Donate a Horse

How to Donate a Horse to the Riding Program at Albion College

The school horses used in the riding program at the Nancy G. Held Equestrian Center at Albion College have all been generously donated to us by individual donors. Our horses range from steady beginner mounts to successful show horses.

We are consistently in need of sound, capable horses to teach our students on a daily basis.  Horses with prior competition experience are preferred.

Currently, we are primarily in need of hunters and reining horses.

Donation Process

1. Fill out a prospective horse donation application. (You may wish to save and print a copy for your records before submitting it.)
2. The equestrian center director will review your application and contact you regarding your horse.
3. We will request a video of your horse under saddle before accepting it into the program on a trial basis. (This helps to avoid unnecessary shipping costs or arrangements.)
4. After reviewing the video, a member of our staff will contact you to arrange for your horse's arrival for a two-week trial period.
5. For horses accepted to our program on a trial basis, we ask that the donor send a letter stating that the horse is being donated to Albion College. This letter should arrive prior to or at the same time as the horse's own arrival.
6. Upon arrival, we ask that you fill out a trial contract. At the end of the two-week trial period, if the horse is fitting into the program, a pre-purchase exam will be performed.
7. Following the trial period and pre-purchase exam, you will be notified if your horse has been accepted into our program.

Additional Paperwork Required

1. A letter from you with the horse's name and description that states what you would like to value the horse at.
2. A complete vaccination record of the horse, including Coggins test for the current year.
3. Breed association registration papers (if applicable) signed over to Albion College, as well as any USEF, USDF, NRHA, or Horse I.D. numbers (where applicable).
4. NRHA, USEF, USDF, USEA, or FEI show record from the last season the horse was competed (where applicable).
5. For horses valued at $5,000 or greater, an appraisal is required. Owners whose horses will need to be appraised will be notified by our staff prior to their acceptance into our program.

Please complete all paperwork before the horse arrives at the Held Center. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the director by phone at 517/629-0836 or via our online contact form.