Our Story
It started with six horses and a belief that every horse deserves safety, dignity and a place to call home.
It Started With Six Horses
Big Hoof Foundation began in 2022 with six horses and a simple belief:
A horse’s value should never be determined
by how much work they can still do.
In February 2022, we rescued six horses from Bowie Texas Livestock. Those first six changed everything. What began as an effort to give a handful of horses a safe place to land quickly became something much bigger.
The Original Horses— February 2022
From Rescue to Sanctuary
We saw firsthand how many horses particularly older Draft Horses and former working horses, were finding themselves at livestock auctions, kill pens, or in situations where their futures were uncertain.
We knew we could not save every horse. But for the ones we could save, we could change everything.
Big Hoof Foundation grew from those first six horses into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing horses in need and providing them with lifelong sanctuary.
Rescue may happen in a day.
Sanctuary is a promise we make for the rest of their lives.
A Home for the Horses Who Need One
Some of the horses who come to us are easy keepers.
Others require much more.
We care for seniors, horses with arthritis and chronic medical conditions, horses requiring specialized diets and medications, and horses whose physical limitations mean they may never be able to work again.
That doesn’t make their lives less valuable.
A horse doesn’t need to be rideable to have a good life.
A horse doesn’t need to be useful to deserve excellent care.
Forever Means Forever
Big Hoof Foundation is a sanctuary. When a horse joins our permanent herd, our commitment doesn’t end when the fundraiser ends or when the horse becomes healthy again.
We are there for the ordinary days, morning feedings, farrier appointments, dental care, veterinary visits, special diets, medications and more.
We cannot promise every horse unlimited time.
We can promise that whatever time they have with us will matter.
