Donate a Horse

Thank you for your interest in donating your horse to Halleck Creek Ranch. We are deeply grateful and depend on the generosity of the many people who have given their loved horses to us over the years. We are always on the lookout for the ideal therapy horse for Halleck Creek Ranch, and we keep a diverse herd to accommodate the specific needs of our participant population.

If you have a horse you are considering donating, please review the following criteria and procedures for Halleck Creek Ranch to accept a horse for a trial period. Contact our Program Director, Brenda Falco with any questions: bfalco@halleckcreekranch.org

Criteria for horses entering our program on trial:

  • Age 8-18 years old    
  • Height: between 13-16 hh
  • Soundness in all gaits: walk, trot and canter
  • Preferred training: trail riding, English, Western, vaulting, dressage, trailering
  • Recent experience being ridden in an arena and on the trail
  • Low maintenance: basic feeding, health care, hoof care
  • Good with other horses: our horses typically live in pairs in small open paddocks or pasture
  • Temperament: excellent ground manners, low flight response, calm and confident, trainable
  • Must stand quietly while tied to hitching rail to be groomed, saddled, and to wait for lessons to begin
  • Tolerant of loud noises, movement in the saddle, hugging, and equipment such as toys and wheelchairs

Click here to review what is required to donate your horse.

About Us

Since 1977, Halleck Creek Ranch has offered thousands of Bay Area youth and adults therapeutic horseback riding. We are located on 60-acres in Nicasio, California. Our horses live in small open paddocks and have seasonal access to grazing pasture. Our participants ride English and Western both in an arena and on the trail. Our horses receive regular veterinary treatment, exams and farrier visits.

Halleck Creek Ranch (HCR) is an EQUUS Foundation Guardian and is permitted by the Marin Humane Society to operate a horse riding program in Marin County and is inspected annually by them. HCR is a member of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH, Intl.) and is guided by their standards for equine welfare and management.