EQUUS Foundation, Inc.

As the only national animal welfare charity in the United States 100% dedicated to horse welfare and the horse-human bond, the EQUUS Foundation is committed to:

ELIMINATING ABUSE
• Eliminating the abuse, neglect and slaughter of horses by increasing the number and capacity of equine charities dedicated to re-homing horses in transition so that they can take in more horses to re-home; and educating stakeholders and horse owners on the options available for horses when owners can no longer care for them.

HEALING PEOPLE
• Sharing their magic and power of horses with people who need them the most by increasing the number and capacity of equine charities dedicated to using Equine-assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT) for people with special needs; and educating and engaging stakeholders involved in the special needs community.

Our efforts and programs are focused on:
• Inspiring horse lovers to become horse protectors by stimulating advocacy and volunteerism;
• Educating the public on the value of horses in our lives; and most importantly,
• Empowering equine charities to be fully transparent and operate at the highest standards for horse care and service by providing them with financial support, recognition, guidance, and resources.

Especially now - with the advent of the internet and social media - it has become critical to verify that organizations making appeals to potential donors are fully transparent and operating at the highest standards for the care and service of horses.

Equine charities seeking financial support from the EQUUS Foundation undergo a comprehensive verification process to ensure donor confidence in the charities selected to receive financial support from the EQUUS Foundation each year.

As the only national charity in the United States 100% dedicated to protecting America's horses and strengthening the bond between horses and people, the EQUUS Foundation is in a unique position to connect individuals and organizations in the equine community committed to the welfare of horses with the goal of building a support base of equine advocates and affecting change.

In addition to our grants, EQUUS Foundation programs, including the Equine Welfare Network, Champions volunteer program, Equine Education Network, Next Chapters, Guardians, Horse Stars Hall of Fame, Alliance, Forever Farms, and the #HorseProtectors, are all focused on inspiring horse lovers to be horse protectors, educating the public on the impact of horses in our lives, and empowering equine charities to advance their work to eliminate the abuse of horses and share their magic and power with the people who need them the most.

The EQUUS Foundation was initially established in 2002 as an all-volunteer locally-based charity in Connecticut to provide financial support to a handful of local equine charities. By 2008, we had awarded over $1 million in grants and moved from all-volunteer to one paid staff member. We now operate with a fully-integrated and custom cloud-based infrastructure allowing us to conduct programs 100% remotely and be able to manage staff and volunteers based anywhere in the US. We have grown to award over $3.7 million in small grants to deserving equine charities nationwide and have built out a range of programs to support them. But there are still too many horses in this country need a life-line and opportunities to thrive. Our vision is an America where all horses are valued not only as athletes, but also as teachers, companions, and healers and where they naturally transition throughout their lives from one chapter to the next without risk of abuse, neglect and slaughter,