Equine Welfare Network Member, Guardian and Mentor Eligibility Requirements Outlined below is a comparison of the eligibility requirements for organization designated by the Internal Revenue Service as 501c3 tax-exempt public charities to participate on the Equine Welfare Network as Members, Guardians, and Mentors. Click here for the specific requirements to join the Equine Welfare Network as a member; click here for the specific requirements to attain the Guardian Seal; and please click here for the specific requirements to attain the Mentor Accreditation. I. Business Practices

Member	Guardian	Mentor	Requirement
✔	✔	✔	The organization is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as tax-exempt under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) to which contributions are tax deductible pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 170(c)(2) as a public charity and the organization is not a private foundation.
✔	✔	✔	The organization provides or conducts real services, benefits, assistance, or program activities involving equines in the United States.
✔	✔	✔	The organization has operated as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt public charity for at least one full operating year.
	✔		The organization has operated as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt public charity for at least two full operating years.
		✔	The organization has operated as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt public charity for at least five full operating years.
✔	✔	✔	The organization conducts publicity and promotional activities based upon its actual program and operations, and that these activities are truthful and non-deceptive, include all material facts, and make no exaggerated or misleading claims.
✔	✔	✔	The organization has a presence on the internet, i.e., a unique domain/url address that clearly defines its equine programs and ensure that the content displayed is kept current and based on actual programs and operations. A Facebook page is not acceptable.
✔	✔	✔	The organization does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, national origin, disability, handicap, age, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.
✔	✔	✔	The organization must abide by the EQUUS Foundation Code of Conduct.
✔	✔	✔	The organization prepares and submits to the IRS a complete copy of the organization's IRS Form 990 or certifies that the organization is not required to submit an IRS Form 990.
		✔	The organization files the full version of the IRS Form 990 and the organization's most recently filed IRS Form 990 must be no more than two (2) years old.
✔	✔	✔	The organization's programs and activities are directed by an active and responsible governing body, whose members have no material conflict of interest and a majority of which serve without compensation.
	✔	✔	The organization must have a written conflict of interest policy that ensures that any compensated board member is a NON-VOTING (Independent) board member or that any compensated board member or any board member related to a compensated staff member, independent contractor, or any related board members, or any individual or organization that might benefit from a board decision, abstains from voting on issues impacting such compensation and requires officers, directors or trustees, and key employees to disclose at least annually in writing interests that could give rise to conflicts.
✔	✔	✔	The EQUUS Foundation expects all organizations, regardless of their size and scope, to be accountable and transparent to the public at large. The organization must maintain it's GuideStar profile annually at https://www.guidestar.org/ with the required minimum information to display the Guidestar seal reflecting the current year.
	✔	✔	The organization must carry General Liability Insurance and may be requested to provide a Certificate of Insurance.
		✔	The organization must carry General Liability Insurance encompassing Property and/or Renter's Insurance and Directors & Officers Liability Insurance.
		✔	The organization must have a practice in place whereby prospective staff, independent contractors serving in staff functions, and volunteers complete a written application or agreement.
		✔	The organization must have a practice in place to ensure that the organization has sufficient knowledge of the background of prospective staff, independent contractors and volunteers that may impact the safety of your clients and your horses, such as whether prospective staff/independent contractors serving in the capacity as staff and volunteers have been convicted of a sexual offense or convicted for animal cruelty or neglect. Such practices must comply with local, state, and federal mandates.
	✔	✔	The Guardian Designation may be denied if the organization does not have an operating budget of at least $10,000 and/or does not have sufficient cash reserves to offset net losses in any given year.
	✔	✔	The Guardian Designation may be denied if all or a majority of the Board are compensated and/or have family and/or business relationships. The organization may be required to provide its written conflict of interest policy and/or the signed statement of any Board member with conflicts of interest.
	✔	✔	The Guardian Designation may be denied if an insurance claim has been filed against the organization depending on when the claim was filed as well as the circumstances and outcome of the claim.
	✔	✔	The Guardian Designation may be denied if the organization has been investigated by any animal control or protection authority - federal, state or local depending on when the date of the investigation as well as the circumstances and outcome of the investigation.
		✔	The Mentor Accreditation will be denied if the organization does not have an operating budget of at least $10,000.
		✔	The Mentor Accreditation may be denied if the organization has a liquidity ratio of less than three (3) months and/or does not have sufficient cash reserves to offset net losses in any given year.
		✔	The Mentor Accreditation may be denied if the organization's program expense ratio is less than 65%.
		✔	The Mentor Accreditation will be denied if the Board Chair, Board Treasurer, and/or a majority of the Board is compensated.
