Our Program

Donation Of a Horse:

When an owner wishes to donate a horse the owner is given information about Circle F, is invited to visit our location, become familiar with our adoption procedures and generally to check out Circle F for suitability. For example, our horses run loose all year and come under shelter at their choice. Persons wishing to place a horse in a stall would not find Circle F a suitable placement.

In turn we visit the owner and evaluate the horse for suitable placement with Circle F and potential for adoption. When in doubt a veterinarian or farrier may assist us with the evaluation. When the horse is donated, a Transfer of Ownership Form is signed by the doner and the horse becomes the property of Circle F.

The horse is then cared for by volunteers on a twice daily basis at the facility. The horse’s nutritional, physical and emotional needs are given attention.

Adoptions:

The horses are predominantly adopted out as companion horses to another horse or for light riding together with companionship.

Persons wishing to adopt a horse and who show interest in one of our horses are invited to come for a visit. Should their interest be such that they wish to pursue adoption they fill out an Adoption Application Form and we visit their place to check out suitability for placement. If all seems appropriate a placement agreement is signed.

Circle F will be in occasional contact with the placement during the first 3-6 months to assure all is going well.

Volunteers:

Volunteers, all horse lovers, are the true asset to the program. Tasks that are assigned to cover each day and include:

• Feeding
• Grooming
• Medical attention
• Handling of the horses
• Cleaning facilities
• Facility maintenance
• Care of tools
• Organizational detail

A person wishing to volunteer contacts Circle F. If interested in pursuing a volunteer assignment the potential volunteer will be invited to visit Circle F and receive an orientation. If, at that time, the person wants to follow through they fill out a Volunteer Application Form. Membership in Circle F is five dollars.

The volunteer is then assigned a morning or evening slot which can take from one to two hours to complete. A new volunteer is assigned to another volunteer on a "buddy system" until she becomes familiar with the routine.

Volunteers, once oriented, are expected to assume responsibility for their slot and should they not be able to come on the time of their assignment to have their "buddy" fill in for them.

A volunteer coordinator maintains the volunteer schedule, copies of which are available for the volunteer. Schedules are normally posted two months or more in advance.

All volunteers handling horses are expected to become a member of the Horse Council of B.C. if they are not already a member. Membership in HCBC provides liability insurance coverage. A HCBC membership form will be given to the volunteer at the time of orientation.

Management:

Various volunteers are assigned responsibility areas such as volunteer coordination, feeding schedule, health care, exercising and conditioning of the horses, facility care, site visits, follow through on horse donations and adoptions, fund raising and the range of administrative and office matters that require attention.

Circle F is a club member of the Horse council of B.C. and carries general liability insurance, contents insurance and officers and directors’ insurance.

 

"Moxy Sox" is one of our many barn cats,
all of which are also rescues and part of our Circle F family.