The RSPCA's best-kept secret

I think one of the best kept secrets about the RSPCA is that we give a much-needed second chance to hundreds of horses and ponies each year.

Our work doesn’t finish when we’ve rescued them from cruelty or neglect and nursed them back to health. That’s only the start.

Each horse is assigned their own groom so they build a relationship with one person, and hopefully begin to learn that people are there to look after them, not harm them.

Grooms spend endless hours with horses to help them regain trust in humans after, in many cases, traumatic experiences.

Only when they are responding well to human contact does the next stage of their training start, and they practice having their feet picked up, being groomed and being led in hand.

Once they’ve mastered basic stable manners, they are trained to be ridden. This is done in a gentle and gradual way by introducing new experiences and building up the horse’s confidence, slowly working towards the time when they are happy to wear a saddle and bridle and carry a rider.

This preparation also increases the RSPCA’s chances of finding horses a good new home – especially in difficult financial times when fewer people can afford to take them on – as most people want a well-trained ‘ready-made’ horse that they are able to ride safely.

All of this costs money, of course, and it costs at least £5,000 to care for, rehabilitate and find a new home for each horse – only possible thanks to generous donations from the RSPCA’s much-valued supporters.

One of the most inspiring stories I’ve ever followed has been that of Polly, one of the many horses who have benefitted from the RSPCA’s hard work and expertise.

If you’re a member or a supporter of the RSPCA you may already have read her story in Animal life magazine. If you missed it, you can read her rags to riches tale here.

You can also listen to a podcast including interviews with some of the wonderful staff – all of them unsung heroes - at the RSPCA’s Felledge Equine centre who cared for and rehabilitated her, and watch a slideshow of photos of Polly.

I was lucky enough to spend time at the equine centre and watch the grooms working with horses at various stages of their training.

I was struck by the incredibly caring, nurturing environment and the obvious trust the team there had in each other and were gradually building with the horses in their care.

Polly was already in her new home when I visited, and Lisa Paulin, deputy manager of Felledge Animal Centre, was kind enough to take me to see her and meet her owner Krissy Bowden. 

Having seen the shocking pictures of Polly when she was first rescued, it was amazing to see her looking so happy and well.

I feel privileged to have met Polly and the wonderful people who have collectively, through a team effort, transformed her life.

To find out more about adopting a horse or pony from the RSPCA, please visit the RSPCA website.

Helen Coen, RSPCA senior press officer.