About Communities For Horses
Communities For Horses (CFH) is a registered charity founded in 2017. It was set up in order to continue the innovative and pioneering outreach work of a closed organisation called Communities Horse and Pony Scheme (CHAPS), which had been funded by the National Lottery.
OUR TEAM
Our Services to Communities
Assistance with Community Projects
We work in partnership with local authorities and other organisations to deliver projects and approaches which address the root causes of equine welfare issues.
Education Programmes
Our unique education programmes are tailored to meet the needs of horse owners in the areas in which we work.
The main topics that we cover are:
- legislation around horse ownership
- equine psychology
- horse care, including feeding, stable management and first aid
By improving the equine handling and knowledge of horse owners, we also motivate them to learn new skills and improve their self-confidence. Previous work has shown that this can have far-reaching benefits: stronger “soft skills” and even improved performance back in school. Many of the horse owners we support are children or young adults under 25.
Equine welfare assistance and support
- Telephone helpline: We run a telephone helpline to provide support for horse owners and concerned members of the public regarding equine welfare. We receive regular calls from people in the community who need advice or want to flag a particular case in their neighbourhood.
- Advice: When requested, we visit horse owners to assess their situation and give non-judgemental advice on a case-by-case basis. Our advice includes signposting of other professionals when needed. We work with other organisations, whether they exist to help community members or equines, to take a collaborative approach to address concerns.
- Vet Days and Castration Clinics: As well as training programmes, we run vet days and castration clinics to support horse owners with improving the welfare of their equines and to prevent indiscriminate horse breeding.
Where we currently operate
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales with a population for the City and County of around 238,000 people. Swansea’s economy was originally based on metals and mining, especially in the copper industry. The decline of these heavy industries has resulted in a depressed economy with higher rates of unemployment and considerably lower annual gross median earnings compared to the UK average. The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) shows the Swansea area as one of the highest in need.
Horses have always been an integral part of communities in this area and continue to be a pivotal part of the communities in which we operate. Our aim is to support owners to maintain and improve the welfare of horses in Swansea and beyond. Our work is influenced by our understanding and the unique challenges posed in the local context. Winning the trust of the communities is key, and also, building bridges through tact, empathy and, above all, education.
We encourage you to read our stories to learn more about some of our work.