At HorseWorld we believe every horse deserves to have a meaningful life free from pain and suffering which is why we specialise in the rehabilitation of severely abused and neglected horses.
Fully funded by the generous donations of our supporters, we rescue the feral and the fearful and work with them over time to rehabilitate and retrain them so that they fulfil their potential. Our ultimate aim is to give them a second chance at a meaningful life, whether that is with us here as a working with special educational needs children in our equine assisted learning program, going on loan to one of our rehoming families, or perhaps it’s in our sanctuary in Bristol being role models to other abused and neglected horses when they arrive with us.
Specialist rehabilitation care takes longer and requires considerably more expertise than can be found elsewhere which is why we focus on fewer, more ‘in need’ horses at our 180 acre farm in South Bristol.
Key stats from our figures from 2014 to 2024:
We’ve seen a 143% increase in total reports made (these reports include reports from members of the public, other charities, horse owners, landowners, and police); with the largest increase seen in reports from owners themselves, which has gone up 267%.
“In many of the calls we’ve had from horse owners, especially in the last 12 months, we’ve heard how they have been struggling to make ends meet for some time. It’s rarely one thing in isolation which has caused them to reach out to us for help. We’ve repeatedly heard from owners for whom the rising costs of everyday life have had a massive impact on what was already a very tight budget; it just takes one thing to go wrong, or for one unforeseen cost or illness, and they’re desperate.
Since 2014 we have been involved in a number of cases involving very large numbers of equines at one site. For example, in 2021 we saw an exceptional peak of identifying over 600 equines being potentially at risk; caused by one case involving over 300 ponies, 2 cases involving over 70 horses, as well as a number of other large groups.”
The total equines we estimate are potentially at risk every year, from the reports we have visited, has increased by 38%
Our number of visits made has increased by 85%
Today we’re seeing a 43% increase in the number of horses potentially at risk compared to the number we’ve actually been able to take in.
“Through almost all of 2024 we have been over capacity, but in an emergency it’s impossible to say ‘no’ to the ones in the most urgent, desperate need. So many need us, but ultimately we just don’t have the funds or resources to help them all.”
One of the problems we’ve been facing is that we’ve been involved in large-scale cases often involving feral and unhandled ponies. When we take these ponies in, their rehabilitation programme can be exceptionally lengthy and require intensive care and training. This means that resources (staff time, space in our special isolation unit and so on) which could otherwise be directed in taking in new rescues, are tied up with these often very traumatised equines for many months at a time.
Our Welfare Team have also stated how we are seeing a huge increase in the number of rescued horses suffering from metabolic issues. These horses often have complex veterinary requirements and their conditions will require long-term care which place a further drain on our already very limited resources.