Becoming a Horse Sponsor
Becoming a horse sponsor is a great way to show your ongoing support for a horse that needs help. KHH guarantee to look after every horse that comes out of the ranges and into domestic life and the money we raise through our sponsorship program ensures our welfare horses get the best possible care.
Each of these welfare horses costs us a minimum of $60 per week for the basic care of grazing, hard feed, hay, handling, supplements etc. On top of this weekly cost, we also have other costs of dentistry (approx. $100 per horse) farrier (approx. $40 per horse every 6 weeks) plus the vet costs such as gelding or injuries etc.
We can at times have up to 25 horses in our care at any one point, with ten of these considered high needs cases or long term residents.
We have a number of sponsorship options with sponsors able to choose which horse they would like to support. Sponsors usually choose their preference of helping our lifetime residents, helping the horses who need a second chance or helping to save a horse from the muster.
As a sponsor, your weekly, monthly or annual contribution will be applied to the area or horse of your choice.
In return for your help you will receive:
- Updates about the horse you are sponsoring so you can keep track of their progress
- Photos to show how they are improving and what they like to get up to in their life
- KHH Magazines and Newsletters
- The option to visit your sponsored horse
- Discounts on KHH merchandise & events
- Donation receipts for tax-purposes
Lifetime Residents
Lifetime residents are horses that will remain in our care for the duration of their life. A horse becomes a permanent resident if they have specialist needs, have been traumatised by past experiences or have reached an age when it is time to retire. These horses will live out their days under the watchful eye of our welfare team, having their every need seen to until their time comes to cross the rainbow bridge.
Ongoing Welfare
Our ongoing welfare horses are the horses that come into our care and remain with us until they have been rehabilitated, have received any necessary vet treatment, had their teeth and feet done, and have received whatever training they need to become happy, healthy and well adjusted domestic horses. For some of our welfare cases, this process can take years before they are ready to venture off to their new homes or the decision is made to include them on our lifetime residents list. Every horse that comes into our care is given the best chance possible to have a successful second chance at a positive domestic life.
Muster Horses
The muster, usually held around April of each year can see up to 200 horses mustered in that we need to find homes for. Each year we do everything possible to save any horses that do not have a home secured but we can only do this, if we have the space and the money put aside to be able to save an extra and secure their care for the first six months of their time in captivity. Sponsoring a muster horse sees a horse saved and placed with one of our trusted trainers, where they will remain until they learn the skills necessary to go on to a new home.
In the case of pregnant mares, they will remain with us until their foal has safely arrived and they both have reached the point they are ready for their new homes.
When it comes to saving a stallion, we run a number of initiatives which ensure the stallions go to experienced people who then go on towards helping with the promotion of the breed through our Stallion Challenge.
We also have people who like to sponsor a horse to help get them to the south island. South Island sponsorships go towards the transport costs to help contribute towards the costs incurred for the initial care and handling of the mustered horse. Each horse traveling to the south island must have the necessary skills to be able to load onto a horse truck or float as wild horses cannot cross the straight.
