ADOPT A CHALLENGE HORSE

 What horses will be in the Safe Horse Auction?

The following equines will be available for adoption to approved homes through a silent bidding process in the 2026 Safe Horse Auction:

• Challenge Horses 
• Challenge Ponies - Ponies may be adopted by their young trainers through April 15, and those will be marked as adopted. Any not marked after that date will be available for bidding. 

You are strongly advised to meet the equine you are interested in bidding on through a scheduled appointment with their trainer to determine if it may be a good match for your skills and needs. 

• If you do not have the opportunity to do that before May 13, there will be limited appointment times for scheduled meetings on Saturday, May 16th. 
• Bidders do not have to try the ponies out first, since many are companion-only. 

Follow the 120-day journey on the Heart of the Horse Trainers Challenge Facebook page — team albums are pinned at the top so you can easily follow along.

Who can adopt?

• Most of these horses have received 120 days of training or less. Regardless of the high quality of that training, the Challenge horses are still considered “green”. That means the adopter should be at least a solid intermediate rider or an advanced beginner with a plan to work with their horse under a trainer’s direction. Some horses will not be suitable for adopters without substantial prior experience and will be listed as such. Most Challenge trainers offer continued training for both horse and rider after the adoption; you should inquire when you meet. There are no rank beginner horses in the HoH Safe Horse Auction. The lowest skill level that will be approved to bid is advanced beginner, working with a trainer.

How do I qualify to bid?

• To bid on any horse or pony, you must be approved for adoption by MS Horses. If you have not already been approved, go HERE to learn more about the process and complete the online application before May 5th. It can take up to 10 business days to be approved. You are encouraged to apply early. If you have issues submitting the online form, please send a message to us HERE
• When your adoption application is approved, you will receive an email inviting you to participate in the Safe Horse Auction. That email will contain a link for the 2026 Safe Horse Auction Bidder Information Packet. (If you were approved for adoption before 2026, you may request that email invitation HERE.) 
• The Safe Horse Auction Bidder Information Packet gives instructions for obtaining your Bidder Number and Bid Form.
• Once approved for adoption, you should schedule an appointment to visit the trainer and horse you are interested in before the close of the auction to determine if you would be a good match for that horse. Accomplishing this step may give you an advantage in the bidding process.
• If you do not have the opportunity to visit the horse you are interested in, you might still be able to bid in certain situations. Contact us for more details. 
• Mississippi Horses, the Heart of the Horse, and the Challenge trainers maintain a priority of providing the horse its best chance for a good future by matching it with the best owner/home possible.  Final horse placement is the decision of Mississippi Horses and not necessarily the highest bid. We reserve the right to reject any bid, for any reason, or for no reason at all.
  

How and when do I bid?

• You will receive a Bidder Number and link to a Bid Form after you complete and submit the Safe Horse Auction Bidder Information Packet form. 
• Once you are approved to adopt and have taken the steps to obtain a Bidder Number, you can schedule appointments to meet the trainers and horses you’re interested in and have the required skills for. 
• Online bidding starts May 1 and runs through May 14 at 9 pm, then pauses for a day. This allows interested adopters to gauge adoption costs before the final day of the auction on May 16. Bidding will resume with Onsite Bidding at 10 am on May 16 in the Kirk Fordice Equine Center in Jackson. On-site Bids will be accepted until 6 pm. 
• On the final day of the auction, each horse will have a designated representative for bidders to communicate with throughout the process. This person will work closely with the trainer, bidder, and MS Horses to help determine the best placement for the horse. 
• Winning bidders’ numbers will be announced between 6:30 and 6:45.

How much should I expect to pay?

• $1,500 is the lowest opening bid for Pro division horses. Amateur division horses start at $1,200. The minimum opening bid for ponies will range from $600 - $1,000, depending on age and rideability.
• Some of the horses and ponies may have an unpublished reserve set.  The reserves will vary, but in no instance will the reserve amount exceed $4,000.
• Online bidding may carry horses above the reserve amount. 
• On May 16, Onsite Bidding will open at the highest bid from previous Online Bidding, the posted minimum bid, or the reserve amount, whichever is higher.
• The value of training alone for the horses being offered is between $4,000 and $6,,000 per horse. They are current on vaccinations, Coggins, and farrier. Most have had recent dental work.

If I win the bid, how and when do I pay?

• Payment is due immediately after the bidding winners are announced, and no later than 9:00 p.m. CST
• Horses can have their adoption fees paid via cash, check, PayPal or Square. Credit Cards can be used, but a 3% processing fee is added. If payment is made in any form other than cash or check, the buyer will be assessed the electronic service fees. 
• The adoption contract will be signed at the time of payment.

When do I take possession of the horse?

• Please be sure you have transport arrangements made before bidding. Your trailers must be suitable and safe.
• The horse becomes your responsibility as soon as you sign the adoption contract. Be prepared to transport by noon on Sunday, May 17.
• Many trainers will transport horses back for A FEE. Please talk to them ahead of time about this.

How does adoption work?

• All horses go on adoption agreements through Mississippi Horse Rescue. It is a contractual agreement that offers benefits such as access to continued training for your horse and/or you, as well as assistance with re-homing your horse through the MHR website and adoption events.
• Adopted horses cannot be bred. They also can't be given away or sold without going through the MS Horse Rescue application process and adoption contract.
• If you need to rehome your horse, you may adopt it to another party for a fee - provided that the individual goes through the same approval process you went through and agrees to sign the same MS Horses Adoption Contract that you signed. (In this case, any fees you charge will be yours to keep.)
• If you change your mind or can’t keep the horse, and do not want to find another suitable adopter, you MUST return the horse to MS Horses. In this case, the adoption fee is eligible to be claimed as a tax-deductible donation to MS Horses, a 501c3 non-profit.