Local Horse and Donkey Sanctuary gives safe haven to 12 Sussex horses

Local Horse and Donkey Sanctuary gives safe haven to 12 Sussex horses

Springwood Sanctuary has reached out to a horse rescue centre in West Sussex who were desperately searching for homes for their 12 horses and ponies. Equine Gentling have been caring for their herd for over 7 years in Sussex, but after endlessly searching for a forever home had come to the realisation they would have to rehome their herd and faced the unthinkable task of possibly separating them. Having forged a friendship over social media Jacqui and David reached out and offered to take them all at their horse and donkey sanctuary near Carmarthen.

Jacqui says “Here at Springwood we offer our rescued and rehabilitated horses, ponies and donkeys the space to roam free and enjoy a natural existence. Dan and I have chatted online over the past few years, sharing our passion for equines to live with freedom and choice. When he reached out to us we knew we had to help .”

Equine Gentling’s herd have been conservation grazing on gifted land across Sussex for the last seven years. Founder Dan Corbin says “We have been searching for a permanent home for years now and there have been some truly exceptional land owners whose land we have grazed on during that time, but we have reached the end of the road. Finances, recent extreme weather and minimal land availability has brought us to this point. When Jacqui and David answered our plea for help, it was beyond our wildest dreams. Springwood offers the herd the chance to live out their lives in peace and tranquility.”

David says “We have given our commitment that these beautiful equines will never again be used in any way. To be able to offer another 12 horses this healthy and enriched lifestyle where they can thrive is wonderful”

Springwood is self funded and relies heavily on sponsorship and donations, and they know doubling the size of their herd will bring its own challenges. Amazingly the vast majority of Equine Gentling’s sponsors have chosen to continue to contribute after the move but there is still a huge financial gap. They need to fundraise for this major transition, as well as massively increase the amount of sponsors to meet the needs of the increased herd. Although they live naturally without the need for stables, tack or shoes they still require health supplements, vet, dentist, farrier checks as well as land maintenance such as fences, winter field shelters and paid land labour.

They are asking for people to support their fundraiser to accommodate this new herd, or become sponsors of their new bigger rescue centre of 22 horses, ponies and donkeys to ensure these equines can continue their lives in this peaceful sanctuary. People can find out more about Springwood as well as details about donations and sponsorship on their website www.springwoodsanctuary.com

Details of the fundraiser can be found on GoFundMe by searching Springwood Sanctuary or at https://gofund.me/03cf939f