Meet our adoptable horses
Prior to being “cleared” for adoption, horses in our care have completed a 2-3 month evaluation process which allows us to learn their personality, herd ranking, and quirks once they settle in to a foster family’s home. (Follow us on social media for updates on our newest intakes before they are cleared for adoption.)
Adoptable horses have received vaccinations, deworming, farrier care and have a current negative Coggins, in addition to a training evaluation and riding/driving time dependent on their soundness or limitations. Horses continue being handled or ridden throughout their time in rescue and lead, load, tie and have basic ground manners regardless of whether or not they are able to be ridden.
Please note: We require an approved adoption application prior to scheduling a visit with the horse you are interested in. As a foster-based rescue, this is out of respect for our fosters’ privacy and time as well as yours. Please visit our Adoption FAQ if you have questions.
If you would like to help us cover the costs associated with intake, please visit this page.
We almost always have horses in the intake process and incoming horses who are not posted here (yet). You may apply to adopt and be approved at any time. We hold your application for 1 year, at which time you may email us with interest or we may reach out to you with a potential match before they are ever posted to this site.
Lettucerockthem A
Lettie is slated to head for the ReBrand Initiative Trainers Challenge! He will be matched with a trainer, receive a solid 3 months under saddle to continue the foundation he had a year or 3 ago, and then compete at the Standardbred National Horse Show in September!
All our regular adoption requirements will apply, with his selected trainer receiving ‘first right’ to adopt, followed by applicants who meet our requirements.
We will post more about his journey as it unfolds in the coming months.
Strapping Beauty
Beauty is a one-eyed wonder pony, 22 year old off the track Standardbred. She only raced twice before ‘retirement’ and was likely Amish transportation and/or broodmare for the middle of her life. She spent four years as a family trail horse, rehomed when her kid wanted a barrel horse and her stifle prevented her from being able to compete in that discipline.
Beauty is a textbook been there, done that mare. If she thinks she can, she will. In other words, no beginners because she will walk all over you. She needs consistency and direction to be her best self, and with those guidelines, she is the bestest witchy woman you will ever meet. She’s excellent for the farrier, good for grooming, and is sound for light riding. She may be sound for a bit more with joint injections, but right now she does get stiff from longer trailer rides or long days.
The definition of an easy keeper, she requires hay/pasture and currently eats half a scoop of Tribute Kalm N EZ twice per day.
She lives out 24/7 with the option of shelter, and has lived with other mares or geldings. She is UTD on all care including deworming, farrier, vaccinations and Coggins.
Her adoption fee is our after the track minimum $600.
“Denali” is a fun sized, unraced, trotting-bred Standardbred. At 19 and 14.3 hands high, Denali’s legs show a history of Amish road horse or hard driving.
Intercepted several years ago at a late winter auction by Safe Harbor, Denali spent about a year in the pasture relaxing with his first adopter. He was started under saddle and has been to a horse show where he did well in in-hand trail, but he was only sporadically ridden due to his owner’s health. Just returned (June, 2026) under our lifetime safety net, Denali will receive 30-60 days of refresher training to best prepare him for his new home.
Denali is UTD on all care, with a fresh Coggins, vaccines, and hoof trim. He is sound for light riding (IE walk/trot, easy trails), with the understanding that “light riding” does not mean weekend warrior style. Maintain his fitness, he’ll be fine. Pull him out once a month, he’ll be sore. Invest in some joint injections, he could likely do a bit more.
Intermediate rider/handler. This horse is the epitome of smart cookie and will go to the gate and stand, pull you to the grass and pig out if you let him do it. He’s beautiful and we love him, so we want to ensure the most compatible situation for him.
As always, PPE welcome at adopter’s expense, or talk to either vet who knows him, or both. Denali is used to life on pasture board with good grass hay and Tribute feed.
Adoption fee: $700
Dude in a Denali
Buttercup
Buttercup is a 20-ish year old, 14.2 hand grade mare, likely a Paso cross as she does show a Paso-type gait and has many of the personality traits those who love the breed would recognize.
Buttercup is fairly straightforward to handle, and she looks for quiet confidence in her handler. Her best match is someone willing to listen and meet her where she is. Buttercup has some special considerations important for a prospective adopter to understand:
1) She was a pet for her first 8 years, started under saddle with somewhere between 30-60 rides, and adopted in succession to two homes that were inappropriate for a very green older horse, neither of whom understood that additional training and lessons would likely have solved their confidence issues. Instead, she was then adopted to a “companion home” where she stood in a field for 7 years with minimal interaction, fast forwarding to now where we will ensure her next match is the right match.
2) She very likely would have been a candidate for a spay as a young mare. She comes into heat just from being pastured next to a gelding or from a change in her environment, and she is more sensitive/reactive while in heat. As a teenage mare, Regumate, Depo, or marbling would be options someone could explore. This is also why we recommend a MARE ONLY environment.
3) Paso experience is strongly recommended. She is sensitive, "flight" minded, and has absolutely no use for someone who trains with force, "flooding" or hard hands - and remembers the person in her past who did.
4) She is a horse that needs daily or close to daily handling. You can't turn her out in a field for 4 days and expect to walk right up and catch her on the 5th. This is due to the years she simply wasn't -get her in a routine, and this will likely get better as it has in her current foster home.
She has been assessed by a professional with the following: If someone had a couple months to invest in her, she'd likely come around and be fine to ride again.
