Project Hope Horse Welfare Victoria Inc.

I volunteered to be a short term carer for PHHWV in early 2003 - I had recently lost my own horse to bowel cancer and felt caring for a less fortunate horse would help both me and the horse. A month after volunteering Nicky dropped a 16.1hand bay thoroughbred gelding at my property; initially for short term care. He looked like a walking skeleton; hip bones sticking out, every rib was visible, his back looked distorted and his coat was long and coarse. I received Charlie three weeks after his initial rescue – to this day I can’t bare to imagine what the PHHWV rescuers were faced with when they initially saw him. Even though Charlie was terribly malnourished when I received him he was still a beautiful looking horse. He has the most amazing and unique white blaze down his face; to me it’s always looked like an arrow pointing up.

Getting Charlie to gain weight and condition was a long and slow process – but in my 15 years of owning horses it was by far the most rewarding thing I have ever done. In the beginning he was on two very large feeds a day and hay, but his stomach was like an endless pit – he was never full. We made sure he was wormed regularly, that his teeth were filed and that he was up to date with all his vaccinations. After the cuts on his chest and hips an ill fitting rug had left cleared up, I began rugging him again. After three months the food slowly was beginning to catch up with him and I was no longer cringing every time I took his rugs off to groom and handle him. By this stage in the process we were both attached to each other, Charlie needed a long term home, so he wasn’t going any where – I became Charlie’s long term carer mid 2003.

Story of Life after Rescue

My parents agreed to help me financially support Charlie because they thought it was time we gave back something for all the years of enjoyment horses have given us. After four months his condition was stable enough to begin lunging - I began to lung him a few times a week, just to build up his muscles, and I soon realised how well behaved he was and how good his trot movement was.

Since then I have had Charlie in work; when I began he had no education on the flat – a typical ex-race horse – no idea what a circle is and head up. However he is very smart and learns quickly, over six months of work he excelled. Charlie now works round on the flat, understands all basic aids, and is slowly but surely becoming more responsive and accurate.

Charlie loves being ridden and is giving his all. He has a big personality and attitude, and still makes me laugh every time he gets fed – after he is ridden he knows he gets food, I take off his halter and he runs and bucks up to his paddock, pushes the gate when he gets there, runs to his feed bin and circles around it until I catch up with his dinner!

I wasn’t expecting that I would get anything back in return for my effort - but Charlies become the most gorgeous and talented horse I have had for a long while. He seems to know what we have done for him and tries so hard to show me his appreciation.

In the last six months I’ve begun fortnightly lessons and now know just the extent of his talent and skill. My instructor believes he shows ‘moments of brilliance’ and that he has unlimited potential as a performance horse. I’m proud of him and our achievements as a team. Whenever I take him out in public I receive comments on his stunning looks and I’m always asked where I found such a magnificent horse. I never get sick of telling the story of his amazing and triumphant story!

My plans for the future include getting him out more and moving up through the eventing levels. I also want to use Charlie as an example of one of PHHWV success stories – I believe he has the visual potential to raise the publics’ awareness of the organisation and encourage financial support.