		✔	The Mentor Accreditation will be denied if any staff serve as voting members of the Board; staff may serve as non-voting members of the Board.
		✔	The Mentor Accreditation will be denied if all or a majority of the Board have family and/or business relationships.

II. Equine Welfare Practices

Member	Guardian	Mentor	Requirement
✔	✔	✔	The organization must provide programs that involve one or more of the following:
			a - Shelter and rehabilitation for America's equines subjected to abuse and neglect, and at risk for slaughter;
			b - Retraining and re-homing of America's equines in transition with careers as athletes, companions, teachers, and healers;
			c - Peaceful and humane retirement and end of life for aged equines that ensures that they are able to live out their lives in comfort and with dignity;
			d - Mutually beneficial opportunities for people and equines to partner for the purpose of contributing positively to cognitive, physical, emotional and social well-being.
✔	✔	✔	The organization must have practices in place to ensure that all equines in the care of the organization and/or equines that participate in the organization's program have access to clean drinking water at all times; nutritious food in sufficient quantity, including natural forage such as pasture grass and/or hay; appropriate veterinary, farrier, and dental care; shelter and protection from the weather; and sufficient safe space for horses to move around comfortably and where horses have contact with other horses.
✔	✔	✔	The organization does not engage in any activity that disregards the welfare of animals of any kind, causes an animal to feel pain or fear, exploits or harms an animal to benefit the organization, or willfully slaughters an animal to benefit the organization.
✔	✔	✔	The organization must certify that the organization has not made, or would consider making, equines available for research studies or medical training that involves invasive procedures and/or that which may cause pain or suffering to the equine.
		✔	The organization must conduct programs involving at least five equines.
		✔	The organization must not conduct breeding at any facility owned by the organization.
✔	✔	✔	To ensure that an equine is free of contagious diseases on arrival, the organization must adhere to a practice that either 1) quarantines an equine for a minimum of 7 days if the equine is arriving from a facility with minimal perceived risk or 21 days if the equine is arriving from a facility of unknown risk or 2) requires that a health certificate signed by a veterinarian and dated no more than seven days prior to arrival is provided to the organization either prior to or upon arrival of the equine attesting to the health status of the equine.
✔	✔	✔	The organization must operate in compliance with the AAEP's Biosecurity Guidelines, the UC Davis Biosecurity Guidelines and/or the biosecurity guidelines of the organization's veterinarian.
		✔	The organization must quarantine an equine on arrival to ensure the equine is free of contagious diseases for a minimum of 7 days for horses arriving from a facility with minimal perceived risk or 21 days for horses arriving from a facility of unknown risk.
✔	✔	✔	The organization must have a mechanism in place to ensure that sick, affected, and/or quarantined equines do not have contact with other equines, and that all reasonable precautions are taken to prevent spread of disease by humans, equipment, and/or disposal of potentially contaminated substances.
		✔	To protect equines from the transmission of disease, the organization must have a practice in place where 1) equines have assigned bridles and bits and 2) if bridles and bits are shared, this tack is cleaned after every use.
✔	✔	✔	Until such time that equines are no longer at risk of 'slaughter' defined as the killing and processing of horses for human or animal consumption either in the United States, or by being transported outside of the United States vs. 'euthanasia' which is defined as the practice of ending the horse's life painlessly to relieve suffering, the organization must certify that the organization has not allowed, and would not consider allowing, an equine to be sold, transferred, released, or otherwise placed into possession of any person or organization that would cause or allow the equine to be sold at auction for slaughter.
✔	✔	✔	The organization's re-homing agreement must state or reflect that any individual or organization in possession of the equine as of the date of the agreement and any time thereafter is bound to not sell the equine at auction for slaughter or allow the equine to be sold, transferred, released, or otherwise placed into possession of any person or organization that will cause or allow the equine to be sold at auction for slaughter. It is the position of the EQUUS Foundation that including verbiage on the future re-homing of the equine reflects the shared recognition of the organization and the adopter that horses continue to be inhumanely 'slaughtered' and the shared commitment of the organization and the adopter to ensure that the equine be protected for his or her lifetime.
