A plea of help has been made by the dedicated volunteers behind the Malta Horse Sanctuary in Siggiewi, a picturesque place were 13 unwanted horses are given top-notch care.

“For all those out there who would love to have a horse, but do not have the time or the space, consider sponsoring one at the Malta Horse Sanctuary,” said Pedro Griscti, vice-chair of the organisation.

“People can do this by providing a donation each month for the bedding, food, electricity and water. They can even donate some of these things themselves. By sponsoring a horse you can come by the sanctuary and groom and care for your horse at your leisure,” he added.

“Some who do not have the time to come down to the sanctuary have paid maintenance workers to come and help with odd jobs which need addressing. We can’t express our appreciation enough; this sort of help goes a long way.”

Speaking with The Malta Independent, Mr Griscti spoke of barely making ends meet and living with insecurity from month to month. Going into the cost of each horse, he said that just the bedding alone costs roughly €150 per horse each month. At 13 horses, that is €1,950 per month on bedding alone.

“We provide the horses with the best possible food and bedding that we can. The cases of bedding cost about €5 per case, and each horse requires multiple cases per stable. This can get quite expensive, but it is comfortable enough for me to sleep on. We only want the best for our horses.”

Mr Griscti explained that each member who volunteers does so while having to maintain a regular paying job. The dedication of the volunteers can easily be seen through the healthy condition of the animals within the sanctuary. The work that needs to be done is never-ending, however the volunteers just-about manage, with a smile on their face too.

Turning to the way horses come to the sanctuary, Mr Griscti said that each one has their own story. He added that they cannot just collect a horse when they receive reports of neglect.

“We need permission from the police and Animal Welfare. The last thing we want to do is break the law. If reports emerge about a horse in need, and the police give us the go-ahead, we can proceed with collecting the horse and bringing it to the sanctuary.”

He elaborated that not all horses which are currently at the sanctuary are a product of neglect, or “unwanted pets,” he said that a few are retired race horses, living out the rest of their days comfortably.

“We are very proud to say that each horse currently has its own paddock. They all have lots of room to roam around and run a little wild”

The adjacent land which is privately owned also has a number of horses; with green fields spread out all around, it is truly a tranquil and peaceful spot for any animal and nature lover.

The sanctuary also offers children’s parties and similar events, including a specially painted room for children kitchen equipment for food preparation.

A brief history

“About four years ago, when we were still in Bidnija, the owner of the farm we were using decided to start charging rent. Before that he let us use the place for a number of years free of charge. He decided that he wanted the place to himself, so he started charging €1,000 a month. Through the help of many people we managed to just scrape by for a while. The land lord then plainly told us that he wanted us out, which we obviously respected.”

“He gave us some time to find a new location, which was not easy. We were completely desperate and could not find anywhere suitable. We eventually decided to turn to the government for help. As luck would have it, the government provided us with the place we are using today. Thanks to Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Welfare Roderick Galdes and Animal Welfare Commissioner Emmanuel Buhagiar we have this current sanctuary.”

“The place was not as it is looking today. It was in far worse condition, however beggars can’t be choosers. We worked hard to clean the place up and here we are today.”

The committee is made up of Chairperson Sean Galea, Vice-Chair Pedro Griscti, Committee Treasurer Pierre Agius, General Secretary Matthew Galea and PRO Estelle Duca.