Our Mission

We will care for abused or injured horses and ponies, rehabilitating them and re-homing them in a safe, caring environment.

No horse or pony taken in by SWHP will ever be sold. We will rehome each horse or pony on a loan basis and monitor their progress through yearly visits.

We will take back any re-homed horse or pony that can no longer be kept by an adoptive home, whatever the reason and find it another home

History of SWHP

30 years ago, foals were being sold at markets for a couple of pounds and exported to Spain or Greece for slaughter. Many died on the way. The Society for the Welfare of Horses and Ponies started when Sheila Richards, our founder, bought some of these foals. Any which showed potential were reared but the majority, which were thought unlikely to make anything useful, were put down. That may seem harsh but it was a kinder fate than the alternative.

The MacGregors had helped Mrs Richards from the start and, in the mid-80's, Jenny MacGregor took over as Chairman. As the practice of exporting foals for slaughter dwindled, the Society's work gradually changed. It now serves as an equine hospital, taking in sick, injured or abused animals, rehabilitating them and finding them new homes where they can lead useful and safe lives.

The Society now owns more than 200 such horses and ponies and all are visited regularly.

Eighteen years ago, when the MacGregors took over full responsibility for its management, SWHP had an income from donations of £808 and expenditure of £1,220. With cost inflation and the remorseless increase in demand for the services provided by SWHP, costs rose to more than £100,000 last year.

SWHP Today

SWHP is run from the MacGregors' farm at St Maughans, where the buildings have been adapted to stable up to 20 horses and ponies in easily managed conditions and 30 acres of grass provide grazing. Working alongside the MacGregors, there is one full-time paid head girl a number of paid part-timers, while many tasks are undertaken by volunteers. The MacGregors themselves take no wage for their full-time involvement, nor do they charge for the use of the land and buildings at Coxstone.

Every week we receive two or three calls, either reporting animals in poor condition or asking for help or advice. We follow up every call, which often requires more than one visit.

We take three or four new horses or ponies into care every month. In many cases these poor animals are in dreadful condition through neglect or outright cruelty. Ignorance among some horse owners as to their animals' needs can result in starvation and severe worm infestation, whilst lack of attention to feet and teeth causes untold suffering. In the worst cases, rehabilitation can take many months and cost hundreds of pounds in veterinary attention, special feed and treatment. For others, recovery can be spectacularly quick once their problem has been diagnosed.

The increasing popularity of riding has led to many people buying a horse or pony without first considering the costs involved in keeping one. According to British Horse Society records, feed, regular worming and foot trimming will cost at least £700 a year for the smallest pony, and upwards of £2,000 a year for a large riding horse in work. SWHP receives several reports of horses in distress each week, from caring members of the public, from the Police, or from owners themselves who, for one reason or another are unable to continue looking after a horse or pony.

SWHP is not a rest home for old horses. The animals we take in are nursed back to health and then we find them a good home. Most can return to an active life; others go into retirement as companions to other horses but, wherever they are re-homed, all remain the property of SWHP.

SWHP is run almost entirely by volunteers and all money donated is spent on the horses and ponies in our care. Supporters raise funds in many different ways but, as costs rise, it is increasingly difficult to make ends meet. The work is hard, and sometimes disappointing. In the vast majority of cases though, helping a desperate animal return to full health makes it all worth while.

Our Strategy

The principles under which SWHP operates are that whatever the circumstances, the animal's welfare is paramount. This strategy obliged us to oppose, through the courts, demands that SWHP rescue case Target should be returned to the owner who abused him. This stand was ultimately rewarded with success.

However, we have never taken out a prosecution against anyone for abusing an animal, first of all because it is beyond our financial means and, secondly, because in many cases a prosecution brings little or no relief to the animals concerned. More often than not magistrates will impose a fine. More often than not, the owner will have other animals. A fine, if in fact it is ever paid, will make it more difficult for the owner to care for the other animals properly.

We always try to act before the situation becomes desperate, frequently providing emergency feed and advice. In the majority of cases, although the people concerned may initially take offence, with tact and a practical approach we have been able to avert the need for animals to be taken into our care.

For this strategy to succeed we rely on receiving reports of animals requiring help before their condition has deteriorated to the stage where our specialist care is needed. If you are concerned about the welfare of a particular horse or pony, please go to our Report a Case page, where details are given of what you can do.