HorseWorld is a charity dedicated to saving the lives of abandoned, neglected and mistreated horses, ponies and donkeys. We specialise in the rehabilitation of severely abused and neglected horses.
The organisation cares for more than 100 horses, ponies and donkeys at its Bristol site and provides after-care and support for around 200 more, who have been re-homed throughout the South-West.
HorseWorld is 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 help them reach their potential. Our ultimate aim is to give them a second chance at a meaningful life, whether that is with us here as part of the Discovery team working with special educational needs children through our equine assisted learning program, going on loan to one of our rehoming families, or for some it is to remain at our sanctuary in Bristol being role models to other abused or abandoned horses when they arrive with us.
HorseWorld is not open to the public on a day-to-day basis but it holds Open Days throughout the year. Please see the events page for details.
HorseWorld's Registered Charity number is 1121920
Background
The charity began life in 1952 as "The Friends of Bristol Horses Society" in a campaign to save the lives of working horses who were rapidly being replaced by motorised vehicles in industry.
Under the banner of “Retirement Not Slaughter” - for many were destined for the abattoir - the charity offered a safe haven in Bristol for the big-hearted horses, ponies and donkeys that had worked all their lives on the railways, in the dockyards, the coal mines, the roads and for the armed forces. You can read more about this on Our Story.
Decades later working horses are largely a memory of the past, but there is still a very real demand for this work - to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home up to 100 abandoned, neglected and mistreated horses every year.