			1. This statement is not required to be included in the organization's re-homing agreement if the organization:
			a - retains ownership of re-homed equine;
			b - requires that the re-homed equine CANNOT be sold, adopted, transferred, auctioned, released, given away, or otherwise placed into the possession of another individual or organization under any circumstances and must be returned to the organization should the adopter no longer wish to, or cannot, care for the equine;
			c - includes a statement in its re-homing agreement that should the adopter decide to re-home the equine, the organization must grant approval of any individual or organization intending to take possession of the equine for any reason prior to the equine being placed into the possession of such individual or organization, including being provided written notification of the name, address, and telephone number of any individual or organization intending to take possession of the equine for any reason AND includes one of the three statements below:
			1 - a statement that the terms of the agreement are binding on any future adopter and the agreement between the adopter and the organization shall be incorporated as an addendum to any future agreement;
			2 - a statement that requires the adopter to obtain the organization’s approval of any future adopter;
			3 - a statement that requires any future adopter to re-sign an agreement with the organization
			2. A re-homing agreement is not required if the organization does not have the authority to transfer ownership and/or does not own any of the equines involved with its programs.
		✔	The organization must have a practice in place and the financial means to accept financial responsibility for equines in the current care of the organization that need to be retired or are no longer able to contribute to the mission of the organization if all alternatives have been explored to find the equine an appropriate placement and space is not available for the equine to remain at the organization.
		✔	For organizations that re-home equines for any reason, the organization must have a mechanism in place to track the whereabouts of equines when they are no longer under organization's care. In addition to this mechanism, it is strongly recommended that the organization's re-homing agreement include one of the two following statements:
			a - should the adopter elect to sell, transfer, release or otherwise place the equine into the possession of another person or organization, any future adopter must agree to the terms of the organization's agreement either by requiring that the agreement between the adopter and your organization be incorporated as an addendum to any future agreement or by requiring that any future adopter re-sign an agreement with your organization;
			b - the equine CANNOT be sold, adopted, transferred, auctioned, released, given away, or otherwise placed into the possession of another individual or organization under any circumstances and the equine must be returned to the organization should the adopter no longer wish to, or cannot, care for the equine.
✔	✔	✔	The organization must adhere to a policy which does not permit euthanasia of equines on the sole basis of needing space.
	✔	✔	The organization must have a policy in place that an equine will be euthanized upon the recommendation of the veterinarian after all reasonable treatment options have been explored.
		✔	The organization must have a practice in place to euthanize an equine upon the recommendation of the veterinarian that the equine is a threat/danger to itself, other equines, other animals or people after all other remedies have been explored, excluding if, upon the recommendation of the veterinarian, the only remaining remedy is isolation from other equines, animals, and people, and that the safety of other equines, animals and people can be guaranteed.
✔	✔	✔	The organization must abide by the EQUUS Foundation Guidelines for Human-Equine Interactions.
	✔	✔	An organization that conducts programs where riding is or will be a key component must consider the weight-carrying and workload limitations for each equine to include but not limited to evaluating the limitations at least annually and maintaining a written record for each equine that documents the results of each evaluation of weight-carrying and workload limitations.
✔	✔	✔	For organizations that conduct Equine Assisted Services (EAS), until such time there is consensus in the EAS community on terminology and enforcement of guidelines for conducting EAS, the organization must comply with the EQUUS Foundation Guidelines for Conducting Equine Assisted Services.
✔	✔	✔	For those organizations that conduct Equine Transition Services (ETS) and that are eligible to attain verification or accreditation status with the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), an EQUUS Foundation Alliance member, the organization may be required to attain verification to participate. To learn more about GFAS Accreditation and Verification for equine organizations, visit the GFAS website at https://www.sanctuaryfederation.org.
	✔	✔	The Guardian designation may be denied if the organization conduct programs involving less than five equines.
		✔	The Mentor Accreditation may be denied if the organization does not have its veterinarian conduct a physical exam on the equine's arrival or requires that a health certificate signed by a veterinarian and dated no more than seven days prior to arrival is provided to the organization either prior to or upon arrival of the equine attesting to the health status of the equine. The Mentor Accreditation may also be denied if the organization does not have its veterinarian conduct a physical exam of each equine under its care as needed at least annually.
		✔	The Mentor Accreditation may be denied if the organization does not assess an equine by using the Henneke Body Conditioning Score or another body conditioning score on the equine's arrival and as needed at least annually thereafter.
		✔	The Mentor Accreditation may be denied if the organization does not have a practice in place to check and/or monitor the fence lines daily or weekly depending on the total acreage dedicated specifically to equines and the number of hours per day on average that equines are turned out.
		✔	The Mentor Accreditation may be denied if the organization does not have immediate and onsite access to equine transportation in the event of an emergency.
		✔	The Mentor Accreditation may be denied if the organization does not maintain or have immediate access onsite or offsite to at least two weeks of hay, feed, shavings, and medications in the event of an emergency at its facility or facilities where the organization's equines are cared for and sheltered.

Last Updated September 15, 2023. Subject to change without notice. Back To Top