Horse ownership carries both privilege and responsibility, and our goal is to support Vermonters facing short-term hardship so their horses can remain healthy and well cared for. The Vermont Hay Bank exists to help prevent temporary setbacks from becoming long-term welfare concerns for horses and their owners.

Our resources are limited and made possible entirely through public donations. To ensure fairness and consistency, all applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis and evaluated individually.

Is the Vermont Hay Bank right for you?

The Vermont Hay Bank is intended for private horse owners experiencing short-term financial or situational hardship that directly impacts their ability to provide adequate hay for their horses.

This program is not designed to support boarding facilities, training barns, homesteads, rescues, or other equine-related businesses, nor is it intended to cover ongoing or long-term feed needs.

If your situation aligns with the criteria below, we encourage you to apply.

Eligibility Policies

Eligibility for Vermont Hay Bank (VHB) assistance is evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may include, but is not limited to, the following considerations:

1. Number of horses owned by the applicant.
2. Breeding status. Applicants must not be actively engaged in breeding practices. Stallions must be gelded; we are willing to discuss gelding options when appropriate.
3. Sale of equines. Applicants may not be involved in the regular sale of equines. (This does not include selling a horse due to the financial or economic hardship that prompted the application.)
4. Condition of the horses and facilities, including hay storage and all areas accessible to equines.
5. Applicant must be 18 years of age or older.
6. Need must be short-term in nature. Applicants must have a workable plan to avoid future need and be willing to share that plan with us.
7. Private ownership only. Applications from equine businesses, including boarding, training, commercial facilities, or similar operations, will not be considered.
8. Length of ownership. Applicants must have owned their horse(s) for a minimum of six (6) months.

What the Vermont Hay Bank Does Not Provide

To ensure donated funds are used responsibly and can help as many horses as possible, the Vermont Hay Bank is unable to provide assistance for:

• Ongoing or long-term feed needs
• Grain, supplements, bedding, or non-hay feed
• Farm or facility operating expenses

Additional Information

The Vermont Hay Bank is a program of The Dorset Equine Rescue, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All assistance is funded entirely through public donations.

The Vermont Hay Bank does not maintain a physical barn or stockpile of hay. When assistance is approved, funds are used to pay the applicant’s hay supplier directly for hay provided to the approved horse(s).

In some cases, an applicant’s usual supplier may be unable to provide hay due to limited availability, closure, or other circumstances. When this occurs, the Vermont Hay Bank works with a network of trusted hay suppliers throughout Vermont to help source hay when possible.

While we strive to review applications promptly, assistance is dependent on available funding and hay availability, and same-day or immediate assistance cannot be guaranteed.

In some cases, additional information, photographs, or a site visit may be requested as part of the application review process.

The Vermont Hay Bank is intended to supplement responsible horse ownership during times of hardship and works best when applicants are actively engaged in their horses’ ongoing care and planning.

All eligibility determinations are made solely by The Dorset Equine Rescue and Vermont Hay Bank volunteers. No assistance is granted without the approval of a completed application. All information provided is kept confidential and reviewed with care and respect.

We are proud to serve Vermont’s horses and the people who care for them, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to steward this resource responsibly.