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Current Fundraisers
Our foundation will always be transparent with where donations are going. Our board members do not receive salaries nor do donation dollars go to paying for vehicles, trailers, power bills, etc.
100% of your donations go to the horses medical care, feed, farrier, bail from the kill pens, transport from the kill pens or anything else the horses might need.
Help us raise money to cover the cost of bail and transport for a bonded team of Belgian Draft horses and another senior geldings from shipping to slaughter!
April 19, 2025 - Today I saw a post from Bowie Texas Livestock of a Belgian Draft horse mare. She looked so sweet! The part that broke my heart in the video was to see the gelding in the pen frantic that they were separated. Bowie has them posted separately and I couldn't bear the thought of these two being separated and going to different homes .
A senior gelding was also posted at Panhandle Feedlot and Kill pen horse in McLean, Texas. This poor guy looked defeated and was the only Belgian there. We feel he needs a place to retire as well! So...we are doing a fundraiser to save these 3 lives from shipping to slaughter!
If you can support this fundraiser to cover bail and transport, we would greatly appreciate your support! These horses deserve a place to retire in dignity and grace!
Fundraiser details
Bail for Bowie Lot# 4877 gelding - $1,680
Bail for Bowie Lot# 4878 mare - $1,680
Bail for Lot#1221 gelding in McLean - $1,550
Transport - $250
Initial medical - TBD
Total fundraiser - $5,200
(Additional donation links below)
Medical Fundraiser
Medical Fundraiser Details
Since the beginning of August 2024, we have rescued 64 Belgian Draft horses, 11 Percheron, Clydesdale and 19 donkeys from shipping to slaughter. We did not include medical care into all of the fundraisers for these horses or donkeys because we knew some had medical conditions but to what extent was the question. We wanted to be financially responsible with donation dollars and get the exact amount for medical before we started a fundraiser.
Below is a spreadsheet with a breakdown of what care each new horse received along with a copy of the actual bills from Mobile Veterinary Practice, Claude Veterinary Hospital and Amarillo Equine. Some of these horses have never received medical care and it definitely showed! We have treated all the new horses for a variety of medical conditions such as arthritis, 4 with EPM, 3 with eye cancer, colic, heart condition, laminitis, surgery, jaw fracture, infections, and the list goes on!
These horses will only receive the best medical care for the rest of their lives here on our farm! Although some can't stay as long as others we will do everything we can for these animals.
We need your support to cover the costs of the recent medical bills (over $70k) and still rising with our continued efforts to rescue more horses. Our medical fund is almost completely depleted and if we have an emergency with a horse we need to be able to cover the expense.
Please consider making tax deductible donation to help cover the most recent medical bills.
As always...we appreciate your support, kindness, love and generosity!
Feed Fundraiser
Did you know?
Horses and Donkeys, on average, should consume about 1.5% to 3% of their body weight in hay per day. This means that a 1000-pound horse would eat approximately 15 to 30 pounds of hay daily; for a 400-pound donkey that’s 6 pounds per day. Since our horses weigh 1500 to 2000 pounds these calculations show just how much hay we go through!
Currently, 86 horses and 20 donkeys, formerly abused and neglected animals are living on the farm enjoying retirement life filled with only love and kindness.
For their most basic needs of feed, we need approximately 65 round bales of beardless wheat per month (approx. 16 bales per week, 832 bales per year). These figures do not include alfalfa that the horses and donkeys also eat per day. And there is also Alfa Pro our special needs horses eat too.
Round bales of Beardless wheat are $140 per bale with our local supplier HF&C Amarillo
Every bit helps, even if that means just sharing this on social media!
If you would like to send a donation of feed direct through our local feed store HF&C Amarillo you can contact them at
(806) 622-9800
Don't want to use PayPal...Donate via credit card using
Zeffy or Givebutter
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NOTE: Tips on GiveButter and Zeffy do not go to our foundation.
Equines Saved since 2022
140
With your support, we have saved 101 Belgian Draft Horses, a quarter horse, a standardbred, Clydesdale, 11 Percheron and 25 Donkeys from shipping to slaughter and have given them a loving retirement home.
Currently, 96 horses and 20 donkeys are living on the farm and enjoying retirement.
Help save " Big Hoof " Horses
The Big Hoof Foundation is dedicated to saving Draft Horses that have spent their entire lives working only to be neglected or abused when they can no longer work and are eventually sold to slaughter or abandoned to perish.
Our dedicated volunteers and board members work to rescue, rehabilitate and if possible re-home these beautiful gentle giants to nurturing pastures while advocating for more humane treatment of the draft breeds through information and enlightenment.
By saving abandoned Draft Horses we are providing them a loving, humane environment free from pain and suffering as well as restoring their trust in humanity.
Our orginization will do everything we can for the horses we rescue. Most of the horses we have rescued have medical conditions and can not be re-homed. They will receive the best medical care and alternative treatments we can offer them with help from our amazing veterinarians.
Our Mission
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To rescue, rehabilitate and rehome Draft horses.
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To provide a facility where no animal will endure the pain and suffering caused by a life of abuse, neglect or abandonment by giving the horses the proper medical care required to live a healthy life.
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To sponsor or host events that promote awareness of the neglect and abuse of the Draft Horse Breed.
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To create an equine therapy program to assist people suffering with mental illness.
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To bring awareness to the community about horses being released into a slow feral death or dropped at a dealer who sends them to auction then slaughter.
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To form relationships, share information and work towards a collaborative effort to solve problems that lead to the inhumane treatment of these big hoofed gentle giants.
Our Board of Directors loving each and everyone of these horses!
Julie Fletcher
President/Founder
Cory Fletcher
Vice-President
Michelle Raney
Development Director
Jeannine Residori
Treasurer
Kara Starkweather
Secretary