Each year, hundreds of thousands of good horses find themselves in transition of career or ownership. And each year, a growing number of these horses end up at risk of inhumane treatment. Research by the ASPCA indicates there are over 1.2 million homes that have both the perceived resources and desire to house an unwanted horse. This number greatly exceeds the approximately 200,000 unwanted horses living each
year in the United States.
However, a lack of high-quality training is one of the most consistent, ongoing needs for horses in transition. A well-trained, safe and pleasant horse has a much higher adoption rate, lower length of stay in a shelter and a higher likelihood of staying safe for life.
In October 2020, Monty Roberts and his team at the International Learning Center piloted the Monty Roberts’ Mustang & Transition Horse Program (MRTHP), in partnership with the ASPCA’s The Right Horse Initiative. The aim of the program is to overcome one of the biggest barriers to adoption – a lack of high-quality training for horses awaiting adoption.
The 60-day pilot was a resounding success and the MRTHP has continued on – re-training and re-homing horses “in transition” and Mustangs rounded up from the wild by the Bureau of Land Management. The program has already placed several dozen retired racehorses, Mustangs and other breeds in forever homes, across a variety of new careers from performance to companionship.
Join-Up International’s focus is to help Veterans, first responders, at-risk youth and other vulnerable populations find healing through the experience of Monty Roberts' globally acclaimed Join-Up® and other equine-assisted activities.
The off-the-track Thoroughbreds in our Transition Horse Program have proven exceptionally versatile and willing participants of our equine-assisted programs. Additionally, their stories of finding happiness and purpose in a second career, after
minor injury or other circumstances abruptly ends their first career, correlates well with and inspires the Veterans and youth in our program who have often gone through similar situations.
It takes a special horse to have the patience, temperament and willingness to connect with a wide range of different people of all levels of ability, backgrounds and personal struggles, on an ongoing basis.
These horses are our GEMs … Generous, Empathetic and Motivational ... and rather than being re-trained to find new careers with future adopters, these horses stay at the California Horse Center, our facility, to help our program participants work through a series of trust-building exercises in partnership with the horses, and develop tools for overcoming trauma, improving relationships, better self-regulation and emotional intelligence, regained confidence, and a willingness to open up and ask for help.
Your support of our transition program allows for the ongoing maintenance and care of these special horses, as well as providing essential equipment, medical, farriery and other care for the horses in our transition adoption program.
