and gratitude for what they do!

What if the horse gets sick or injured?

Fosters are responsible for the day-to-day costs of caring for the horse, including ordinary veterinary care such as worming, annual shots and teeth floating. In the event that a horse needs more than ordinary veterinary care, the foster home should immediately put the veterinarian in touch with the FM Board PRIOR to any treatment. The Board, in consultation with the vet and the foster home, will make decisions regarding the care and will be billed and pay the vet directly. In an emergency situation where the foster is unable to contact anyone on the Board, the foster should consult with the vet and follow his/her recommendation. If the vet recommends euthanasia and attempts have been made to contact the FM board, the foster is authorized to have the horse put down if necessary.

Which horse do I foster?

The Board decides which horse goes to a foster home based on the foster's skills and the horse's needs. Foster homes do not get to pick which foster horse they are going to receive, though requirements such as “no mares due to stallion on premises” or “can – or can’t– provide driving evaluation” or “willing and able to provide special needs care for a special needs horse” are carefully considered. We have found our most successful foster matches pair a specific horse with a foster who can meet its needs. This matching process helps to ensure foster homes are comfortable with the horses placed with them while also giving the horse the best chance to get adopted. For example, a pregnant mare would be with a foster who is experienced with foaling, and a driving horse goes to a foster who drives. When applying to foster, please let us know what your skill sets are so that we can best match you to a horse. Fosters are welcome to suggest which horses they think that they can best help.

FM does not do “trial adoptions,” where a foster home requests a specific horse with the intention of possibly adopting the horse "if it works out." We do understand that bonding occurs, and it is not uncommon for a foster home to fall in love with a horse and then adopt it. (We jokingly refer to these as "failed fosters," the best kind of failure.) If an approved adoptive home comes along that wishes to adopt that horse, the foster home must immediately decide whether or not to adopt, as it would not be fair to the horse for it to lose a chance at a good forever home while a human tries to make up their mind. The Board will determine at that time whether the foster home or applicant is the best placement for that horse and approve the adoption accordingly.

How long do I foster?

The length of time a horse is with a foster home varies widely, of course, but it also depends on the foster home. A foster who takes photos, shares updates, and helps FM to promote the horse may have the horse there just a few weeks. Videos of the horse being ridden are especially helpful! Three to six months is typical. FM tries not to move horses unnecesarily, so horses will usually be with the same foster home until they are adopted.

Are you ready to foster?

The first step is to fill out an adoption application and go through a reference check. Download the application, fill it in completely, sign/initial (we do need an actual signature, not a typed one), and send it to FM. You can send it by email (scan and save it as a pdf), fax, or standard postal mail. All prospective fosters must complete and sign the application and have a reference check.

The application requires three non-familial personal references, vet, and farrier. Please tell your references to expect to hear from an FM volunteer and authorize your vet and farrier to talk to us, as this makes the process much easier and faster. We understand if you don't have a current farrier if you haven't had horses lately, but we would like to talk to whoever you will use. Likewise, if you do not currently have an equine vet, we can talk to the vet you use for other animals or pets if you have any.
pdf
Download the Application to Foster

Forever Morgans Rescue, Inc.

All rights reserved.