• home
• directions
• ride
• volunteer
• sponsor
• click to pay with PayPal

Frequently Asked Questions: Adopt a Horse

Have questions about adopting a Cevalo school horse? You've come to the right place! Click the links below to find answers to the questions we receive most. If you don't find the information you need here, send us a message!

• Can I visit my horse?
• Is my donation tax-deductible?
• What percentage of my donation will go toward caring for the horses?
• If I adopt a horse, can I come ride it?
• How do I sign up?

Can I visit my horse?

Visitors are always welcome at Cevalo during regular lesson hours. Please contact us in advance to find out the best time to visit, as lesson days and hours sometimes vary.

Is my donation tax-deductible?

Cevalo is finalizing a 501.c.3 application, which we expect to be approved in the 2010 calendar year. Once approved, all donations including adoption and sponsorship fees will be tax-deductible. Lesson and camp fees are generally not deductible as charitable contributions, but might be allowable child care expenses. For more information, consult your tax advisor.

What percentage of my donation will go toward caring for the horses?

Your entire contribution will go directly toward sustaining Cevalo's programs. Adoption fees are exclusively used to help cover the horses' expenses. Sponsorship fees go directly toward our scholarship funds for students and campers. Cevalo relies on volunteers to coordinate and manage our programs, so no portion of your donation will be used to cover "administrative expenses".

Can I come ride my horse?

To ride, you need to be a Cevalo student. Lesson fees are Cevalo's primary source of income and are used to cover Cevalo's operating expenses. If we let every sponsor ride for free, we wouldn't have any money to pay for feed, shoes, vet bills, and all the other things the horses need!

Cevalo's school horses work very hard for us and are rarely in need of extra exercise. On those odd occasions when a horse needs to be worked outside of lessons, our head instructor chooses a student who has earned extra riding time by helping out with special events, camps, or other Cevalo activities.

Volunteers who have undergone appropriate training and demonstrated their ability to safely handle the horses do occasionally help with turnout and are sometimes asked to hand-walk, groom, or graze a horse when the other chores have been finished.

How do I sign up?

To adopt a horse, choose your horse from the adoption pages and click the PayPal link to complete your adoption.