Sponsor a Horse

The Sponsor a Horse Program has been created to allow Slieve Aughty Centre to keep our aging equines into their retirement years, where they will be guaranteed the caring environment and comfort they deserve for all their years of service to us and our guests.

As our horses age, we must replace them with younger ones that are able to trek and jump on a daily basis. At the same time, we want to keep our long time friends, give them light jobs and guarantee they do not end up in the factory. A horse costs approximately €2000 to care for per year and a pony about €1200. This estimate assumes there are no additional costs due to injury or illness, which can increase costs significantly. The Sponsor a Horse program is our answer to the financial difficulty presented by adding to our herd while supporting our older horses and ponies.

There are two ways you can help support our retired horses:

• Choose one of our older horses or ponies to sponsor financially and receive a photo of your horse or pony and regular updates about his or her well-being
• If you have extra grazing land and would like to have a quiet horse or pony to take on occasional rides or lead the young ones on, bring a retired horse or pony home for an agreed upon period of time (assuming facilities are suitable). This is an excellent opportunity for families considering purchasing their first horse or pony or to acquire a calm, safe pasture mate for a lonely animal.

The horses and ponies currently needing support are Pearl, Tessa, Jack, Stormy, Billy and Frisky. Check them out on in the Photo Gallery.

These horses and ponies are all 16 years of age or older and have been serving riders at the centre all their lives. It is time for them to leave the rigors of the cross country course and long treks to serve as quiet mounts for beginners and disabled riders, carry picnics into the forest with hikers, or have fun with pony games and costume classes. Billy smells the camera in case it is edible.

If you are interested in the Sponsor a Horse Program, please contact us or fill out the sponsorship form and return it at your convenience.