Highveld Horse Care Unit's Online "Beauty" Pageant Highlights Horses in Their Care

Photo by Bas Masseus via Pexels

The Highveld Horse Care Unit is hosting its second annual pageant to help raise funds for the care of working horses.

Gauteng, South Africa (19 July 2024)—The Highveld Horse Care Unit (HHCU) in Gauteng is currently hosting an online competition to raise funds for the organisation and underprivileged horse owners. Every day, they share a post featuring one of the horses they care for, and people can add their votes.

To take part, voters donate R200, and they get to share their love for the equines of Gauteng. Speaking to the fundraiser for HHCU Joanne Pursey, she shared that due to the success of The Outreach Virtual Competition last year, they hope to repeat it and have greater success.

“This is a very positive and encouraging competition which we did last year and the response was fantastic, so decided to do it again this year. From July 1st, we are showcasing 20 amazing rural working equines, one every night.

20 rural working equines have been selected to enter the competition. Every night at 18h00 a rural working equine is shown on Facebook and Instagram. Our supporters our encouraged to comment and support the Owners and their equines. Each photo has been sponsored by a company for R2,000 which helps raise funds for the Unit.

All equines are shown on the 21st, then on the 25th our supporters can vote for their favourite equine.”

The funds will be used to continue the care of horses in Gauteng and beyond. Voters add to the pot with their R200 donation, which will be split between the HHCU’s outreach work and the horse they vote for.

“With a R200 donation, they can vote for their favourite equine. R100 will go directly to the equine’s owner that is chosen, and R100 will support HHCU’s Outreach Programme.

The response has been amazing! Previously, rural working equines had a very negative image. This competition has given the public a different view. In the community, it has encouraged the owners, and we have seen a huge difference in the condition of the equines.”

Check out all the horses that have been shared on the page so far here. They would love your support. May the best steed win!

The Highveld Horse Care Unit is one of the largest equine welfare organisations in South Africa. The organisation was established in 1991 and has grown from strength to strength since then. The organisation has an incredible outreach team that engages with the cart horsing communities throughout Gauteng, ensuring horses are cared for and treated humanely. They also provide training to cart horse owners to ensure the horses have a good life.

Each year, the team assists around 8,000 horses and donkeys. Those in need of serious help are stabled at the organisation, and in a year, they can stable up to 600 animals. The facility can care for around 35 horses a day. HHCU also rehomes and adopts its horses.

They also work beyond Gauteng and provide outreach clinics in several surrounding provinces, travelling around 200,000km a year to reach as many horses and donkeys as possible. Owners are taught to properly shoe their horses, harness repairs are made, and carts are manufactured. In underprivileged areas, they provide deworming, dental, gelding, and farrier clinics.

If you want to find out more about the HHCU, you can check out its Facebook and Website.