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Meet Barron

Expenses per horse total $12,000 each year!

Our expenses this year totaled $180,000 in horse care!

Medication & Care
2,200
Feed & Supplies
3,700
Veterinarian
2,100
Stall Bedding & Removal
2,300
Transportation & Training
70
Farrier
1,400
Dentist
230
I own/board a horse of my own, and the costs you’ve provided as an example seem higher than what I’m used to paying. Why is that?
The cost examples provided are an average for all of our herd – basically, $900 per month per horse. But each horse in Quantum’s herd has its own unique needs. Most of our horses are donated – sweet senior horses that require complex veterinary and farrier care. Our farm can be wet for long periods of time, and we find that shoeing our horses all the way around helps them deal with the moisture as well as the daily routine of carrying unbalanced and sometimes larger riders for therapy sessions. Also, throughout our 20 years, we’ve come to expect at least one major veterinary expense per year. For example; life-saving colic surgery for one of our young horses two years ago, and an expensive diagnostic MRI for one of our four draft horses that tore a deep digital flexor tendon last year. Obviously, these costs drive up the average per-horse costs provided in our examples. But, like you, we love our horses and strive to provide the best possible care for each of them. They are truly the heart and soul of our equine-assisted therapy programs.
Are adoption donations the only source of funding for the care of Quantum’s horses?
Quantum Leap Farm is fortunate to have multiple funding sources for its operation. About 20% of our annual budget comes from grants and nominal program fees for those who are able to pay for therapies. Another 2% of our budget comes from a handful of caring horse owners who agree to allow their horses to participate in Quantum’s therapy programs in exchange for greatly reduced boarding fees. They are an important part of our therapy family, and so Quantum provides the same level of care for these boarded horses as for those owned by the Farm outright. But the bulk of our budget – nearly 80% – relies on contributions, special events and fundraisers like our Adoption Program. We are grateful for all of our donors!
When I sign up to adopt a horse, do my donations provide for that particular horse’s care?
Adoption revenues are pooled in a fund to provide care for all of Quantum’s 13 equines. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community of caring donors to support Quantum’s herd of equine therapy horses. Each of us may be drawn to a particular horse – and that’s why we want to share information, photos and updates about the horse that motivated your donation.  Rest assured that the funds you donate – along with those of all our adoption donors – will be used to support your horse and the rest of his/her herd mates.