Compassionate individuals have dug deep to brighten the future of Have a Heart Equine Sanctuary in the face of adversity.
Uitenhage, South Africa (12 April 2026) – Have a Heart Equine Sanctuary has been operating since 2017 and has grown into one of the largest animal sanctuaries in South Africa, though sadly without the funding of a large organisation.
Based in Uitenhage, Have a Heart provides a place of safety, care and rehabilitation for horses that have been abused, abandoned or are unmanageable for their current owners. The Sanctuary not only cares for horses; it also offers a safe and loving home to all farm animals.
Recently, keeping this amazing place running has become harder to afford, with the added pressure to improve the water supply on the farm.
“We are currently in negotiations to dig a new borehole on the property. We need to dig to 200m to secure sufficient water to sustain the property and animals long term. The current boreholes are sadly not in good condition and have blockages; therefore are unusable.”
The team is also trying to spend less time on the road to mitigate fuel costs.
“However, at this time we still need to collect horse feed every second day, as a weekly delivery is just not possible for us.”
Thankfully, there are still kind hearts in their corner, helping keep the lights on.
This week, 11 incredible people generously donated to the Sanctuary’s running costs, in addition to the five ongoing monthly donors. This support will make a welcome difference amid these tough times, helping the team carry out its invaluable work and keep many animals nourished and happy.
Have a Heart has also implemented other measures, such as placing the horses over a section of the property to limit grazing so the land can regenerate, and will soon host an open day, along with regular volunteer days, to help handle some of the young horses and get them used to being around people.
“We have also finished a portion of the boundary fence, and today the wild herd will be heading out onto 10H so they can graze in the veld where the grazing is good and untouched. This will reduce the amount of feed required for them; however, they will still receive feed twice a day if they come for it.”
There is still a great financial need to complete the property repairs, as well as to buy water and feed weekly for the horses and a monthly occupational rental.
To help this Sanctuary keep its doors open, consider leaving a donation using the bank details below:
- Have a Heart Equine Sanctuary NPC
- ABSA Bank
- ACC: 4095653567
- Branch code: 632005
- Swift code: ABSAZAJJ
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