Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre

Generous donors from around the world have helped the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre in southern Spain fundraise €12,000 to replace a key piece of machinery needed to run the equine sanctuary.

When the centre’s ageing mini digger broke down completely last June, 68 year-old co-founder Rod Weeding’s life became instantly more gruelling.

Without the mini digger, Rod – who is a pensioner – was forced move large hay bales, pile up manure and dig knee-deep trenches, all by hand.

The hard work has been physically punishing – but not even this has stopped the Rojales centre from being a sanctuary for 113 rescued equines who have found a forever home and are now tended with love and care.

The non-profit centre, which receives no government funding, launched its campaign to raise €12,000 for a replacement second-hand mini digger last August.

That effort was immediately bolstered by a major donation from Elche’s Fundación Juan Perán – Pikolinos; the first such grant the centre had ever received.

Easy Horse Care then dedicated its 2018 fundraising equine calendar to the campaign. The calendar proved so popular it was reprinted three times, raising €3,000 for the mini digger.

Generous people from Spain, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Denmark, Australia, Holland, the United States and many other countries also donated to help purchase the much-needed mini digger.

After eight long months of fundraising, Sue and Rod were astounded to this month receive a surprise €2,000 donation from Germany’s Epona Foundation for Horse and Environment, enough to finally hit the overall €12,000 fundraising target.

Said Epona founder Marlies Kamps: "I think it's important to support each other, to support the people who help animals – especially those that sadly other people have messed up. Sue and Rod are examples for how it should be."

Sue expressed gratitude to all who threw their support behind the campaign.

“The mini digger is the most important piece of equipment at our centre, and life has been so much harder without it. We are so grateful to everyone who has helped us get enough money together for a replacement,” Sue said.

“We wish to say thank you to all – to the elderly pensioner who visited our centre to contribute €500, to the man who knocked on our door to donate €15 and apologise for not being able to give more, to the volunteers who gave their time to design the beautiful limited-edition 2018 calendar, to the students, parents, children and everyone who helped – thank you!”

The secondhand mini digger has now been ordered and will arrive at Easy Horse Care in about a month.

It will become Rod’s ‘right hand’, speeding up his work and proving incredibly helpful for the many upcoming maintenance tasks required, such as building new field shelters for the rescued horses, ponies and donkeys.

The Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre relies entirely on donations to fund its important animal welfare work.

Donations of cash or items for the centre’s network of six charity shops across the Alicante province are gratefully welcomed. A pick-up service is available to collect large donated items such as furniture and each shop also offers a delivery service for large items purchased in-store.

Anyone interested in making a donation, becoming a long-term sponsor, or volunteering at the rescue centre or in the charity shops can call Sue on 652 021 980.

Located just outside Rojales at Partido Lo Garriga, 59, the centre opens to the public on the first Sunday of every month between 1pm and 4pm. For more details and directions, visit www.easyhorsecare.net. For regular updates, follow @EasyHorseCare on Facebook.

– Press release written by Gabriella Munoz.