Have a Heart Equine Sanctuary Fights to Care for Vulnerable Horses Despite Tough Times

Photo Credit: Have a Heart Equine Sanctuary via Facebook

For eight years, Victoria Ward has poured her entire being into caring for neglected, abused, and abandoned horses. She is now fighting a desperate, 24/7 battle to keep her dream alive.

McGregor, South Africa (04 November 2025) – In the early hours of Monday morning, 3.30am to be exact, Victoria Ward found herself faced with the reality of an empty cup and her dream gradually slipping away.

Victoria is the Founder of Have a Heart Equine Sanctuary, a non-profit organisation that provides safety, love, and a new beginning for all equines in need. She has dedicated her heart and soul to the Sanctuary over the past eight years. No holidays, no time off, working around the clock, 365 days a year to care for horses that have been neglected, abused, abandoned, or surrendered by their owners.

This purpose-driven project has been an extraordinary journey filled with highs and lows. However, lately, overcoming the lows has become increasingly difficult.

In an emotional post, Victoria shares her struggles with a decline in equine adoptions since they bought their own farm in McGregor, where they have been unable to back and train horses due to a lack of facilities (which they discovered they aren’t allowed to build on the property, only after the purchase).

“There has been a major lack of support except from our four amazing regular monthly donors.

“We manage to ensure our horses are well fed and our staff are paid monthly, but I put in sleepless nights, go without food, sleep in a cold, draughty barn and do not even have bathroom facilities to use,” she shares.

Victoria has since resorted to selling the farm to take up occupation on another rental farm.

“The need to sell our farm is desperate. I have already dropped the cost of the farm by R500,000, which leaves us at a massive loss.

“We still need to build camps on our new rental farm. We have poles in Cape Town, but need to get them to us urgently. We need droppers for gates, shade cloth and long poles for shelters. With the temperatures in the high 30s this week, I can expect my horses to go without shade.”
Related Story
Group of Tiny 'Bandits' Rescued and Raised to Ready for the Wild!

The team plans to move the sanctuary horses onto the rental farm and will continue to run as a sanctuary with much-reduced numbers.

“The other horses, even though not backed, will need to be adopted out against everything we believe in just to ensure that we do not sit with youngsters. Our rideable few will still be adopted out at their advertised prices. Once we have reduced the number of youngsters in our care and purchased our new farm, we will start to rebuild and revamp and once again become the strong unit we have always been.”

While they try to survive each day, care for the horses, cover expenses and growing bills, Victoria’s ultimate goal is to sell the McGregor farm and secure a more affordable, sustainable ‘forever home’ in the Eastern Cape, where better rainfall and grazing will dramatically reduce feed costs.

“We need to sell this farm! Sadly, the amazing farm we would love in PE has a cash offer going in, and we may lose it. But we will continue to look for our forever home.”

Though times are incredibly tough and financial woes persist, Victoria assures that the horses remain fed and are looking fantastic.

“I am not going to give up. I am so proud of the way my staff care for them and ensure that everyone receives the correct feed in such a challenging situation,” Victoria says.

The future of Have a Heart Equine Sanctuary hinges on community support. To assist with donations, horse feed, materials like shading and fencing, or the sale of the farm, please reach out to Victoria at info@haveaheart.org.za or visit the Facebook page. Alternatively, you can donate to Have a Heart Equine Sanctuary’s BackaBuddy page.