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Thestral Farms has made it a mission to open its doors to 15 sport horses of any kind, seeking full retirement. Full retirement due to age or career ending ailments/injuries. Where the residents may live out their glory days in an amazing herd environment, catered to their individual personalities and needs, with owners that live on site offering around the clock detailed care. It is our deepest passion to see that the once glorious sport horses that took care of us in their prime, receive the care and dedication they so selflessly gave! They deserve love, peace and an appropriate environment as they live out their end of days or retirement life.

We are not a retirement boarding facility. Kentucky boasts many fantastic facilities that cater to retired horses and even more specifically, to the thoroughbred. Instead, we fill a gap where owners that can’t afford this ever increasing form of board, can turn over their babies to let them retire and live their best life in a highly desirable environment and spectacular care.

Our pastures are large with rolling hills, streams, lakes and natural large shade trees; the very definition of the Kentucky Bluegrass dream! We are surrounded on all sides by 300 acres of rotating crops, so privacy and safety are never an issue. The farm has gates for added security.

We are a not for profit, federally and state recognized 501(c)3. Donations go DIRECTLY to the care of all our elderly/retired guests. Those that were relinquished to the farm for retirement purposes only. Please consider donating to the farm where we will allocate funds to pay feed bills, veterinary care, farrier fees, supplements and any medication necessary for the wellbeing and support of these retirees. Even better, consider becoming a monthly sponsor of a horse listed below!

We prefer donating via Zeffy. Zeffy is a 100% fee free platform for nonprofits. Which means that we get 100% of your donation, no other donation platform offers this! Zeffy offers all credit cards, Apple/Google Pay and even ACH from your bank. However, if you would like to donate via another channel, please see those options below. All donations are tax deductible and Zeffy also provides your tax receipt after receiving your donation.

We pride ourselves in transparency! All our financials are available upon requests! Some we even post directly to our Facebook page.

EIN# 99-0454830

Each of our residents requires a monthly sponsorship! Currently, we (the farm owners) are paying all their daily bills with zero assistance. Each horse will have individual requirements and needs. There are multiple sponsorship levels.  Once a horse has a sponsor, it will be updated to reflect if any additional sponsorships are needed, or if they are fully sponsored and taken care of. Please note that our sponsorships do not include any form of board, farm maintenance, or time/labor to care for any of the animals. What you see included are only their daily basic needs being met.

TO START, Click on each individual horse to view their more specific needs and their sponsorship levels. There you will find the button to link you to the sanctuary’s Zeffy account. 

You can check the box to give a reoccurring monthly donation. Please add in the notes, which horse you wish to sponsor, or send and email or Facebook Message to Jodi/the Sanctuary. If there is a specific need that horse has that you would like to assist with on a monthly basis, please write that in the note section or contact Jodi. There are a few horses with more intense medical and maintenance needs.

Sponsorship Levels

Star Sponsor                       $25

Honorable Sponsor           $50

Bronze Sponsor                 $100

Silver Sponsor                    $150

Gold Sponsor                     $200

Platinum Sponsor             $250

Full Care Sponsor              $350

Our volunteer orientation is mandatory to get on the schedule.

We hold volunteer orientations at the farm the first Tuesday of every month, during the summer (April through October), at 6PM.

During the winter months (November through March) we will hold  the orientation the first Saturday of each month, at noon (12PM).

*You will be required to RSVP in order to come to the orientation. If no one is interested that month, it would be a waste of our time to sit around. So we need to know that you are coming! You can contact us via our Facebook Page or send us an email. You will need to provide us with your contact information to sign up. 

At Thestral Farms safety is ALWAYS our priority! Safety is at the core of everything we do. You will learn the layout of the farm and how to properly handle the horses during orientation. You will learn about the various tasks we need the most help with and we can discuss the times that will work for us both to schedule you out here. We do also require that you sign a release of liability to participate in any thing horse or animal related. 

… The Help…

We typically need help with the following:

Brushing and all aspects of grooming the sanctuary horses.

In the summer months, bathing and daily fly spray applications.

Mucking sanctuary horse stalls, cleaning non automatic waters and reapplying bedding.

Hand walks and grazing the property with the sanctuary horses as needed.

Farm Maintenance

Mowing pastures during the summer months.

Feeding and feed prep

General housekeeping in the barns

… Requirements to Volunteer…

We require that you be over 12 years old to volunteer; this is for safety reasons and liability. 15 and older are preferred, as these age groups require less oversight and can self manage their time and the various duties. You must be comfortable dropping your child off or volunteering with them. Age can be further discussed on a case by case basis, so just reach out.

Close toes shoes are mandatory!

A working mode of transportation is required. We do not have the time to pick people up.

The ability to follow instruction and guidance. The ability to stay on task with chores.

We do reserve the right to ask you to leave if we feel you can’t follow directions, are not practicing safety around the animals or are not a good fit. The wellbeing and peace of the animals is our TOP priority, 100% of the time.