...my treasures do not sparkle they clink,
they shine in the sun and neigh in the night...

 

 

The IHP’s transfer to new premises: we have come a long way but there is still much to do!

27/03/2015

(27 March 2015)

Can you imagine how we felt when we were told we had just six months to find new premises and move the office and our 75 horses out? Or how difficult it was to find a property that was reasonably accessible, with sufficient land, running water, somewhere to house our volunteers, and an office space with electricity, wi-fi and telephone? Well, at least we didn’t have the time to despair, we had to crack on straight away and find a new home.

All our efforts went into the task: we replied to advertisements, we spoke with mayors and agricultural communities, institutions, private citizens. We evaluated each offer as we went along. The choice finally landed on Montericco, in the Comune of Montaione, and in mid-September the work of getting it safe for the horses began. The land had not been in use for over ten years, the fencing was pretty well inexistent, water had to be piped to the various paddocks, and shelters and other structures needed urgent repairs.

So we rolled up our sleeves and launched an appeal both for funding to cover the costs and also muscle power to help us in what was a huge task: we were few and time was short (read the article and the appeal)
So many people responded to our appeal for help, which meant we could organise work weekends and we achieved the impossible. Within one month we had cleared the fields ready for our horses, who we transferred immediately to Montericco.

But this was only the beginning. The costs of this move had still put us on our financial knees in spite of the extremely generous donations that came in. Then winter arrived, one of the wettest for years, and the ground quickly turned to mud. We had to construct emergency drainage ditches, quickly put down hard standing and construct new shelters for the older horses.
And once this was finished nature played her trick card, just a few weeks ago: a tornado ripped the roves off many of the shelters. Good fortune protected horses and people, but it was another harsh blow for the association.

Thanks to the experience gained over the years, and thanks to the dedication of the staff and volunteers, we managed to get through the winter without any discomfort for the horses, in spite of the at times extreme conditions in which we had to work.
Now spring is here, and we need to complete the work of clearing the land and assuring the security of our fencing. We need heavy machinery (for example a field harrow, plough, digger) while we have not to date managed to fully cover the expenses accrued so far.

Please help us with a donation to help us get out of this emergency and get on with our work of helping horses: so many of them are out there waiting for us...and to do this we inevitably need funds. IHP does not receive any public funding.
Please DONATE NOW, even a small amount really makes a big difference. Thank you!

PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MOVE