Our Supported Charities

The last three years have been incredibly difficult for so many people and businesses but the charity sector, which often gets forgotten about, has been heavily affected as well. Animal welfare charities were particularly hard hit during the pandemic due to having the overhead costs of looking after their animals without the usual income of visitors and events which weren't allowed to happen. For this reason, HorsesHealth is supporting and raising money for a number of registered charities from all around the United Kingdom that fit with our core principles supporting equine welfare and mental health. Please read below about the incredible causes we are supporting this year.

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HorseWorld Trust is our lead charity and in 2022 they celebrated their 70th anniversary. Over the three years Horses4Health has been running, HorseWorld have been a key part of the organisation of the and have worked very closely with us on all aspects of the event.

HorseWorld is a charity dedicated to saving the lives of abandoned, neglected and mistreated horses, ponies and donkeys. 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.

The charity also runs the innovative Discovery educational programme which helps young people with self-growth, confidence and concentration issues - and of course the horses love the attention too! In 2021 they launched a new Family Project which was funded by Horses4Health.

HorseWorld's vital 365-days-a-year animal welfare work is funded by voluntary donations. It is not open to the public on a day-to-day basis but it holds Open Days throughout the year.

To find out more about HorseWorld click on the button below to visit their website.

HorseWorld website

The HorseWorld Discovery programme boosts the confidence, emotional well-being and life-chances of disadvantaged and vulnerable young people and adults through an innovative learning programme that brings them together with gentle rescued horses. This learning programme has seen results when nothing else has worked for the individual or group.

Every year Discovery works with over 200 children, young people and adults who are at risk of exclusion or who are experiencing life challenges due to their social, emotional, mental health and learning needs. It is offered as a part time alternative learning provision, supporting young people from age 6 to 25 and in the 2021/22 school year they supported 321 referrals.

Students usually attend for 90 minutes over 6 weeks during term time, in either an individual or group session.

Discovery provides a safe, nurturing and welcoming environment, in which every young person feels valued, loved and respected as a unique individual.

The horses used in the Discovery programme are specially chosen for their calm nature, and bring about calmness in the young people, helping them to concentrate, communicate effectively and engage in their learning, all of which has a positive impact back in the classroom and at home.

Horses are non-judgemental, with no preconceived expectations or motives, which allows the young people to develop relationships based on mutual trust and respect. Just like the students each of the horses, most of which have been rescued by HorseWorld, has its own unique personality and qualities.

Find out more

Quote from our Founder, Sophie Gifford about the Horses4Health Equine Welfare Grants Scheme:

"Well, here we are again, embarking on another summer of horsey happiness, making new friends, re-connecting with those we made during previous Horses4Health activities and, most importantly, helping horses, ponies & donkeys across the UK.

One of the biggest challenges in 2021 was selecting the six charities Horses4Health would support – I was contacted by countless small equine charities around the country asking to be considered and so selecting just six was tough and, to be honest, emotional. That’s why in 2022 we were very proud to be able to extend the support of Horses4Health to so many smaller equine welfare charities by way of a funding application process which was open to any registered UK equine charity to apply for up to £1000 of funding from Horses4Health, to support their equine welfare activities. We helped 17 charities to make a difference to equines in need.

Through this amazing initiative, which was administered by HorseWorld Trust, our lead charity, Horses4Health wias a pioneer in the charitable sector, epitomising the true spirit of #PeopleHelpingHorsesHelpingPeople, and we are so happy to be able to offer the grant scheme again in 2023 – together we can make a difference!"

For more information about the scheme and how to apply click here.

This year, in addition to supporting HorseWorld, the HorseWorld Discovery programme and the Horses4Health Equine Welfare Grants Scheme, we are also allocating 25% of funds raised to our new Equine Assisted Services Grant Scheme.

Quote from CEO of HorseWorld Trust, Petra Ingram, about the Horses4Health Equine Assisted Services Grant Scheme:

"Everyone in the Horses4Health team understand how much spending time with equines can benefit your mental health and wellbeing. Over the past few years we have followed the growth of the Equine Assisted Services sector and the introduction last year of the Human Equine Interaction Register (HEIR), designed to ensure minimum standards are met to protect both the equines involved and the people who benefit.

There are many different modalities of practice, from education based learning to psychotherapy, but they all support vulnerable people through partnerships with equines. In the past two years we are delighted to have supported the Riding for the Disabled Association and last year this was specifically for their “Tea with a Pony” project helping people with dementia and similar challenges. Grants were given to a total of 26 RDA local groups. In 2023 we are expanding this and will be considering the award of grants to any organisation accepted onto the HEIR Register, subject to a suitable proposal which will be reviewed by our Grants Committee.

We have always been and will continue to be, People helping Horses, helping People. We are very excited to be expanding our ability to have a positive impact through the Horses4Health fundraising activities”

If you are included on the HEIR Register and are interested in applying, please visit the Equine Assisted Services Grant page for more information on the scheme and how to apply.