Horses have always struck me as one of the most elegant and majestic animals that we may call domesticated. Yet the majority of us have not had the opportunity to know horses more intimately, to know their individual personalities. In fact, the closest some of us ever get to interacting with a horse is by eating its meat.

One of the most amazing experiences of my life was when I was once invited to a friend’s stables one Saturday to help with the horses. I was surprised to find that, of her two horses, one was extremely jealous of me and I had to watch my back all the time in case I received a head-butt, while the other was so docile, he behaved like a puppy despite his huge size and 20 years. He would nuzzle my friend’s neck, covering his face in her hair, while she attempted to sweep the run, and when she lacked to give him attention he lay on the floor and wriggled, legs in the air, wanting his tummy tickled! I could barely believe this giant of an animal expressed such a relationship with my friend.

Until that time I had only ever thought of cats and dogs as having personality, because traditionally, they seem to be the “classic” pets. And, of course, none of us would ever dream of eating a dog or a cat, and cringe at the idea that the Chinese find them so tasty. I guess the reason why I now do not eat horse is pretty much the same reason why, as a child, I could never join a fenkata ever again after my dear Trixy joined our family and I had had the opportunity to meet Ms Rabbit personally.

Most people at this stage might point out that with regard to horses, only the ones beyond repair due to a broken leg and so on finally end up at the slaughter-house. However, my meeting with Sue Arnett led to a more intimate knowledge of what is actually going on in the horsemeat industry. Sue, in fact, now runs the Funny Farm Horse Rescue Association, which specifically is aimed at rescuing horses from an untimely death at the knife of a butcher.

How and when did your story of horse rescue begin?

I had my first horses when I was 19, when I started caring for a mare and a gelding (a castrated stallion). I started off with stables in Mellieha, then moved to Mgarr in 1993. We heard of a “dealer-butcher” – a strange term it is true, but makes the point – and there we found three ponies. My sister Niki and another friend bought them, mainly to save them from the knife. This brought the number to five, but every time we could, we kept going back until I had 21 under my care!

In the meantime we moved to Bingemma then Zebbug. At one point we cared for the horses without the facility of running water and electricity, which made things extremely difficult. We also had to give away some horses to homes because we had insufficient space, until we found this place in Bidnija in 1997.

In what condition are the horses when you buy them from the “dealer-butcher”?

Some horses simply have strained tendons and just need a little time to rest to return to form, but that may seem un-worthwhile to some owners. It is not true that all the horses that find themselves at the butcher’s are beyond repair. Even worse, some of the horses simply might not have performed according to the owners’ expectations during a race, so in anger they get sold off, although they otherwise have absolutely nothing wrong with them. I coined the term “dealer-butcher” as unfortunately it is true that the ones that are not re-sold end up slaughtered.

We are quite indiscriminate when choosing the ones we want to save. Actually it is more likely that we will take the ones no-one else is bound to take, the ones that need the most attention. The more disgraced a horse appears – if it is skin and bones or cannot be much use, such as a limping mare that we bought last February – the more likely we will want to give it a chance to live.

With this knowledge that their horses stand a good chance of being “saved” and cured, do you worry that the owners of injured horses might be more inclined to get rid of them considering the saved expenses and money earned from the butcher?

It is a risk we have to take. However I would add that we cannot save them all. We purchase horses at a price from Lm450 to Lm500 each. Purchased for their meat the cost is about half of that, but when it is apparent you will keep the horse, the price is surprisingly inflated!

In order to reduce the ever-increasing numbers residing at the farm, do you think there is a possibility that the horses might be re-homed once they are cured?

No – I am not keen on re-homing, and will avoid it as much as possible. I fear that after all the energy we would have spent in helping the horse it might fall back into a similar fate. We have a galloper from Marsa that was suffering from such a trauma he would bite anyone who came near. Before a race, he would be tied to a wall and beaten. Then his wounds would be doused with methylated spirit. We put him in a paddock and let him forget about it, so at least one can pet him now. But we couldn’t risk the same thing happening again. That would be unforgivable.

Sue pointed to a horse that was in a paddock just beneath our window. Swaying his head from side to side, he was walking around and around in circles in a trench about a foot deep, that Sue said he had carved himself. I couldn’t help feeling he was truly disturbed, and felt compassion for him, verging on anger at his mistreatment.

How do you manage with the large amount of time and effort required to look after the horses?

This huge requirement is one of the main reasons why we have officialised our project so that it is now The Funny Farm Horse Rescue Association. Most of the work is done by my daughter Mich (Michelle) and me, although there are several volunteers whose help is indispensable. The association also enables us to organise fundraising activities and accept donations.

Aside from the initial expense of purchasing the creature from the butcher, how do you obtain the resources for running the horse hospice?

Obviously there are plenty of running expenses, so we rely heavily on donations. Most of the volunteers are kids, and we are in the process of organising our own Certificate in Horse Care and Stable Management. Many children come here to interact with the horses and spend from a few hours to a whole day on the farm. They help clean out the stables, participate in grooming and feeding, and learn how to ride.

Kids Day is running from 10am to 5pm on Saturdays, mainly in winter, although there is plenty going on in summer as well. It is almost like an alternative child-minding service and we do expect some kind of a donation as it is also quite a responsibility having the children on the farm. A qualified riding instructress works here on a voluntary basis, giving lessons in horse-riding. Of course, there are also a number of adults who gladly come to have a similar experience!

We also encourage people to sponsor horses, by donating an affordable sum each month towards the care of these beautiful creatures. In addition we have a dog-sitting and kennelling service, which is also available for cats. Occasionally we also organise specific fundraising events.

We are organising a fundraising gathering at the farm on 29 July from 7.30pm, and food including vegetarian pasta and salads will be available. People can come to relax and enjoy as well as see the horses and meet the people involved in this association. The funds we gather will go towards waterproofing the stable roofs.

What would you like to say to anybody who has an injured horse that can be cured given the time and attention?

A horse is for life not just for the racing season. Given that not all owners of racing horses mistreat their animals, still I would ask to please look after them. Time heals most wounds. In truth it is only breaks that are impossible to fix.

Strictly speaking, we should have the facility of an animal hospital but without insurance cover it would be impossible to foot the bill. I used to have horse-and-rider insurance but it became increasingly difficult. I do not blame insurance companies. They were terribly abused of: racehorse-mysteriously-found-dead kind of scenarios.

In addition I would like to make an appeal with regards to horses that are left unsheltered in the heat of the day. They need shade and water. The same goes for the karrozzin horses. It is shocking to see the driver having a snooze in the cart parked in the shade while the horse is standing in the sun.

I receive many calls in this regard but I am powerless to help horses that belong to somebody or live on private land. People who observe this kind of cruelty should contact the Administrative Law Enforcement (ALE) section of the police force so that they can take the necessary steps to protect animal rights.

The Funny Farm expenses are approximately Lm1.60 per horse per day, excluding electricity and water bills and veterinary bills, which they gratefully enjoy at a reduced rate. Therefore, any contributions are gladly appreciated.

If you are interested in helping you may contact Sue on 9948-7915, or Mich on 9980-8986.

Alternatively, you can send a donation directly to:

The Funny Farm Horse Rescue Association, HSBC a/c no: 061074589001

Alternatively, join the fundraising event at the farm on 29 July! Contact Sue or Mich for more details and to let them know you are coming!

To report animal abuse and request the enforcement of animal rights contact the ALE on: 2294-2161-3.