THE Irish Horse Welfare Trust (IHWT) is at full capacity and is appealing to anyone who can offer a home to a rescued horse or pony to get in touch.

“We have close to 70 equines on site, including a lot of young cobs, small ponies and some young Thoroughbreds all looking for a new home,” said co-founder and CEO Sharon Power. “All of these have come to us from situations of serious neglect and have now been fully rehabilitated.”

“The large numbers we have presently means that we are not in a position to take in new rescue cases that come up. Historically, we see some of the worst cases of neglect from new year to springtime annually.

“We work closely with other agencies to provide emergency care for equines seized under Animal Health and Welfare Legislation, so this is a worry for us and we really need to get some horses and ponies rehomed to free up space for emergency cases.

“We would urge anyone in a position to take on a rescue horse or pony to get in touch. More details about rehoming an IHWT horse or pony and the rehoming process are available on our website.

“Giving a second chance to a deserving horse or pony is very rewarding. We do require that applicants have land with a shelter or stable, companionship of another equine and some experience with equines. All our equines go out on a long-term loan basis, however, it is possible to apply for full ownership after six months.

“Towards the year end, our finances are always well drained and all donations, no matter how small, are hugely appreciated. There are other ways that people can support our work too, including subscribing €5 monthly through the bank or taking part in our weekly lotto.

The IHWT rehoming process involves an application form, which can be found on www.ihwt.ie or on request by email to info@ihwt.ie and home checks are carried out by one of 30 trained national volunteers.