This October World Horse Welfare will be celebrating Rehome A Horse Month to highlight the benefits of rehoming and encouraging the public to consider rehoming a horse instead of buying or breeding.
A number of inspiring stories will be shared throughout the month, like that of 23-year-old Tinto who won the charity’s Rehomed Horse of the Year competition in 2018 (see below).
World Horse Welfare is asking the horse community to take two simple actions to show their support for horse welfare and help World Horse Welfare to make 2019 a record-breaking rehoming year:
- Spread the rehoming message by visiting worldhorsewelfare.org/rehoming and sharing the profile of at least one horse or pony across your social media network.
- Display one of our Rehoming Rocks window stickers in your car, lorry, caravan, at home, in your office, at your yard, local veterinary surgery or riding school. Help us encourage more people to consider rehoming a horse who has had a difficult start in life. You can get your sticker for FREE at any World Horse Welfare Rescue and Rehoming Centre. Anyone who can carry a small stock of the stickers at till points or reception desks can email RHOTY@worldhorsewelfare.org putting window stickers in the subject line.
There are currently around 80 horses available for rehoming from World Horse Welfare.
Rehomed Horse of the Year Competition 2019
As part of Rehome a Horse Month, World Horse Welfare is launching their annual Rehomed Horse of the Year Competition, which is open to its community of 1,700 rehomers who care for more than 1,800 rehomed horses from the charity.
Last year’s supreme champion was 23-year-old Tinto, whose rehomer Fiona entered him into the 2018 ‘Best Friend’ category. Fiona said:
“We’ve had an amazing amount of fun together. Tinto has given me more than any horse I’ve ever owned. I thought entering him into the ‘Best Friend’ category was the perfect way of highlighting what Tinto means to me and how much I value the support he has given me.”
Rehomed Horse of the Year 2019 will invite rehomers from across the UK to share images that capture a moment in their horse’s life, celebrate the special connection they have with their rehomed horse and reveal hilarious anecdotes that caused jaws to drop.
The three new 2019 categories are supported by three wonderful judges:
- In the picture (photography): Judge, The Horse Photographer, Matthew Seed
Rehomers are asked to share an image that tells a story about their rehomed horse or captures a poignant moment in their life, along with a 100 word picture caption. - An unbreakable bond: Judge, BBC Radio 2 DJ and charity Patron, Sara Cox
We love hearing about the unique connections our rehomers have with their rehomed horse. This category asks them to share a story that sums about why their horse human bond is so special – whether they had an instant connection or whether their horse was the trusted friend they needed during a difficult time in their life. - I wasn’t expecting THAT!: Judge, internet sensation, This Esme
We know horses have a wonderful talent for surprising us! We are asking for hilarious anecdotes or red-faced moments that left everyone astounded.
The winner of the overall Supreme Champion will be judged by Showjumper Joe Stockdale.
The winner of the Unbreakable Bond category will be invited to receive their award at the British Breeders’ Awards Dinner in London on 11 January 2020. World Horse Welfare’s Deputy Chief Executive Tony Tyler explains:
“We are forthright advocates of responsible breeding and so were absolutely delighted to be invited to make our Rehomed Horse of the Year competition part of this event. We strongly encourage accountability, good welfare and responsible ownership in all areas of breeding. Our Unbreakable Bond category underlines the fact that horses are not simply a commodity and they should be given a lifetime of care where their welfare is always of paramount importance.”
Rehomed Horse of the Year 2019 entries close on Thursday 31 October 2019. Find full details of the competition, including terms and conditions, here.
Five reasons to rehome through World Horse Welfare:
- Rehoming gives a horse who has had a poor start in life, the loving home they deserve.
- Rehoming creates space at World Horse Welfare Centres for a horse in need. The charity couldn’t continue its important work without amazing rehomers!
- World Horse Welfare horses are fully MOT’d and come with health records, a microchip and a passport. The rehoming team will also be completely honest about the unique character of each horse so there are no surprises.
- A World Horse Welfare horse comes with a lifetime of advice and support, over the phone and in person.
- The friendly, knowledgeable team works carefully to find the best match for horse and rehomer, but if circumstances change or things don’t work out for any reason the horse can be returned to World Horse Welfare giving them a lifetime of security.
