The Horse Protection Association of Florida is looking for temporary foster pastures for rescued horses.
Executive Director Morgan Silver told Local 6 because of excessive rain at the farm in Micanopy, several of the pastures are flooded and some are completely underwater. That means many of the horses are standing in the water, which can lead to medical issues with their hooves.
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Silver said donations to the farm are down, which is complicating the issue. She said in order to keep the horses healthy and keep costs down, anyone that meets fostering requirements, even if they can only help out for a month of so, would be greatly appreciated.
Right now, there are 17 green horses on the farm, which means they've had some training, but are only suitable for foster environments that can provide ongoing training if they are seeking a rideable horse. There are also 22 unstarted young horses and 27 unrideable companion horses.
Silver said it's important for potential foster homes to note that although most people want to foster a rideable horse, none of the horses at the association are child-, beginner- or intermediate-safe at the moment.
If you are interested in fostering, there are several requirements you must be able to meet:
Horses do need to be fed twice a day and separated in stalls or pens for feeding
Pasture needs horse-safe fencing (no barbed wire)
Need to have horse experience and willing to provide care as horses will need to be groomed, checked for injuries and trimmed by a farrier every 6 weeks
The association will need pictures of the property where the horse would be living emailed to msilver@wildblue.net.
For more information on fostering and how you can help by donating, click here. www.hpaf.org.