Known as HOOFS 2010 (which stands for Helping Our Old Friends Survive), the volunteer-run charity rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes brumbies displaced by government removal programs.
Now, after years of fundraising, the group has secured a new 172-acre property and will be relocating to Harrow, Victoria, to ensure these horses can live out their lives safely and freely.
The organisation works by rescuing these brumbies, bringing them into the sanctuary for training and assessing if they are suitable for re-homing.
If they are, then they are advertised for a lifetime lease or can live out their days on the sanctuary.
“We have a commitment to 40 wild horses, not all of those were suitable for re-homing,” HOOFS founder Lynette Sutton said.
“Some of them were brought to us in a pretty bad way, or were older horses, so their lifespan doesn’t warrant the training - they just need a sanctuary.”
Once a horse is assessed as suitable or meets certain standards during training, it is then microchipped, branded, DNA profiled, vaccinated and then advertised for a lifetime lease.
To home one of the brumbies, an individual must visit the horse they have expressed interest in and provide two references from someone within the equine industry before being allowed to proceed with the application and lease agreement.
The work HOOFS does for the community goes well beyond rescuing horses.
For the past eight years, the sanctuary has welcomed students from the Cobram Specialist School as a part of the Duke of Edinburgh awards program.
Ms Sutton said while Berrigan has been a great location for their efforts, they needed more space to care for the horses.
The expansion comes after years of fundraising, much of which was done through the charity’s collectibles shop.
When the sanctuary is fully set up in Harrow, the community will have the chance to come and visit the horses.
Ms Sutton is hopeful to change the perception people have of wild horses.
“People come and see the brumbies, and it’s really such an amazing experience.
“They start to become passionate about it. But if someone said to you ‘feral horse’, then that’s the picture that’s painted about it.”
As the sanctuary transitions to the new land in Harrow, where 27 of the horses are already residing, Ms Sutton encourages the community to continue spreading the word about the important work of HOOFS.
“Share the stories, talk about it, talk about why it’s important to preserve the wild horses,” she said.
To learn more about the charity which got its start in Berrigan, go to www.hoofs2010.org.au.
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