Horse Protection Association of Florida, Inc.
Turning Tragedy Into Triumph!
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Marion County Florida has the highest population of horses of any one county in the United States with 37,000 horses. Because it is a prime area for the breeding and sales of Thoroughbreds, Paso Fino's and other breeds, there are a large number of cast off horses who are not suitable for the sales, breeding or show markets. Additionally because there is an abundance of high quality horses, the poor quality horses have no value except when sold for slaughter. Horse owners need to be educated as to the consequences of over production of horses and to the responsibility of the breeder to that horse for it's lifetime. A horse can live 30- 38 years and the breeder needs to take responsibility for that life they have created. This includes making sure that the horse has adequate handling and training so that they will be suitable mounts for the pleasure horse or show markets to insure that the horse will be wanted and not cast off.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Horse rescue and rehabilitation
Horse Protection rescues abused, neglected and abandoned horses and rehabilitates them. When a horse is adoptable, Horse Protection goes through a rigorous adoption process to assure that the horse is provided a life-long loving home. For those horses who are not adoptable, they spend the remainder of their lives in Horse Protection's care. All of our horses are interacted with on a daily basis. They are meticulously groomed each day when they come into the barns to enjoy their breakfast. When a horse is healthy enough, the Horse Protection horse is put into natural horsemanship training. It is after this training process that many of our rideable horses find loving homes. We also seek loving homes for our companion horses who are not rideable but who would make a great friend and companion for another equine.
Adoption
We have a rigorous adoption process in place to ensure a lifelong loving home for each of our equines. This process includes both an adoption application in which the prospective adopter provides specific information regarding the housing and care of the equine as well as photos of their premises. Once a prospective adopter moves past the application process, they are interviewed by both the Executive Director as well as the Farm Manager to ensure that the adopter is the right fit for the equine and vice versa. From there, a formal adoption agreement is completed which allows Horse Protection to monitor how the equine is doing every six months in the equines new home.
Where we work
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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Providing immediate, emergency housing and care for equines found starving, neglected, abused or abandoned. Safe shelter for equines seized or surrendered though law enforcement. Around the clock care for starving horses with a feeding program designed for safe re-feeding of debilitated horses. Appropriate veterinary, farrier and dental care.
To provide a natural environment for horses to help them heal and regain their emotional well being.
Assisting law enforcement to address cruelty to horses through education and by providing our services free of charge.
Providing a place for people to volunteer and intern where they can learn the language of the horse through natural horsemanship which opens up vast possibilities for our relationships with horses.
Make our community, known as the "Horse Capital of the World" , a place where cruelty and neglect are not tolerated, are immediately and appropriately address by removing the horses and relocating them to safety for immediate care and perpetrators of these crimes charged to the full extent of the law.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Horse Protection takes in horses who are victims of neglect, abuse, starvation and abandonment. The horses are rehabilitated physically and emotionally with emotional healing being the longer process in their recovery. Natural Horsemanship is used for interacting with the horses which is using the horses natural language of gestural communication. This requires that humans learn the horses' language and learn how to become the partner of a prey animal instead of behaving like the predators that we are. As the horses gain health and training they are available for adoption. Great care is exercised to match the horse with their ideal human partner for the best potential for a lifetime home.
For 28 years Horse Protection has been housing, caring for, rehabilitating and training horses. Each horse is evaluated and given individualized dietary care. Horses heal and learn to trust humans often for the first time during the healing process. Horses live in a natural herd environment on 180 acres of grass pastures where they can move, graze and socialize with their herd mates day and night. Living in their natural social structure and environment heals the horses mentally and emotionally.
The most important aspect that allows horses who are victims of abuse and neglect to come to a safe haven at Horse Protection and gain a new lease on life is our donors. Donors make our work possible. It is only through the compassion and generosity of countless horse lovers that we are able to help these deserving horses. We need your help so that Horse Protection can continue serving the community. Please visit the web site and contact us for a tour of the farm or to find out how you can help.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
When horses are healthy and suitable, they go into training. Almost every horse at Horse Protection Association of Florida requires training or retraining. Training is a central part of the rehabilitation for horses as many of the horses have been mishandled or physically abused. Some have never been handled at all and are feral, never having been haltered, lead or taught to accept routine and necessary care.
Horse Protection’s Horse Development Director is Lauren Barwick, 4 Star Parelli Professional, Gold and Silver Medalist in Dressage at the Paralympics, and World Para Reining Champion. She and her husband Fabian Brandt work with Horse Protection horses at their farm in Reddick Florida, as well as at the Horse Protection facility in Micanopy.
Lauren observes that the horses at Horse Protection are waiting for their “purpose”. They have now been fed well, and are well taken care of, and loved on. But for them to have a “purpose” they have to have some training.
Through a training centric discipline based on Natural Horsemanship Lauren tailors each horse’s program. She bases this on their horsenality, their temperament, their body type, even on what is known of their past history. All to help the horses get a jump start on being able to thrive in their new forever homes by filling in the holes that the horses have in their training and interaction with people.
Lauren and her students help the horses learn to trust in people so that they can be adoptable. Some of the horses have suffered from poor handling and are fearful or dominant because of it. The untrusting ones have never had someone who cared for them, so they don’t think of people in terms of “that’s my person”. Others come in at a young age and are just waiting for someone to give them a purpose.
The unstarted and untouched horses have all this inherent potential, and when given training Lauren sees them all of a sudden blossom, “It’s kind of like a flower waiting to bloom.”
By giving each horse a purpose and tailoring their training to their specific aptitude, they are given a chance at not just being adopted, but of giving them a successful adoption that ends in a forever home. Taking into account nutritional factors, their history, previous riding experience the horses at Horse Protection are prepared by Lauren for English, Western, Trail, Dressage, Horsemanship, Obstacles activities. The Natural Horsemanship Program is the perfect foundation for helping each and every horse.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The accomplishment shows through the horses who have come to Horse Protection. Within 60 days even the most debilitated and emaciated horse will be healthy and strong. Withing 4 to 6 months every horse is the picture of health and vitality because of the care, feeding and environment Horse Protection provides.
Providing natural horsemanship and dressage training for the horses through a top natural horsemanship and dressage professional has been a decades long goal that has become a reality with Horse Development Director Lauren Barwick. The formerly abused horses are adopted into homes
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Horse Protection Association of Florida, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 05/10/2022
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes