WELCOME to the Pennsylvania Equine Rescue & Retirement Foundation.

Our Mission:
• Dedication to rescuing slaughter-bound abused and neglected horses by providing rehabilitation and sanctuary to equines in suffering.
• Educate and embrace the humane treatment of horses by offering adults, families and caregivers the opportunity to develop and nurture relationships through activities with horses.

Our Vision:
To provide a safe, therapeutic, nature-based environment for an improved quality of life for both people and horses to regain trust through compassion and care.

Our Values:
• Compassion - We celebrate our role in serving animals and the community. We must genuinely understand and embrace the sufferings and misfortunes of others through patience, wisdom and kindness.
• Honesty – We will operate openly and candidly full disclosure of operations and funding practices.
• Hard Work – We believe in creating habits and responsibility, through perseverance
• Integrity - We will display a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles.
.
Our Goals:
• Identify and address issues impacting the equine industry and unwanted horses.
• Inspire the community to care more deeply about animals and the environment, and continue to create long term partnerships.
• Strengthen the bond between highly sensitive horses and troubled humans.
• Recruit and retain committed volunteers to implement projects and meet ongoing operational needs.
• Achieve ongoing financial stability for PERRF with a diverse base of donors, funders and income-producing activities.

Our Objectives:
• Provide “behind-the-scenes” components of horse rescue and care by developing and sharing information regarding our approach to animal welfare.
• Expand events that make our facility even more accessible and welcoming to all community members.
• Develop measures through educational workshops to demonstrate that the horses in our care are living healthy lives.
• Bring awareness to over-breeding & horse slaughter, and educate the public on equine diseases, cost of horse ownership, castration clinics & low-cost euthanasia options.
• Advocate lawmakers for effective laws to regulate and improve equine welfare.

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." ~Winston Churchill

“God forbid that I should go to any heaven in which there are no horses." ~R.B. Cunninghame Graham

"You know horses are smarter than people. You never heard of a horse going broke betting on people." ~Will Rogers

“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order." ~John Adams

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." ~Winston Churchill

“God forbid that I should go to any heaven in which there are no horses." ~R.B. Cunninghame Graham

"You know horses are smarter than people. You never heard of a horse going broke betting on people." ~Will Rogers

“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order." ~John Adams

GONE, NEVER FORGOTTEN

PERRF is proud to provide a loving, safe sanctuary for horses that were once abused, neglected, aged, and/or abandoned. All of our horses come from dangerous, heartbreaking situations and our sanctuary provides each one of them with a forever home where they can live out their lives. The horses below were rescues and residents of our sanctuary and the most beautiful part of what we do. They may be gone, but they will live in our hearts forever.

Lucy

Lucy was a registered Trakehner born in 1983. Blindness and fetlock arthritis did not hinder her ability to enjoy life. Our beautiful Lucy was very intelligent but, at most times, she was very anxious due to her conditions. Her pasture mate, Stevie, was her self-appointed guide horse. The two were inseparable.

Captain's Pride aka CP

CP aka Captain’s Pride was 37 years young when she passed suddenly in 2016. She was rescued along with Stevie and Lucy in 2009. CP was well-trained, patient and kind. We don’t know a lot about her but she did have a history of participating in parades. At the rescue, she was part of our hands-on training for the Beaver County Large Animal Rescue Team, which incorporated procedures for fire and flood evacuations. She was a trooper.

Dakota

Dakota was the first resident and most senior horse at Windy Ridge Stables. He was easy-going but would buck a rider off within minutes. He succumbed to an aneurysm at the age of 42.

Chiefy

Chiefy was a neglect case brought to us from the Beaver County Humane Society. At our first meeting with Chiefy, he was friendly and trusting. Our plan was to recruit him as our first therapy horse. Unfortunately, it was too late for Chiefy. He was with us for only 3 short weeks before his little body shut down due to the previous owner starving him and our local humane society not stepping up and contacting horse people to help.

STEVIE