Horses come to us with all types of backgrounds and from many different situations.  Some are donated and some are loaned.  At Morning Dove our horses are selected based on their gentle temperament, size, movement and overall demeanor. All horses go through a trial period to assess their health and their willingness for this type of work.  They encounter many different situations than they may be used to and we want to ensure that they are an appropriate fit for our program.  We individualize a training plan for each horse.  This plan includes testing them with all of our adaptive equipment and arena props as well as exposing them to as many scenarios as possible.  We make sure they are comfortable with ramps, wheelchairs, riders who are unable to balance, noises and so much more.       There is also a rigorous evaluation of their confirmation and movement at all gaits.  Because of the multi-disciplinary nature of our program, their build, size and movement are very important so we may accommodate a variety of clients safely.  We also spend time just observing them and try to get to know them. It is important to understand the finer nuances of the horse to appropriately pair them with a rider.  The time period we take to evaluate horses usually lasts 30 days with time to settle in.  We are flexible with this time period as each horse is different and we want to give them as much time as they need.  We also require horses with special skills to work with a specific program such as driving.  They get regular stretching, massages, exercise and the best veterinarian care.  We want all owners to feel comfortable and work with them to provide the best home we can for their horse. Because of the hard work our horses do, we watch them very carefully and they are given vacations throughout the year.  Check out thier individual websites and get to know our herd. http://mdtrcponypals.tripod.com/index.html

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