Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation
- South Africa
- Cape Town
About Program
If you love horses, ponies and donkeys then the equine care project is perfect for you! Assist a dedicated team of horse rescuers with their daily work on an equine sanctuary on a 1000-hectare farm in South Africa. The surrounds are the typical wild scrub vegetation of the area, surrounding hills, horse camps, stables, paddocks, a farm dam to cool off on a hot day and of course the main house and volunteer accommodation.
You will take part in the daily horse care, socialisation, treatment to the occasional horse rescues and education which take place across the country.
Although horse riding and care experience is a huge plus, it is not a necessity, and you will learn a lot about basic horse care while helping out on this project.
Volunteer duties include feeding the equines and other rescued farm animals, grooming, cleaning tack and equipment, walking, socialising, backing and hacking, farm maintenance and general farm work.
Video and Photos
Impact
Ethical Impact
Program Highlights
- Help care for horses, ponies and donkeys that have been neglected, abused, abandoned or are unmanageable by their owners in a place of safety and love giving them a chance of a new life
- Assist with equines in need of medical attention and behavioural training for their long term rehabilitation to a better life. Horse rescues can take place when severe abuse has been reported
- For those with riding experience that weigh under 75kgs, you may ride and hack the safer horses. There are beautiful natural trails in the area and the horses up for adoption, always need the exercise
- Horse experience is a plus but not a must so for those with no experience with horses, you will learn how to care for them daily, feed, groom, walk, socialise and love these beautiful sentient beings
- Help out with the other rescued animals at the sanctuary including donkeys, cats, dogs, pigs, chickens, ducks, goats and sheep while having fun in the South Africa sun
Program Impact
Since the Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation project started in 2017, they have saved over 630 horses from all over South Africa often travelling long distances. When horses are rescued, they are often brought to the farm horribly abused and in the more severe cases, close to death. Not all the horses will survive the extreme abuse they have experienced but for those that do, the end goal is to nurse them back to health, rehabilitate and train them so they will be ready to be adopted out to a carefully vetted home with a chance of a wonderful future. Those that cannot be rehomed due to past extreme trauma, will stay on as with permanent sanctuary. Currently there are roughly 80 horses, ponies and donkeys at one given time along with an assortment of farm animals, dogs and cats rescued too.
Equine rescues are performed all over South Africa in areas that do not have an active SPCA.
Questions & Answers
Location
Cape Town is a port city, the legislative capital of South Africa, the most southern city in all of Africa, and referred to as the "Mother City". It is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants and expatriates to South Africa.
