Actor and IHWT supporter Anthony Head with Moscow Flyer
Irish horse charity IHWT (Irish Horse Welfare Trust) is launching a new Sponsor a Horse Scheme that will enable horse loving kids and families to participate in the rehabilitation work done by the charity at its farm in Woodenbridge, County Wicklow.
“Our wish is to give people and families from all walks of life the opportunity to become part of the lives of our horses and ponies and share in a very magical experience,” says Sharon Newsome, co-founder of IHWT. “Some of the horses have suffered so much. It is just such a heartening experience to come down to the farm and see these noble creatures, getting a well deserved second chance at life.”
With a cost of over €300,000 to run the IHWT Welfare Centre farm, the charity more than ever needs sponsors to get involved and make a difference. “We have six adorable ponies and horses that need kind sponsorship from families for less than a fiver a month. All horses and ponies were subject to dreadful cruelty and neglect and arrived in heartbreaking condition, most may not have survived for much longer had the IHWT not intervened,” she explains.
“We have found many people are looking for something to share with their children or an elderly relative that doesn’t involve shopping. Sponsoring an IHWT horse or pony offers a different experience; one that makes them feel fulfilled and can be so inspiring.”
The ‘Sponsor Me’ Sponsorship Programme is aimed at those who wish to form a unique friendship with horses that have suffered and being abused or neglected.
“Equines who may never have experienced human kindness before need that extra special love and attention. By sponsoring a horse or pony, they will be changing horses lives, helping us fight animal cruelty.”
With over 92 horses now living at the IHWT Welfare Centre, Newsome explains her concerns for the winter months ahead: “We are hoping that we have seen the worst of the equine crisis that has being allowed to spiral out of control over the last three years, however we are very nervous and apprehensive about what the winter months may bring us and how we, as Ireland’s only sole equine charity, will cope.”
You can escape to the magical World of the Horse by becoming an official IHWT sponsor. Those signing up for the ‘Sponsor Me’ programme will become an IHWT official sponsor, receiving a certificate, monthly updates on their sponsored horse including wonderful photographs; as well as being able to follow the progress they are making by visiting the farm.
“They can groom, feed them treats or just have a coffee, put their feet up and chat away on any topic they wish; they are all ears and ready for kind companionship,” she says.