Adoption Procedures
Please note: We currently cannot adopt horses to homes in Eastern Washington; we don't have people to do the required welfare checks for the first year.
The first step in the process is to fill out the Adoption application. The application requires three personal references, only one of which may be a family member. Your references should be someone who can vouch for your horse experience such as a trainer or someone you ride with. If you don't have a reference regarding your knowledge of horses you can name someone who can answer questions about your animal care. Your veterinarian must be able to attest to your ability to properly care for the horse.
To Begin
1. Check out our available horses.
2. Submit a pre-adoption application. Incomplete applications will not be processed. We invite you to include property photos to expedite the process; include shelter areas, stalls, turnout, and fences.
3. Your application will be reviewed; you will be contacted if you are pre-approved.
4. We will contact you to make an appointment for you to spend time with the horse. This is a meet and greet to see if you have a connection with the horse(s). You will not be riding.
5. If all goes well, a second visit will be scheduled for a ground work session.
6. A third visit will be a riding session with our trainer. Serenity covers this cost. This session is usually and hour and a half. Please make sure you have enough time to spend. Again, we want to be sure that you are a good fit for each other.
7. A site visit will be performed by a Serenity representative prior to approval. The representative will meet with the adopter at the location where the horse will be kept assessing that all requirements are met. If the potential adopter lives over 50 miles from Serenity, we will contact an approved Serenity representative in your area to do the site visit. If we don’t have an approved representative available, we may not be able to adopt the horse to you at this time.
8. Serenity will complete processing your application, calling your references including your veterinarian.
9. Once approved, you pay the adoption fee and sign our legally binding adoption contract. At this time, the horse is formally adopted and may be transported to its new home. Any horse unable to be taken directly to its new home at the time of adoption (when the adoption fee is paid) can board at Serenity for a pro-rated boarding fee based on our monthly costs, which is currently $550. The fee must be paid and processed before the horse is released. Boarding fees do not include veterinary care, farrier services, or other incidental costs.
We are unable to accept trades in lieu of an adoption fee. We prefer cash or money order for the adoption fee, but will accept PayPal. PayPal fees will be added to the adoption cost.
10. Annual Wellness Visit. We think of our horses as family so when you adopt one of our horses you become family too. The first year after adoption, we will make a wellness check(s). We want to be sure that you and your new family member are doing okay.