After a life of horseracing, what does a horse do all day after being surrendered to a sanctuary? Horse Rescue Australia reveals all.
As the sun comes up, a hearty breakfast of the finest hay we can procure is hand-delivered to each horse by our manager. Top-quality hay is essential to keeping a horse healthy.
Our horses have endured a lot in their lives, many are seniors, some have underlying health issues, and every single one of them deserves nothing less than the best, as does any horse.
Once their bellies are full, the herd canters off through our main paddock to the closest dam to take a long drink and wash down brekkie. Some enjoy splashing about in the water, wading in waste deep.
A regular visitor to the sanctuary is our farrier, Hamish. Horses’ hooves require regular expert attention to keep them healthy and avoid lameness. Hamish’s patience and experience are invaluable when dealing with our horses, as some are anxious or have had very little previous human interaction. While some of the horses enjoy a little game of tag, before boring of it or being bribed with a bucket of gumnuts, most of them are pretty relaxed about being caught and receiving their pedicure.
Horses are natural grazers, and the remainder of the day is spent nibbling on grass in the paddock, dozing under the shade of a tree and enjoying the occasional roll in the dust.
Horses are also excellent timekeepers, and around 4pm they all magically appear at the paddock gate for their second hearty feed of the day.
What goes on overnight? We have little idea. But they’re always gathered at the gate in the morning acting totally innocent and expectant for brekkie.
What happens in the paddock obviously stays in the paddock.
Bodhi is a supporter of Horse Rescue Australia, raising funds and awareness of their great work as a charity which treats, rehabilitates and rehomes horses who have suffered abuse, neglect or abandonment.
A key fundraising activity on Bodhi's calendar is our annual cruelty-free Nup The Cup, an alternative to Melbourne Cup. Find out what's happening for Nup The Cup 2020 here.