Near Kareedouw, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, 30 horses are slowly starving.
They once carried tourists and day-trippers along trail rides.
Then the business collapsed.
The horses were no longer wanted.
They were abandoned on wasteland. Some people knew they were there but did nothing. For years, the herd was left to breed without care, on poor grazing land unable to support a growing population. Now, some of the horses are little more than skin and bone.
You can count their ribs.
The weakest are dying.
Our partner, Have a Heart Equine Sanctuary (HAHES), agreed to rescue and care for all 30 horses. But just as the rescue was about to begin, its elderly horsebox – after seven years of carrying rescued horses to safety – broke down.
And now the horses are still waiting.
An urgent rescue like this needs trucks, drivers and fuel – and it needs them urgently.
Moving all 30 horses will require two large trucks. Hiring them will cost $1,200 (£900).
Until that money is raised, the rescue cannot happen.
The horses will remain on the same barren land, growing weaker with every passing day.
Have a Heart already cares for 59 rescued horses at its sanctuary. Taking in another 30 is an enormous commitment – but the team could not leave them there to starve.
They said yes because they had no choice, the alternative was death by starvation.
That is why they need you.
Please help us bring these horses to safety – and help feed and care for them once they arrive.
This poor horse starved to death waiting for rescue. We found out too late, but we can rescue 30 others. Source: HAHES
$1,200 (£900) will hire the trucks needed to carry all 30 horses to safety, then they need food and care.
Rescue is only the beginning.
From the moment the horses arrive, every one of them will need food, water, shelter, treatment and rehabilitation.
$90 (£68) will feed one horse for an entire month.
Some will need months of careful feeding before their ribs begin to disappear.
Others may take years to recover emotionally.
A horse that has been neglected, frightened or badly handled does not learn to trust overnight. Some of these animals may need up to four years of care before they are healthy – and confident – enough to be rehomed.
30 neglected and dangerously underweight horses urgently need to be taken in by Have a Heart. Source: HAHES
$90 (£68) WILL FEED ONE STARVING HORSE FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH.
HAHES is transforming land that was once used as a rubbish dump into a safe sanctuary for rescued horses and other animals.
But the team cannot rescue 30 horses, transport them, feed them and rehabilitate them without help.
Here is how your donation will make a difference:
- $25 (£20) will provide emergency food and basic supplies
- $50 (£38) helps feed and care for a horse as it begins to recover
- $1,200 (£900) hires the two trucks needed to move all 30 horses to safety
Every gift beyond the immediate rescue cost will help keep these horses fed, treated and protected for as long as they need us.
Have a Heart is transforming land that was once a rubbish dump into a sanctuary for rescued horses and other animals. Source: NFA/Luke Barritt
Please donate now to help rescue all 30 horses and give them the food, treatment and long-term care they desperately need.
