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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.
Rescue Fundraiser to save horses from shipping to slaughter!
JUNE 19, 2025 - We have started a fundraiser to save two Belgian Draft horse gelding from Bowie Texas Livestock. Lot# 5146 is a direct ship gelding 16.1 hands tall and only 2 years old. He is a direct ship because he has a crooked bak fetlock and can not work. The previous owners did not want to deal with it! We feel this horse deserves a chance to live a life with a herd! Lot# 5150 is a gelding 15.3 hands tall and 21 years old. He's looking for a soft place to land!
Two registered Belgian draft horse mares are also at Panhandle Feedlot and Kill Pen in McLean, Texas. These two mares are older horses, overworked and sore. They need a soft landing as well! All their videos are below.
Thank you to everyone that supported our fundraisers to save these horses from shipping to slaughter! We can't thank you all enough for your support and generosity!
THANK YOU!
Fundraiser Details
Bail for Lot# 5146 - $1400
Bail for Lot# 5150- $1400
Bail for Lot# 1330 (2 mares) - $1650 each
Transport $200
Initial Medical - TBD
Total Fundraiser - $6300
NOTE: Tips on GiveButter and Zeffy do not go to our foundation and are optional.
Other Options for donating
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Medical Fundraiser
Medical Fundraiser Details
Since the beginning of August 2024, we have rescued 75 Belgian Draft horses, 11 Percheron, a Clydesdale, a quarter horse and 27 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, 5 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 $80k) 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, 103 horses and 23 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 100 round bales of beardless wheat per month (approx. 20 bales per week, 1,040 bales per year). These figures do not include alfalfa that the horses and donkeys also eat per day. And there is also Alfa Pro and sweet feed for our special needs horses too.
Round bales of Beardless wheat are $140 per bale with our local supplier HF&C Amarillo
We are working with a local suppliers to go directly to farmers to get our hay this spring.
Every bit helps, even if that means just sharing this on social media.
Please consider making a tax deductible donation to help feed the rescued horses and donkeys on the farm!
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
Equines Saved since 2022
168
With your support, we have saved 118 Belgian Draft Horses, 2 quarter horses, a standardbred, Clydesdale, 13 Percheron and 33 Donkeys from shipping to slaughter and have given them a loving retirement home.
Currently, 113 horses and 28 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 give these beautiful gentle giants a nurturing pasture to retire peacefully, 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 organization 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 and rehabilitate 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