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Appalachian Trainer Face Off

Trainers Changing the Lives of Adoptable Horses from Appalachia in a National Competition

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2020 ATFO: Learn More
- The 2020 Appalachian Trainer Face Off is gearing up to be Massive!
2019 ATFO Photos
About THE FACE OFF
- Heart of Phoenix
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Ivory has kind of an interesting story. She originally came from a large Welsh pony breeding farm in Canada. A lady from the northern US bought her at an online sporthorse auction and spent quite a bit to ship her. Turns out this adorable little gal is quite feral and so she asked us to put her in our Appalachian Trainer Face Off program. She is a sturdy built, 13.3hh cutie, who is reportedly 6 and quite the fancy mover!. Sadly her papers and her real name have been lost. ***We actually have found it who she likely is but are debating whether to publish because it contains the breeding farm name. The herd was dispersed when the area experienced a severe drought making it very hard to feed the herd well. Thank you to Legacy Sport Horses for bringing her and another HOP horse down tomorrow. #hopequinerescue #Welshpony #atfocandidate #appalachiantrainerfaceoff #equinerescue #horserescue #adoptable #opttoadopt #adoptdontshop #welshponies #100daystraining #horsemanship #greenbroke #fancymover #hearthorse #equinelover #horseaddict

Nemo, a 19 year old sound and broke TWH gelding is looking for a new home. He reportedly rides terrific unless someone revs a car motor close to him. He is said to be around 15.2hh and has no lameness or need for maintenance medication. His owner says he is a very mellow fellow. He is currently near Chief Logan State Park. If you would be interested in adopting him, please pm the page. #hopequinerescue #undersaddle #horseback #twh #twhgelding #findingnemoahome #adoptable #adoptdontshop #opttoadopt #horsebackriding #mellowfellow #nonprofit #give #sponsor #horselover #equinelove #hearthorse #twhofinstagram

After working to see him rescued with his herd for years, Tuesday (a little gaited paint pony) finally came to us over a year ago on 2018's "Giving Tuesday" during a seizure case. He was emaciated, but he seemed to have loads of life left to live as someone's partner. Recovery from emaciation is painful for horses. This is something many do not know. It hurts and the journey can be long. It often isn't the best choice for an aged horse, especially in winter, because of how difficult it is on them, especially when the future may be very short. But sometimes, it is clearly the right journey. It was for him. It took a long time to get this 30+ year old boy well, but he seemed cheerful during all of it. His foster sent us this today: "Good morning Tinia, My daughter has been falling in love with Tuesday, but the deal was sealed this weekend when he took her on a quiet trail ride through the woods. It seems he may have been a head-to-tail trail horse once in his life. We'd like to adopt him and let him know he has found home. He will be pampered from head to toe and probably have to suffer through many bottles of "Twinkle Toes," but he seems content." He is home. ♥️ It just took 30 years to find where he was going.

The concept is simple:

Operating in one of the nation’s most economically challenged regions, Heart of Phoenix found through necessity there was a need to create innovative ways to get a large number of horses trained and adopted each year on a small budget. Our answer to this was the Appalachian Trainer Face Off, a training competition that began in 2017. It was inspired by watching the success of the Extreme Mustang Makeover events.

August 23^rd of this year wrapped up our 3^rd year of the “ATFO,” and it closed as the largest equine event in West Virginia, with over 1,000 people in attendance of the full two days of the competition. This event has helped make a rescue organization an equine leader in our state.

The event partners horses previously without much hope of adoption for 100 days with trainers from May through August yearly. Many of the horses are rounded up entirely unhandled. Trainers apply and go through a screening process, and horses are vetted and cleared beforehand. These horsemen and women work with their horses to offer accomplished, willing equine partners up for adoption and document their process strategically on social media. The photos, stories and videos required create a vested interest by the public in the success of each horse, trainer and the “ATFO.”

Trainers then compete for 2 days in August to showcase all they have accomplished with their horses. In the end, the trainers showcase their skills, horses gain training, most go into approved adoptive homes in an auction format event the end where fees range from $600 to $8,000. There are prize packages made possible by the ASPCA, Buckeye Nutrition, Excel Supplements and other equine sponsors. Vendors set up and nationally known clinicians, such a Josh Lyons, Michael Lyons and Patrick King have stepped up as judges.

We have watched the Appalachian Trainer Face Off get nearly 80 horses equines into homes with foundations under them, prove the value of the adoptable horses and highlight excellent trainers. The trainers leave the event with a new partnership with the us, as well, that continues to give back through the months and years after each event ends. They also happily market their adoption horses and the organization standing behind them, which helps further cement Heart of Phoenix as a worthwhile part of the horse industry in Appalachia. It helps the public realize considering adoption first makes a lot of sense.

Like many of the things we do here in Appalachia, we wanted to make sure this event offered a return in a multitude of ways, so while the primary goals are training and adoption of horses, additional benefits are increasing our name recognition across the area, gaining training partners that last once the event ends each year and making adoption extremely mainstream within the horse community.

Heart of Phoenix believes when faced with uncommon adversity, you should try to not only make sure all efforts create a great deal of impact, but that we also need to make certain we are tackling multiple issues at once. We have found the Appalachian Trainer Face Off has accomplished so many things that leads to better view of what horse rescue means, what adoption should look like and how the horse industry can help us help horses in a meaningful way.

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About Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue

Heart of Phoenix is a partner of the Right Horse Initiative. Starting in 2009 and founding formally in 2012, “HOP” was the only rescue in the state of West Virginia for many years and is now the leading equine organization of any kind there. They believe in “working together to improve the lives of horses in transition through a dialogue of kindness and respect.” They collaborate with over 40 trainers in Appalachian and beyond to make more horses adoptable. There efforts help shatter any stigma and reframe the conversation around equine adoption in order to massively increase horse adoption in the United States. To learn more, visit www.wvhorserescue.org.

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