Project Hope Horse Welfare Victoria Inc. > Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately, at this time we do not have the facilities, finances or resources to enable us to take on horses which are no longer wanted. Our primary aim is to teach responsible horse ownership. We have very strict criteria in which horses are taken into care. You could list your horse or pony on our PHHWV Equine Placement Register.

Sometimes throughout the year PHHWV receives calls from people wanting companion horse/ponies. We suggest you read the PHHWV Equi Note- Selling A Horse, and if you think the horse can be re-homed keeping its welfare as a number one priority you could list it on our PHHWV Equine Placement Register PHHWV would love to take in all unwanted horses but it does not have the resources to do so.

No, all horses surrendered to PHHWV remain the property of the organisation for the remainder of their life. PHHWV leases them once they have been deemed suitable to be re-homed on the long term basis. You need to be a financial member and maintain that membership each year, provide PHHWV with an annual update on how the horse or pony is progressing. Horses and ponies must remain in Victoria and mares can not be bred with.

No, in most cases horses and ponies are sent to places like sale yards for good reason, usually temperament or behavioral problems. In these instances PHHWV would prefer that horses are put to sleep at home rather than sent through the sale yards as this can be very stressful for them. If this is not possible they should be transported to the knackery with prior arrangement for them to be destroyed immediately upon arrival. However some horse owners like to think they are worth something and want the “quick dollar” with little regard for the horses’ welfare and the sales are the only option for this. These days It is very rare for knackeries to pay for horses when collecting them from individuals – in actual fact most charge to come and pick them up, regardless if they are alive or deceased.

Most knackeries purchase their horses from sales – however it is important to note if someone has taken a live horse to a knackery it is illegal for the knackery to sell it if it has been taken there to be destroyed.

Please note due to bio-security and health reasons we can no longer accept goods that are not laundered or clean and likewise goods in need of repair.
We have in the past tired various drop off points at feed and saddlery stores with little success, therefore goods needs to be sent to us via mail or courier.
Goods can be posted via Australia Post (up to 20kg can be sent via Aust Post) and sent to PO Box 900 Gisborne 3437.

Yes, as long as the membership and leasing agreement is in your parent/guardians name.
You can also volunteer with your parent/guardians permission.

The best thing to do is become a member, that way you will be advised of horses or ponies that are available for lease on Long Term Care via our e-mail updates and newsletters. We do not keep lists of people who want horses and ponies as it would be a never ending list. Please bear in mind that the majority of horses and ponies that we rescue are generally old or suffer from injuries or conditions that render them unsuitable for riding; however they make great companions for other horses or ponies. However, from time to time we do get horses and ponies that are suitable for riding. It is very rare we have horses or ponies suitable to beginners or novice riders but if you keep your eye out on our lists you may get lucky.

This is great! The horses will love you for your efforts. Check out the fundraising section on our website. The “Extra Little Bit of HOPE” program is great for generous people like you!

PHHWV does not have a refuge or sanctuary as all of our rescue work is undertaken by volunteers at their private properties. Therefore we are unable to have people come and visit the horses and ponies.

All of our rescuing work is undertaken by volunteers at their private properties. Therefore we are unable to take on work experience students.

We try where possible to meet all these requests for public talks as it is a great way to promote PHHWV. However as you can understand being a volunteer organisation and covering the whole of Victoria it really depends of where you are based and when you would like us to come.

Drop us a line with plenty of notice and we will do our best to have one of our PHHWV Educators come along to your event.

If you think it is urgent you must contact the animal welfare authority in your state.
If it is not urgent go to www.horsedirectory.com.au, click on the state you are in, then scroll down to the heading “Equine Service” and scroll to “Animal Welfare”. You will find listings of all the different organisation.

If you are unsure take a photo and e-mail it to us; we are always happy to give our opinion.

This can be a very stressful and emotional time especially if it is an old horse and is having trouble with day to day life. PHHWV has produced a booklet called “Farwell - Making the Right Decision”. This is a guide to equine euthanasia – it can be downloaded off our website or we can post you a hard copy. Take the time to read this and if you have any further questions or need help please do not hesitate to call us.

It depends on what they are asking you for. If they are running their own fundraiser under our “Extra Little Bit of HOPE” program they will have a letter from PHHWV giving them authority to do so. It will outline their event/activity and who the co-ordinator of this is. Activities under this program are listed on PHHWV website.

PHHWV does not solicit donations via door knocks or cold calling – these are actives we would like reported to either directly to us or the Police.

We take unauthorised fundraising actives very serious and encourage people to contact us should they have any concerns.

As you can imagine it can be a little embarrassing if PHHWV is contacted to check if someone is fundraising on behalf of PHHWV and we have no knowledge of it.

As a registered charity we must keep detailed records of fundraising activities.

You only need to advise PHHWV if you are using our name in an attempt to promote/raise funds. For example, if a horse riding club at a function decided on the spare of the moment to donate some of the proceeds to PHHWV, they are welcome to do so and are not expected to advertise this prior. This club may have simply had a very successful competition and made a bit more money than anticipated.

Yes, as a registered non-profit charity with the Australian Taxation Office we must keep detailed financial records of all transactions. We also must submit our financial records to Consumer Affairs Victoria as part of our registration under the Association Incorporations Act 1981. (Vic).
These records are available to members at our AGM each year.

No, all information provided to PHHWV is protected by privacy laws and can not be passed on to any third party without your written consent.

PHHWV receives many calls from property owners who have found themselves in situations just like this. We encourage any person who allows people to agist horses on their land to have a standard written agistment agreement.

In the absence of such an agreement there is a legal process that must be followed. You will need to contact the DPI in Victoria to obtain details or visit this link for more information.

No, we are not like your local pony/riding club or footy club where you are roped into helping out. The majority of our members are passive ones, they are happy paying their annual membership, maybe giving a small donation or sell raffle tickets each year.

But we do welcome anyone that would like to help out as a lot more can be achieved with serious hands on volunteers on board!

If in doubt ask to see some sort of ID and get their name. Never hand over a horse or pony to someone who says they are acting on behalf of PHHWV without seeing some sort of ID. PHHWV also has legal documents that an owner must sign before we can take a horse into care – they are very distinctive so check for this as well.

Profiles of PHHWV committee members are on our website.
Please call PHHWV 1300 881 606 if you wish to confirm someone is acting on behalf of the organisation.

There are a number of horse rescue groups within Victoria. PHHWV is a registered non-for-profit organisation with tax deductible status, and must fulfill all the legal requirements that come with this. Our Executive Committee always makes decisions that adhere to a strict set of guidelines put forward in our constitution and with consideration of all State and Federal Government animal welfare laws.

Over the past 35 years a lot of work has been done to create policies in line with our organisation and members’ philosophy of horse welfare. As a result some of our practices differ from other horse rescue groups. These could include:

If your questions have not been answered, please contact Project Hope on 1300 881 606 or send an email to info@phhwv.org.au