After the frivolity of the past long weekend, comes the shocking news that the Coastal Horse Care Unit based in Cato Ridge KZN had rescued nine emaciated horses on 4 September, including a thoroughbred stallion, and were looking for help.
The Coastal Horse Care Unit(CHCU) is an NPO and monitors horse welfare throughout KZN. Punters may recognise this excellent cause through the recent heroic efforts of jockey Chris Taylor, who sadly unlike most of his colleagues, put something back into the game that provides him with his lifestyle, by risking life and limb to raise funds by running the Comrades Marathon.
The CHCU rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes horses and have full inspectorate authority throughout KZN. Their main benefactor is Gold Circle. They are also supported by the National Horse Trust and other supporters in the horse industry, as well as private companies and individuals. The CHCU is affiliated to The Highveld Horse Care Unit and the Eastern Cape Horse Care Unit.
The CHCU crew include Gill Olmesdahl, who acts as the Chairperson and oversees the management of the unit on a voluntary basis. She is also qualified as an Inspector, which gives the CHCU authority to confiscate horses that are neglected by owners, or in need of veterinary care. Gill says that this course is always a last resort and that they do try and work with owners through education and assistance.
The CHCU staff includes Vanessa Beets, who is Stable Manager and in charge of rehabilitating horses, rehoming and rural outreach clinics. Their two full-time Grooms are Moosa Dotshe and Sanela Kunene. Norma Ray plays the roles of a part-time administrator and assistant to Gill Olmesdahl.
The CHCU currently house 31 horses at the farm after the 9 recently came in on 4 September. This is well above their capacity of 20 horses. This has since been reduced to 26 through re-homing and assistance from supporters.
Gill says that the facility is very understaffed, and that they are desperately in need of a more consistent income to enable the unit to employ more staff so that they can cope with the growing issues around horse welfare and cruelty to horses.
A sensitive point to all racehorse owners and trainers will be Gill’s assertion that owners and trainers of horses have a moral obligation to horses in their care to ensure that they are not sold into environments that are not suitable.
The nine horses rescued on 4 September, included a thoroughbred stallion which had to be taken directly to hospital as it was badly injured and in a lot of pain. Gill confirmed that there were two owners of the group of horses. She says that the one owner signed two of his cross-bred horses over to the unit and the other owner, who owned the six emaciated ex racehorses, and one cross-bred horse had lost his job and was unable to feed them. Through negotiations, all of his horses were surrendered to the unit.
The arrival of this group have put a huge strain on the financial resources of the CHCU. All needed farriery and corrective trimming due to the advanced neglect of their feet. They were also in dire need of regular dentistry and some of them were suffering rain scald and minor wounds.The rescue farm in Cato Ridge can only accommodate 12 horses in stables, and all the thoroughbreds needed to be accommodated which had the staff at the unit juggling horses. Some of the horses had to be kept outside in shelters,due to the limited space at the unit.
Gill says that trainer Craig Eudey, a supporter of the CHCU assisted by taking one of the horses, Refresh, who raced as recently as 2011 into his care. Refresh will be housed at Craig’s Yard in Summerveld. She also said that Tracy Woolard, a supporter of CHCU, who runs a pre-training yard owned by noted breeder and owner Rupert Plersch, took in another thoroughbred mare named Vanessa (unchipped) to the farm in Summerveld.
Gill said that they have managed to trace some of the ex-racehorses by scanning them. This is not intended as a name and shame exercise but these names were provided to the Sporting Post by the CHCU:
LADY ZELATOR- bay mare, 10.11.2000; Zelator x Emina, by Gladiator Enterprises.
TUDOR FLAME – bay gelding, 31.08.1999; Fire Arch x Noble Swan by Primo Dominie (GB)
REFRESH – chestnut gelding, 28.07.2007: Modus Vivendi (GB) by Mi Kouschla by National Emblem
CHEECK (name given by ex-owner) – chip no 978 00000 1273873. No information.
Gill said that the CHCU was in desperate need of support for all these horses, and pleaded for sponsors and anybody who was willing to help to even donate a bag of feed, teff, lucerne, dewormers – basically anything!
She asked interested folk to visit their website (www.coastalhorsecareunit.org.za) for details. Or even pop along to Equitack in Hillcrest and Natal Saddlery, where they conduct accounts.
Cash donations via EFT are welcome – The Coastal Horse Care Unit, FNB account no. 62220717815 branch code 221526. Gill may be contacted on 0735503061, or Vanessa on 083 633 8986.
