About Us
about usOur Mission
"To take on horses that have suffered abuse, neglect or abandonment."
Horse Rescue Australia is a non-profit organisation and registered charity, devoted to the care and rehabilitation of horses that have suffered abuse, abandonment or neglect. The horses that come to us are either surrendered by their owner or seized or rescued by authorities such as the RSPCA, Animal Welfare League or Council pounds.
HRA is run by a small but passionate volunteer committee and resident manager. We don't receive any sort of funding to run the sanctuary. The care we provide relies solely on funding from generous supporters through donation, sponsorship, membership, bequest and benefit events.
our History
Horse Rescue Australia started in 1986 when Sally Davies took in two badly malnourished horses called SJ and Gumdrop who had also sustained injuries as a result of cruel handling. Sally co-produced a newspaper at the time and regularly featured stories on the horses so readers could follow their rehabilitation journey. Offers of help soon started coming in. Unfortunately, so did requests to take on other horses in similar conditions. And so it began.
Rehabilitation
Fast forward to today, nearly 2,000 horses have passed through the gates of Horse Rescue Australia. Rehabilitation of horses can be a lengthy process requiring care and advice from a horse behaviourist, specialised feeding, veterinary attention, ongoing medication, dentistry and farrier work.
Some of our horses are assessed as unsuitable for rehoming and they remain at the sanctuary living their best lives with their friends in the herd. For those that make a full recovery, it is immensely gratifying when we match them with a new family. We continue to support new owners and always accept a horse back if circumstances change and the family can no longer care for them.
you can make a difference
Your donation helps to support the care and rehabilitation of horses.