SARAH EVERS CONRAD
I
t sounds like a little girl's dream come true, all smiles and
eyes twinkling: Here, have a free horse. These scenarios do ex-
ist, and you might be tempted to say, "Yes, please! Give me all
the free horses!" But first, know that a free animal might end
up costing you much more than you ever imagined.
You can find horses that are free, or close to it, in a variety of places.
Some people look online, on classified sites or Craigslist, while others
wander auction grounds. Some adopt from a nonprofit organization or
rescue, while still others network with trainers to find retiring race-
horses in need of second careers. Or they might end up meeting own-
ers facing life-changing situations (e.g., divorces, moves, job losses,
deaths in the family, etc.) who have to give their horses away.
But no matter how good the deal seems, the truth is you'd be
remiss not looking a literal "gift horse" in the mouth. We talked to
two veterinarians and a rescue operator to learn about the true
cost and care of a free horse.
Weighing the Risks
Nicole Eller, DVM, says a new owner must have
the financial resources, time, and knowledge to
care for a horse properly and address any health,
behavior, and training issues he might have. As
a Minnesota-based field shelter veterinarian
for the American Society for the Preven-
tion of Cruelty to Animals' Field Inves-
tigations and Response Team, she's
learned one of the biggest risks with
free-horse-dealing is getting a horse
that has health or behavior issues
or doesn't work out that will
be hard to rehome or, worst-
case scenario, have to be
euthanized.
