About us

SAINT MARY'S HORSE REFUGE

We provide a caring home for horses and ponies in need of help.

We take in horses and ponies from a wide range of circumstances, including horses which are no longer properly cared for, not given sufficient attention, perhaps no longer ridden, some had little space to exercise, many were lonely, some were not well nourished, some lacked and needed medical care, some had been abused, neglected and ill-treated and many were simply too much work for their over-worked or elderly owners who could no longer give them the care they they needed and deserved.

Every horse which we have taken in has benefitted from the best care, attention and love that we can give them. They all receive the appropriate grazing space, overnight stabling, grooming, mucking-out, medical care, feeding, exercise, shoeing and riding, as appropriate to suit the specific needs of each horse.

We exercise and ride as many of the horses as we can. The older horses are seldom ridden and many of the oldest can no longer be ridden.

We do loan some of the horses - those that are able to be loaned, for a small donation. This acts in two ways - to keep the horse healthy via exercise; and to bring in a small amount to cover for their keep.

However, we have to be very careful about rehousing horses, because many do not settle in well. They can get lonely and quite anxious and upset, so it is often unfair for them and we sometimes have to bring them back home.

Our charity volunteers work very hard in all weathers to make sure that these horses are cared for well. Although, vet, rent and feed bills, etc have to be paid for via the donations and from the income from our charity shops.

We do urgently need help in the provision of fencing for our fields and for our shelter projects.

Our aim is to keep all these unwanted but loveable horses healthy and to give them a decent life that they can enjoy until their final days. Although our family of horses is relatively small in the amount of horses that we can keep, usually about twenty, this number is limited by the field sizes and the level of our finances. Without good finances we cannot rent more land and pay for more food and vets bills, therefore, we cannot accept many more horses.

OUR CHARITY CONSTITUTION HAS THE FOLLOWING STATED OBJECTS :

1) FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC TO RELIEVE THE SUFFERING OF HORSES AND PONIES IN NEED OF CARE AND ATTENTION AND, IN PARTICULAR, TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN RESCUE HOMES OR OTHER FACILITIES FOR THE RECEPTION, CARE AND TREATMENT OF SUCH ANIMALS.

2) THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN MATTERS PERTAINING TO ANIMAL WELFARE IN GENERAL AND THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY AND SUFFERING AMONG SUCH ANIMALS.

Please browse through our website and check out the horses and ponies that we have rescued over the years. They all have a different story to tell, some are very sad.

We will also update the site with further news on each of the horses and ponies as and when it happens; And, we will also keep an eye out for any new residents that we may have to take in.