Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre Foundation based in Rojales currently has 123 equines under their care.

They have been especially busy this year as they have been asked by Police every month to take in one or more abused or abandoned animals. Plus on one occasion there were seven in one go which now takes them up to 18 rescues so far this year!

Co-founder Sue Weeding said “Once a horse or donkey has been seized by Police, we go along and collect the animal. We then become the custodian but not the owner and therefore cannot rehome the equine, it has to remain in our care.” Many of these animals come from across Spain not just locally and Police and Local Authorities have contacted us in desperation as their last hope from places such as Lorca in Murcia to Granada.

These animals often suffer from serious medical conditions and taking care of them incurs exorbitant medical bills and very high maintenance costs. EHCRC have a no-kill policy and believe that every animal deserves a second chance regardless of what condition it is in. Little Annie and Marty the Miracle are two of their most heart rendering rescue stories this year.

Annie a 15 year tiny white pony was brought to them by Almoradi Police. She was suffering from the most severe laminitis, malnourishment, parasitic infestations both internally and externally and the worst case of overgrown hooves they had ever seen. However Annie now has a good quality of life, even though she will be disabled and a special needs pony for the rest of her life due to the abuse she has suffered.

Marty is a 17 year old donkey rescued from San Javier. He was severely neglected by his owner and his hooves were horrendously overgrown resulting in his hoof joint getting twisted back at an unnatural angle. He was in so much pain because of his deformities he was struggling to get to his feet to even walk. EHCRC farrier Enrique has put a special shoe on his deformed hoof as a temporary measure to correct the angle. Marty has adapted incredibly well to his new shoe and miraculously has now even started trotting. He has also been castrated now too and is recovering very well.

EHCRC has secured the future for Annie, Marty and many other equines when no one else was interested in saving them. But it takes a lot of time, money, labour and resources to provide care for animals like these. EHCRC spends approximately 5,000 euros per week just to keep the Centre going without including the medical costs and hospital bills. They don´t receive any financial help from the local councils and must raise their own funds. It has been a particularly hard year due to the number of rescues this year. In addition floods have caused havoc and much of the alfalfa has been lost due to the bad weather.

The physical effort required to run the Centre, the charity shops, and taking care of all the animals is relentless. They do this 24/7 everyday of the year and due to financial restraints they do not have enough workers to help them. Despite being stretched both physically and financially Sue and Rod say “We will always open our doors when the Police call to take in an abused equine facing an uncertain future. The animals that come to us are high maintenance but we will always continue to take care of them.”

Why not come and see for yourselves! EHCRC is located just outside Rojales at Partida Lo Garriga, 59, and open to the public on the first Sunday of every month between 1pm and 4pm. For more details visit www.easyhorsecare.net or follow the Centre on Facebook.

– Written by Diane O’Neill, photographs by Elaine Warnock and Cha jean.