Help us Help more Horses

The aim of RMJ's Horse Rescue is to rescue horses who are severely neglected and care for them until they are ready to be re-homed to their forever home, whether in Malta or abroad.

RMJ's Horse Rescue Community May 27, 2020 at 4:03 pm
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Project Description

Who are we ?

RMJ’s Horse Rescue is a non-profit NGO set up four years ago. The main purpose of the organisation is to take in neglected or slaughter-bound horses on the island, care for them and rehabilitate them and ultimately find them a new home. RMJ is the only horse rescue NGO in Malta which means that we are the only organisation which can help horses in need. The government also lacks any facilities to house neglected horses or horses seized from unfit conditions by the Animal Welfare, therefore we are the only organisation that is providing a safe place for these horses to go to.

Hundreds of horses are imported to Malta PER YEAR for racing purposes. The majority of these horses come from France or Sweden. Due to a number of reasons the racing lifespan of these horses here in Malta is very short with the majority of horses not even racing for one whole racing season. Some horses are already injured when they arrive to Malta and therefore never even make it to the track. Whilst the level of horse care while the horses are still racing is of a high standard, once it is decided that the horse is no longer fit for racing there is a high chance that it will be sent for slaughter. The illegal slaughter of horses in Malta is an issue which up until now is not being tackled. These horses though, are horses registered in foreign databases and entities overseas are already getting a sense that something isn’t quite right with the number of horses who are exported to Malta ‘disappearing’.

Despite only having been set up for four years RMJ’s Horse Rescue has grown exponentially as the demand to help more and more horses increases from year to year. On average we deal with close to 100 cases per year. Due to the fact that Malta is a very small island and land is limited, it is extremely difficult to find people who are willing to re-home horses locally. One way to cope with the number of horses finishing from racing and in danger of slaughter is by raising funds in order to be able to export these horses overseas.

Project Back to the Green

This is one of the projects we are constantly working on. Because of the lack of space and resources in Malta, we have had to try out other options and dream big to be able to give the horses a better retired, off-the-track life. The aim of this project is to actually send horses to big green fields abroad

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Project FAQ

Who runs RMJ's Horse Rescue ?

RMJ is run by a group of young volunteers who are very passionate about the cause they believe in, which is to save as many horses and give them a better second chance at life.

What does a volunteer at RMJ's Horse Rescue do ?

A bit of everything ? ... A typical day at the stables includes feeding the horses in the morning and taking them out in their paddocks, after which the stables would need mucking. Because we currently have over 50 horses, this part of the day takes time, but because we are a good hardworking group, we manage to divide the workload. Then we exercise our horses either by saddling up and going for a ride, walking them around the countryside, or lunging them in the arena. Exercising the horses is very important to keep them fit and active and to keep their condition too.

*Interesting Fact*: Horses are turned out in their paddocks depending on the season. In summer the horses are stabled during the day, to avoid them being in the scorching sun, and they are turned out in the afternoon and left in their paddocks throughout the night until breakfast is served in the morning. In winter then we do the opposite, we take them out in their paddocks in the morning and bring them inside in the evening.

In the afternoon they are then given their hard feed (grain) and then given hay in the evening too. We make sure that all the horses have enough clean water that will last them all throughout the day, especially in the summer months because of the heat.

Apart from the cleaning, mucking, exercising, feeding etc, we also then have to make sure that the place is safe both for the horses and for the volunteers. As you can imagine maintenance is ongoing at the stables, especially since we moved to our new premises.

How is RMJ's Horse Rescue funded ?

Because we are an NGO, we rely on donations from the public. We organise open-days, pony camps, riding sessions and other activities that will help us collect the money we need to keep up with the most important ie feed bills and vet bills. Anything after that, maintenance, new equipment, etc is secondary.

How many horses do you currently have in your care ?

RMJ has currently more than 50 horses in its care, the highest number of horses at any given time ever.

How many horses do you manage to re-home yearly ? 

The number is never the same. Because of the limited space on the island, a person who is interested in adopting a horse would probably have to rent a stable and paddock, which ultimately increases the expenses related to basic horse care. It is for this reason that we have been working on our project "Project Back to the Green", which is a project aimed to sent horses abroad.

What is the procedure when a "new" horse joins RMJ's Horse Rescue ?

When a "new" horse arrives at the stables, the horse is checked by the vet. Some blood tests might need to be carried out, medication and/or supplements might need to be prescribed etc. The horse might also need to be visited by the dentist. Once the vet has examined the horse, then it is time for the farrier to see to the horse's feet (by feet we mean hooves). More often than not, when we have a neglected horse, the farrier would have to trim and if necessary (or possible) "re-shape" the horse's hoof, and then re-shoe the horse.

*Interesting Fact* Because all the weight of the horse is supported by its feet, it is a must to maintain a healthy hoof. No Hoof, No Horse !

Finally, when the vet and farrier have done their work, it is then time for our very dedicated volunteers to fuss over the horse, and give them all the love and attention they very much deserve :)

What do horses eat, and how much ?

Horses eat hay, grain and other necessary supplements/vitamins/minerals.  Hay in Malta is much more expensive than it is abroad and supplying it 24/7 to a horse would prove very costly especially if it's high quality hay. Unfortunately though it is one of the most common reasons we find due to which horses have lost condition. As a guideline a horse should eat 2% of it's body weight in hay. For an average trotter that's about 12kg of hay per day. Feeding in hay nets helps to reduce wastage and the horse has hay for a larger part of the day. If supplying all the required amount of hay with good quality hay is too expensive you can mix different types of hay and aid the horse with hard feed and supplements. Most of our horses have the large hay bales available to them to eat as much hay as they please throughout the day. It also helps reduce boredom and helps to keep their digestive system as trouble-free as possible. Horses also eat grass, apples, carrots and various fruits and other greens. 

How much does the proper basic upkeep of a horse cost ?

On average the basic costs involved with maintaining a horse amount to €300 per month. This includes hay which is our biggest expense, seeing as it is imported and costs €140 per bale. This lasts one month per horse. It also includes bedding (wood shavings for the stables), horse feed (grain), farrier (horseshoes) and supplements. This is excluding any vet bills.

There is so much more to the running of RMJ's Horse Rescue, but these are the most common questions we are asked by the public. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

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