20/05/2026
A day at the IHP Rescue Centre to get to know the horses, understand their world and support those who protect them every day.
On Sunday 7 June, Montaione becomes the meeting point between the public and the daily work of IHP. With “Senza Briglie” — the first event of the Montaione Summer — Italian Horse Protection opens the doors of its Rescue Centre and invites anyone who wants to truly understand what it means to protect an abused horse to spend a day together.
The programme In the morning, from 10.30 am, free guided tours of the Rescue Centre are scheduled: a real opportunity to see the resident horses, learn their stories and understand the stages of the rehabilitation process that leads them, little by little, to regain confidence and wellbeing. This is neither a farm stay nor an educational farm: the IHP Centre is a facility recognised by the Ministry of Health that takes in animals seized due to abuse, rescued from illegal racing, unlawful slaughter and conditions of confinement incompatible with any standard of animal welfare. This will be followed by a vegan lunch at the Parco dei Mandorli in Montaione. In the afternoon, IHP staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions, address concerns and satisfy curiosity: a direct, unfiltered exchange with those who work on this front every day.
For children, there will be a creative workshop dedicated to making natural mandalas, led by the educationalist and writer Monia Monti, who will be presenting her book *Rosa e Matilda. La felicità si costruisce insieme* (Eifis Editore).
How to take part The guided tour is free of charge. For lunch, the donation is €35 for adults. For children aged 6 to 12, the fee is €15; free for children under 6. A special menu is available for younger children. All proceeds will go towards the rehabilitation and care of the horses at the Centre. For lunch, booking is compulsory by 12 noon on 5 June. For information and bookings: Email ihp@horseprotection.it - telephone (WhatsApp) +39 377 3090454 Montaione is an hour’s drive from Florence, Pisa, Siena and Lucca, and about half an hour from Volterra, San Gimignano, Certaldo and San Miniato.
Why “Senza Briglie” (No bridles) The name of the event is no coincidence. The bridle is the tool through which humans exercise control and direction over a horse: removing it means choosing a different approach, based on observation, listening and knowledge. It is the same approach that guides IHP’s daily work: understanding the needs of equines in order to truly protect them. “Senza Briglie” is open to everyone: those who have never seen a horse up close and those who would like to learn more about the regulatory changes currently underway, those with curious children and those who simply want to spend a different kind of Sunday in an extraordinary corner of the Tuscan countryside.