Irish Horse Welfare Trust

Located on a 68 acre farm in Co. Wicklow, it has partnerships with several associations and bodies, such as (but not limited to) the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners, Horse Racing Ireland, Irish Racehorse Trainers Association, Tattersalls Ireland, the Galway Races, and the Association of Irish Racecourses.[1][2] As of 2016, the charity’s patrons included the international showjumper Jessica Kürten, and well-known trainers such as Jessica Harrington, Chryss Goulandris and Aidan O’Brien.[3][4] Prominent thoroughbred racehorse breeder, Joe Keappock, was also a board member of the Irish Horse Welfare Trust.[5] Non-fiction books and publications, such as Modern Greats,[6] Britain and Ireland's Top 100 Racehorses of All Time,[7] Medium-Sized Town, Fairly Big Story – Hilarious Stories from Ireland,[8] the State University of New York Press' Animals in Irish Society, as well as Pennsylvania State University's Irish Arts Review,[9] have featured the Irish Horse Welfare Trust's activity.

In 2010, the Irish Horse Welfare Trust gained further note when it launched a Twitter account for retired racehorse, Moscow Flyer. The purpose of the initiative, as described in the Horse & Hound, was to "keep followers updated with his life at the farm and is hoping to be a hit around the world — given the special cause he represents and, of course, his celebrity status."[10]

In order to provide a novel kind of rehabilitation to the residents of the nursing home in Co. Wicklow, the Irish Horse Welfare Trust partnered with the facility in 2019.[11][12] A newly constructed equestrian complex was  formally inaugurated in 2022 at Castlerea Prison in County Roscommon by Justice Minister Helen McEntee. The project fosters compassion and empathy by taking care of the rescued horses. The facility would be administered in conjunction with the Irish Horse Welfare Trust and is situated on property next to Castlerea Prison. The horse racing sector had raised more than €100,000 for the project.[13]

On the topic of urban horse projects, the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine has stated that "the Irish Horse Welfare Trust (IHWT) is a key player in supporting these projects particularly in providing education supports and much needed Horse Care and Equine ID clinics."[14]

In 2011, Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney, received a letter from the Irish Horse Welfare Trust (IHWT) requesting the implementation of a scheme for the identification, management, and castration of horses in "problem" regions. The organisation had previously implemented this in Dunsink, Dublin, and requested that it be done so nationwide.[15] In December 2013, a dismayed foal who was seen standing dutifully over its dead mother in a picture was taken into care by the equestrian charity. The little horse's image gained widespread attention when its mother was cruelly beaten to death by a gang of men the previous week, which shocked and outraged the public. The Irish Horse Welfare Trust gave the foal the name "Hero," and once the photo from the Ballyguile neighbourhood of Wicklow town was uploaded online, "it captured the hearts of animal lovers throughout the world," according to the Irish Independent.[16]

In 2016 the IHWT, was criticsed in the national media for allegedly spending too much of its funds on administration, and "not enough on training and rehoming horses." However, the board of the IHWT publicly defended its CEO, Sharon Power, on the management of the organisation.[17]

It was reported in December 2022 that 25 horses given to the Irish Horse Welfare Trust were taken into guardianship in Ballygarrett, Co. Wexford, in June 2019. Catherine O'Brien, a native of Buttevant, was found guilty of violating animal care laws regarding the horses in June 2021, in her absence. She had not yet received a sentence for her actions. According to Section 12(1) of the 2013 Animal Health and Welfare Act, she was found liable.  The statute provides for fines of up to €250,000 and/or up to five years in jail. A hearing for Ms. O'Brien's request sought a judicial review of her conviction, which was scheduled for July 2023. Referencing the case in the Seanad, Senator Lynn Boylan said: “Following the drafting of the legislation, a number of organisations have indicated they have the same problem with equines. In fact, one animal rescue has spent €250,000 caring for 25 horses seized under the Animal Health and Welfare Act, and the owner of those horses is now seeking a judicial review to further delay the transferral of those animals to loving homes.”[18][19]

In 2021, the IHWT was the subject of a feature special on RTÉ's Nationwide programme.[20]