Healing hooves, healing hearts: Meet the charity helping ponies and people

Horse Shepherd’s new centre, made possible through philanthropic support, is giving ponies a second chance and reuniting families with the animals they love.

On a 200-acre sanctuary in Victoria, more than 100 horses, ponies, donkeys and even the occasional camel find safety and care at the Horse Shepherd Equine Sanctuary. For over a decade, this charity has been a last lifeline for animals with nowhere else to go. Thanks to philanthropic support, Horse Shepherd is now able to do more good work and enhance the welfare of those in its care.

Recently, it opened a pioneering laminitis centre that is not only saving ponies from painful decline but also reuniting them with the families who love them.

Laminitis is a debilitating hoof disease that particularly affects ponies, leaving them unable to walk without severe pain. “Someone once described it to me as like having all your fingernails bent backwards,” explains Anne Young, president and founder of Horse Shepherd. “It’s agonising. Ponies are particularly prone to it and once afflicted, many can no longer walk. If left untreated, the hooves deteriorate and the animal has to be put down.”

Yet, thanks to a $75,000 donation by the Kathleen Agnes Back Trust and the Hazel and Arthur Bruce Bequest, managed by Equity Trustees, the charity was able to establish a 2.6 kilometre walking trail – a key element of the new Laminitis Centre of Excellence, established at Horse Shepherd. Anne believes it will be Australia’s first dedicated laminitis centre.

The initial stage of funding helped to establish a new rehabilitation trail with a difference. The walking trail winds under trees, over rocks and alongside paddocks. At one end is food and at the other is water. Once ponies regain strength, they are introduced to the trail, where steady walking helps them shed weight, strengthen hooves and reduce pain.

Anne says the results have been remarkable. “Ponies love food, and they need water. So they’re encouraged to move. Movement is key to their recovery.”

Rehabilitation provides hope

Within its first season this year, the sanctuary’s ponies were put to the test on the trail. None prone to lameness suffered a relapse. “Seeing the ponies with laminitis walk again – that’s the impact of philanthropy in action,” says Anne.

Building on this success, the centre has opened its doors to external ponies. By offering access to rehabilitation, Horse Shepherd is not only reducing suffering but also lowering veterinary costs for owners and preventing the devastating decision to surrender beloved animals.

For families, the emotional impact is profound. “Bringing a pony back to health doesn’t just save an animal, it brings joy back to a family.” Anne recalls one woman who thought she would have to surrender her ponies forever. “Instead, we rehabilitated them. When they went home, she wrote to us saying, ‘Thank you. You’ve changed everything’. For her, those ponies weren’t just pets. They were part of her life, always there at family gatherings and always loved.”

Although working with horses is rewarding, it’s not easy or cheap. Horses live long lives, require extensive land and their veterinary needs are costly. Unlike cats or dogs, horse rescue rarely captures the same public attention. “Philanthropy is huge for us. We couldn’t continue without it. At Horse Shepherd, every dollar goes directly to the animals for their feed, vet bills and care. No wages are drawn. Our focus is entirely on the horses.”

For donors, the new laminitis centre offers a visible and lasting impact. Anne expects that up to 30 ponies each year will walk the trail back to health, many returning to the families who adore them.

“Horses matter too. When someone supports us, their donation doesn’t just save animals, it heals people’s hearts.”

To find out more, please visit www.horseshepherd.org.au/

Photo credit: Horse Shepherd Equine Sanctuary

“Bringing a pony back to health doesn’t just save an animal, it brings joy back to a family.”