Expression of Interest

Project Hope Horse Welfare Victoria Incorporated (PHHWV) is a non-profit, membership-based organisation dedicated to providing hope for equines through education, rehabilitation and advocacy. 

Although our first aim is to assist owners through education, advice and support to rehabilitate their own equines we will consider, within our Charter guidelines, rescuing and rehabilitating any equine found abandoned, sick, injured, mistreated or neglected or likely to become so in the imminent future. The equines that come into our care go through rehabilitation with members. Once this is completed the equine becomes available for lease with a long-term carer. 

To assist you with the decision to take on the long-term care of a equine, we provide the following information: 

 

During rehabilitation the horse’s long term physical health and behaviour is assessed. The past history and health of a rescue horse will influence the future lifestyle suitable for them. They may be trail or pleasure riding, or a companion horse.
They may need specialised care or require a carer who has training skills suitable to establish safe and consistent behaviours for their husbandry needs.
All horses will have a profile with our recommendations. 

Although there is no fee payable for the horse, there is a long-term lease agreement which is legally binding. 

The Lease Agreement states that The Long-Term Carer will: 

● Be a member of Project Hope whilst the lease is in place 

● Provide, at the carer’s expense, appropriate care for the equine at all times 

● Keep the equine at a location known by and approved by PHHWV at all times 

● Will not breed with the equine under any circumstances 

● Will provide PHHWV with prior notice if the equine is to be euthanized unless
   under urgent veterinary advice 

● Provide PHHWV with an update on the equine when renewing their membership
   each year. 

 

The costs of caring for an equine– time and financial: 

It is important to have a good understanding of the real costs involved and to review this with your budget. 

Horses Require: 

● Annual injections (with a vet visit) 

● Annual dental care – sometimes more often 

● Faecal egg count testing and worming as required 

● Hoof care every 4-6 weeks 

● Vitamin and mineral supplements 

● Roughage such as hay – 2% of body weight per day
(1x500kg horse requires 10kg).

Within Victoria it is rare that we do not need to supplement feed with hay. This is usually in Summer and Winter at minimum. If the pasture has been improved for cattle, this also means the horses will have to be removed in Spring and fed hay. 

There is always the need for spare finances for emergencies –
health problems or injuries. 

 

Agistment and/or land management also need to be considered: 

● To support safe handling for yourself, vets, farriers etc, it is important to have holding yards 

● Often fencing is required for pasture management 

● Management of the herd, ensuring they have horse companions in some way 

● There is always the ongoing maintenance required when owning a property or
   agisting, such as weed control of pastures, providing clean, fresh water at all
   times, etc 

 

It is important to PHHWV that the equine finds a suitable home and that your experience with the equine is safe and enjoyable. To do this, there are several checks and discussions to be completed. We take into account your needs and the equine’s needs and try to find a good match. 

It is expected that any potential lessee will be prepared to meet the equine/s prior to finalising the lease to ensure there is a correct match. 

The following steps are taken when an equine is being considered for leasing to a particular person: 

● Is the person a member of PHHWV? Equines will only be leased to current
   financial members. 

● Has a property check been conducted by a PHHWV Committee Member or their
  Authorised Representative? If you do not have an equine in mind and are able to
  wait, this may occur before considering a particular equine. If you are interested
  in a particular equine, then this can be done alongside the next step. 

● The person who has overseen the care of the equine since it was surrendered to
   PHHWV will contact you to discuss your interest in leasing an equine and tell you
   more about the equine that you are interested in. The carer will organise with
   you a suitable day and time for you to visit and connect with the equine. 

 

PLEASE NOTE:
There may not always be equines available.
We encourage prospective lessees to be patient, and those offering a home to be assured this is appreciated.
Your new equine friend may be just around the corner! 

 

 

If you are interested in offering a home to a rescued equine and think this is right for you, please complete our expression of interest on the following pages. Hopefully we will be able to find a PHHWV horse for you!

PHHWV work toward matching the horse with the correct home. In doing this, gives the horse the best opportunity to stay in their long term care home.

Our short term carers assess each horse that comes into our care and it has been found that some horses needs are more specific than others.

The following questions assist us to make the right decision for the horse.

Examples of this could be:
The horse is flighty around children, may be dominant and needs own paddock space, does not do well without other horses near by, may be laminitic.

With PHHWV being a welfare organisation, the horses that come into care in most cases have needed substanial rehabilitation. Once they are ready for a long term care home, some of these horses will need extra care.

Not everyone that takes on a horse will have dealt with some of these conditons and although it is not a compulsory requirement to have had the experience, it would be beneficial and a keen sense to learn and educate oneself is always looked upon favorably.

Taking the guess work out of when to worm your horse.

With the ease of availability now to check your horses worm burden with a manure sample sent to a vet or a specialist clinic, you can get a fecal egg count performed and determine if your horse actually needs to be dewormed.

I, {applicantName}, agree that the information provided in this document is true and correct.

If under 18 years of age, a Parent or Guardian must complete the below.

I, {parent} consent to {applicantName} submitting this expression of interest form and understand that if {applicantName} is suitable for a horse that all legal documents and all responsibilities will be in my name until such time that {applicantName} is 18 years old and then we can request new documents to be drawn up.