Donating a Horse

Interested in donating your horse to Mount Holyoke College?

The Equestrian Center’s schoolhorses consist of many wonderful horses donated by individuals. The horses donated to our program range from top-rated show horses to veteran beginner horses. Please remember that we are also always in need of quality blankets and equipment! These can add value to any donation.

Donation Process

1. Fill out Prospective Horse Application and either:
   • email to ppierce@mtholyoke.edu
   • fax to 413-538-2854
   • mail to Mount Holyoke College Equestrian Center, 50 College Street, South Hadley, MA, 01075
   
   We ask that if at all possible you send a video of your horse at this time. This will help us better assess your horse for the program and keep the shipping costs to a minimum for the donor.
   
   
2. The Equestrian Center will review your application and video and then a member of the staff will contact you regarding your donation.
   
   
3. Each donation is asked to come in for at least a 30-day trial period. Shipping to the college, and away from the college should the horse NOT work out, are at the owner’s expense. The trial period is to assess if your horse will work in our program. We ask for the 30 days so the horse has time to settle in and so that we can base our decision on your horse over time. Prior to your horse coming in on trial we will send you a Trial Period Agreement. This will need to be signed and sent in before the horse’s arrival, along with what your horse eats, what tack he/she regularly goes in, last worming date and medication, and vaccination records. We are currently also asking that you take and record your horse’s temperature daily for 7 days prior to arriving at the facility.
   
   
4. After the horse finishes the 30-day trial period, we will notify you as to whether we feel your horse will work in our program. We may decide to have a pre-purchase exam preformed at our expense prior to accepting your horse. If your horse is not suitable for our program, we do ask that arrangements be made for them to leave the facility within 10 days of notification.

Paperwork Needed
On arrival:

1. A complete vaccination and worming record of the horse
2. Hay, feed, and supplement instructions.
3. Coggins test within 1 year
4. Trial period agreement

After acceptance:

1. Registration papers (if applicable) signed over to Mount Holyoke College.
2. USEF, USDF or FEI show record from the past show season and the USAE Horse ID number or USDF registration number (if applicable)

Once Your Horse Has Been Accepted
In most cases, owners then have their horse appraised. This is entirely for the owners benefit (and at their expense), but most accountants recommend it. An appraisal represents an official document that is used as supporting evidence of the donation for the IRS. We are happy to handle showing the horse to the appraiser. If the owner chooses not to have their horse appraised, they simply let us know the value they would like us to state on our paperwork for their horse and we will do so.

We then fill out a form for our development office, the appraiser sends the development office his/her appraisal if this has been done, and our development office sends the owner IRS Form 8283 to use for their taxes.

If you have any concerns about completing any of the paperwork, or have any questions, please contact Paula Pierce at 413-538-2272.