The United States Equine Sanctuary and Rescue (USESR) is dedicated to advancing the health and welfare of horses and other equine nationwide. We carry out this mission by engaging community-based volunteers in equine rescue, foster care, and adoption programs geared toward preventing animal abuse, neglect, and slaughter.
By striving to ensure healthy living conditions for all equine, we believe that citizens young and old will gain a better understanding of the equine species and its important contribution to the American way of life.

Founded by Antoinette Smith in 1998, as H.O.R.S.E.S. in Texas, we quickly applied for, and received, our 501c3 charitable designation from the Internal Revenue Service. After several years of receiving requests for help in states other than Texas, our name was changed to better reflect our geographical activity. Although we are able to place equine only in states where we have a physical presence on the ground, we accept and help equine from any state.

In addition to our often emulated adoption and foster care programs, we are also well-known for our ability to coordinate placement of large herds of horses as in our Hitch-Hiking Horses venture, in which we played a key role in assisting with the placement of 300 starved, wild horses. It has been our great pleasure to work with other well-respected rescues throughout the United States, such as our neighbors, Creek Side Farm Equine Rescue, Serenity Springs Animal Sanctuary, and True Blue Animal Rescue- of Texas, as well as Laughing Horse Sanctuary, Turtle Creek Equine Rescue, the American Horse Defense Fund, and The International Fund For Horses, among many others.

Our strict policy of always being honest and ethical at all times has been a building block to our success. Foster Care providers are contractually required to be 100% truthful when describing equine to potential adopters. Adoptions are final and we do not wish anyone (equine or human) to be stranded in a relationship that is not optimal for all involved. For that reason, we offer a two-week on-premises trial period called, “Foster-To-Adopt”. Potential adopters know what they are adopting before they commit to adoption. We treat everyone like we would want to be treated. We respect our volunteers and their time; after all, they are us/we are them. All of us are equal here. No one makes operational decisions on their own, and tasks are shared as each individual volunteer’s time allows. We have fun volunteering and our volunteer events are always family-oriented. We openly welcome and encourage family groups of all kinds.

We have helped horses (and other equine) for so many years. We like to help horses because we know that helping horses is good for helping people. Horses can help all different kinds of people. Soon, our horses will be helping special needs children in a big way. We are in the planning stages of such a program. Research is being done to ensure our program has a maximum impact on the children our horses help. USESR hopes to announce this program by the end of 2007. Please stay with us, because we will need your support, as always. In 2007, USESR will be gearing up to accept even more equine into our program. Although we do not think that millions of people will need to donate their horses once horse slaughter is outlawed (we believe it will be in 2007), we do need to be prepared for a slight increase in that area. Our goal for 2007 is to replace the existing fences with child-safe fencing, which will also allow us to accept fully blind horses, something rescues receive many calls for. 2007 promises to be a year filled with growth for the United States Equine Sanctuary & Rescue!

We need your help and support to reach our short term rescue goals, the end purpose of which is always the same- to ultimately allow us to take in more and more needy equine. Your help and support is vital to our ability to succeede, even to operate. When you read this “About Us” page, we hope that you see that you are reading about yourself, as well, because you are us. We are you. You are on this website because you have the same goals as USESR (to save horses/equine); the same agenda as USESR (to save horses/equine); the same expectation for the end: (to keep horses safe forever). So please, won't you put your hand in our hand, and together, let us hold the horses in our hand, and keep them safe, majestic, and happy forever and ever, and always.