Care and Training

Many of the horses that come to HPAF are malnourished, which is what comes to mind with "rescue". However, helping underfed and neglected horses is only a small part of what HPAF does. Malnourished and starving horses receive proper nutrition and care to bring them back a healthy state. Then the real work begins.

Almost every horse requires training or retraining. For those of you familiar with dog rescue, one of the main reasons that dogs are relinquished or abandoned is for behavioral issues. In other words, lack of training. The same is true in horses, only more so. When many people have a 1000 pound animal that they cannot control, they get rid of it or let it sit out in a field. Because the horse is not trained, it is not useful or enjoyable for the owner. These horses get passed around from owner to owner, ending up neglected or worse. Training is a central part of the rehabilitation for horses that come to HPAF. All have been mishandled, physically abused, or in many cases, have never received any training whatsoever.

Natural Horse Training

Principals of natural horsemanship are used in training the horses that come to The Horse Protection Association of Florida. For more information about natural horsemanship, click here to visit our links to excellent natural horsemanship websites.

Holistic Care

Acupuncture, chiropractic and homeopathy are part of the health care provided for the horses.

Veterinarians caring for the horses at HPAF include:

• Dr. Marilyn Maler DVM
• Dr. Gerald Wessner VMD
• Dr. Ted Specht DVM
• Dr. Tom Lane DVM

Hoof Care

The horses at HPAF are all barefoot (without shoes) and are trimmed under the guidance of Dr. KC LaPierre, founder of The Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry and IAEP student April Dahl. The Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry is a school dedicated to teaching Horse Owners, Farriers and Veterinarians the science of Applied Equine Podiatry.

Click here to view before and after photos of HPAF rescues.