As a small organization, we simply do not have $2-3,000 to invest with the expectation we miraculously find someone who will take her on from there and continue her training/riding, and so we are offering Buttercup with two options:
1) Foster to adopt: Adopter is either a qualified "training level" rider to continue her training, or is an advanced-level rider who will place Buttercup in training with an APPROVED, qualified professional for 60 days of training (to include lessons with the adopter); at the end of 60 days, adoption becomes official or can decline to move forward.
2) Sanctuary foster: Buttercup can go as a companion mare to a sanctuary foster home with an appropriate set-up in consideration of her needs outlined above. Safe Harbor retains ownership and will cover the costs of her annual vetting as well as end-of-life if/when needed. Sanctuary foster farms are required to file monthly check-ins with photos, and are located within the radius of one of our regular veterinarians. This is an excellent option for someone who wants a companion horse but may not want to "buy" another, or who wants a built-in support system.
Buttercup stands to be groomed, lowers her head to be haltered and seems to enjoy attention. She is excellent for the farrier. She has typical Paso rock hard, beautiful feet. She is up to date on all routine care (vaccinations, Coggins, deworming, farrier care), and is a fairly easy keeper on 1 scoop of Purina senior AM & PM and appropriate amount of hay for her body size and type. If you are interested in becoming Buttercup's person as outlined in one of the options above, please complete an application.
We deeply appreciate Chasing the Son Farm and Yvonne Lucius, APF-i for assistance with Buttercup’s monthly care costs.
Whiskey & Cherry Bomb
Currently in intake - apply today to be ‘first in line’ or sponsor care costs, which have been significant to date.
In early April, we were contacted regarding a Standardbred that was consigned to a west Tennessee auction. In an area known more for speed racking than Amish road horses, we were concerned about where this horse might end up and who might be paying attention. We agreed to tune in to the online bidding. The horse in question ended up selling prior to auction, but a gelding came through in not great shape, and we used our auction fund to secure his safety. The same group asked us to secure a ride and quarantine on an old Amish broodmare that no-saled on the same evening and we did so, under the impression she would be moving on after 21 days.
As fate would have it, both are here for the duration…
Feelin Bulletproof (Whiskey) is 21 years old, raced some, made a whole $5500 as a racehorse, and was turned into a speed racker. Look it up if you don’t know about it; it’s not exactly a way to guarantee soundness and good care in a retired racehorse. His feet are undergoing what will be a year of rehab, he has some arthritis in his knees that will feel better once his feet are fixed, and he’s a bit wonky in his stifles which will improve with good nutrition and some deliberate fitness. Sweet and easy in all ways, he is blossoming with kindness and good care. He will be evaluated under saddle within late June/early July time frame.
Highway Pow Pow (Cherry Bomb) is 21 years old, Canadian-born, trotting bred, and with one registered foal on file and a body that says ‘baby factory’. We know she came from an Amish farm and was a broodmare for some time. She had some road rash, probably why she was sold on, but also had the most beautiful shoeing job we’ve seen in a long time and is just the sweetest, kindest mare. We can safely say, despite the circumstances, this mare was loved in her former life. She drives and we will be evaluating her in the cart once she gains some more weight.
*She has been ultrasounded to confirm she is NOT in foal at the present time. Our adoption contract is a ‘no breed’ agreement.
More Details About Our Process
- We adopt within 200 miles of zip code 37048, Cottontown TN, with a few exceptions. Those exceptions include 5 years of documented ownership, references, and photos of current equine and facility.
- We require an in-person meeting to ensure an appropriate match between horse and adopter.
- You must go through our approval process, including submitting references, prior to meeting the horse or ‘test rides’ – this is out of respect for everyone’s time. Providing complete and accurate information helps us process your application faster and match you accurately with available horses.
- Horses are up to date on routine care including vaccinations and Coggins, and complementary therapies if our team feels they are needed (IE massage, chiropractic, MagnaWave, acupuncture, etc.)
- PPE’s from adopter’s veterinarian are always welcome. We will work with you but do ask that vetting is done within 7 days of committing to adopt whenever possible.
- Our adoption agreement is a lifetime safety net with no breeding, no auction, no slaughter terms. We will always take back or assist with re-homing any Safe Harbor adoptee.
- Nearly every horse in our care is available for sponsorship. Full sponsors have the option to meet their sponsored horse. Go here for sponsorship or email us with questions.
If you would like to help us cover the costs associated with intake, please visit this page.
Safe Harbor Friends Helping Friends: Courtesy Listings
Safe Harbor “Friends Helping Friends” is an owner-assistance placement program for horses seeking new homes. Owners may share on our Facebook group and email us, and we will network the horse here, by email, and to our social media audience.
Safe Harbor “alumni” seeking new pastures are noted as such. All courtesy listings require an approved adoption application. Safe Harbor alumni require our transfer of ownership contract. Others are noted as to owner’s desires.
Courtesy listing - Registered TWHBEA herd available near Franklin, TN: Owner passed away, family is caring for but needs to rehome. Horses are NOT trained to ride but handled and cared for. Mixed herd of mares, teen unregistered stallion (to be gelded). Registration information available, no photos at this time. Send us an email to be connected to owner’s family.
Safe Harbor makes no claims or warranties as to the soundness or suitability of any courtesy-listed horses.
These horses are not in our care or custody. Owners set their own fees.