HOC Rose Sanctuary Rescue

Blind Horse Haven

HOC Rose Sanctuary Rescue (HOC Rose), established in 2016, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, located in Stacy, Minnesota.  HOC Rose provides a safe haven for blind horses.  HOC Rose is determined to bring awareness and change the stigma associated with blind horses.

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HOC Rose Tour and Farm Visits

June 22nd- November 9th, 2025

Tours are only available on Sundays and some evenings on weekdays

Need to make reservation, I need at least 2 weeks in advance so I can find  American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreter available to interpret for the tour

Must have an appointment to visit.

Please go to HOC Rose Store Tab on our website 

click on Farm Visit/HOC Rose Tour

 

We are not open to public during winter-spring season.

 

Looking for Blind Horse Mentor?

Did you just find out your horse is blind? 

Are you feeling like you do not have the right set up or have the knowledge to handle a blind horse?

Let me tell you this, your horse needs you more than ever and you are the right person because the horse already trusts you.  He may not act like it right now but in time he will once he figure out how to navigate as a blind horse. You do not need the right set up. You just need to make your horse feel safe.   Remove any aggressive horses.  Start talking nonstop, it helps more than you know.  That is the first step.

There are now more resources and blind horse mentors out there on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok.  HOC Rose collects stories from Blind Horse Owners told in their own words to help horse community to see past the blind horse stigma that exists.

Please consider giving your blind horse a chance. I did not have any knowledge when I first started learning how to take care of blind horses. We offer mentoring and provide resources to help you. We also allow visitors to come to HOC Rose for a tour. 

If you are looking for in-depth information, blind horse mentor to connect with or request a HOC Rose Tour- Please send a email to hocrose@gmail.com.

 

HOC Rose Sanctuary Rescue (HOC Rose), established in 2016, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, located in Stacy, Minnesota.  HOC Rose provides a safe haven for blind horses.  HOC Rose is determined to bring awareness and change the stigma associated with blind horses. 

HOC Rose Sanctuary Rescue is a very small sanctuary rescue on the Belevender’s 10 acres hobby farm. HOC Rose is one of a kind.  Deaf owned blind horse rescue in USA run by diversity group (Board members and volunteers who are Deaf and Hearing people working together).

We can house up to 10 horses at a time. Blind horses do not get adopted as easily as sighted horses.  We also have few lifer horses residing here. We are currently at capacity and have started a waiting list. In order to get on the waiting list, a surrender form must be filled out. We hope someday we will have foster hosts to join our team. We currently are the only ones taking care of all of the blind horses.

HOC Rose relies heavily on donations to run this rescue, however Kari and Jeff Belevender (founder/owner) often step in and personally support these horses. Thus, we have to limit the horses in this program based on finances available to be able to provide excellent care each horse needs.  We run this rescue on the side while working full time jobs. Each horse care costs an average $1,500 - $2,000 a year so that is $12,000 - $16,000 annually.

Blind horses can still thrive as well as seeing horses if given right support. If we all share our knowledge with the world, the ripple effect can go far. Help us change the stigma that is associated with blind horses.

Blind Horse Owner's Story

Since March 2020, HOC Rose started collecting stories in their words from those horse owners who discovered their horse is blind, sharing their journey of owning and caring for their blind horse(s) because they want to give HOPE to others who seek help. We post those stories every Sunday on our Facebook page.

Each one of us started knowing nothing about blind horses and we learned as we went along. If we can, so can anyone. Horses become blind in different ways: genetic predisposition, injury, eye diseases, or from natural aging process. 

The stigma is very low with partial blind horses but when it comes to those fully blind horses, the reaction is a whole different picture. The stigma is still there for those fully blind horses.

There is a blind horse community among us that needs to be heard and seen. 

Sharing Blind Horse Owner's stories is our most powerful tools in sharing awareness on blind horses. The more stories we can share then more people will realize it is very common and is not a rare occurrence. Together we can share the stories, then the ripple can go so far to reach as many people as we can and change the perceptive on blind horses. 

If you have a blind horse, Please consider sharing your story. 

Please email your Blind Horse Owner’s Story (photo/video/story) to hocrose@gmail.com