British ex-pats Sue and Rod Weeding founded the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre in 2008. From humble beginnings, they now care for more than 120 horses, ponies and donkeys saved from abuse and neglect.

It all began with a stallion locked in a filthy stable

Sue and Rod moved to Spain from England in 2001, aiming to slip into an easy sunshine-and-relaxation retirement.

But all that changed in 2008 with Luceiro, a two-year-old stallion found locked in a filthy and dark stable, his left eye badly injured and rotting, hurling himself repeatedly against the bars of his stall as flies drove him crazy.

Unable to walk away from such a distressing case of animal cruelty, they brought Luceiro home to their own Finca – and unwittingly created a much-needed horse rescue centre.

Rod and Sue set up the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre near the little town of Rojales in the province of Alicante, along Spain’s Mediterranean coastline.

Now caring for more than 120 horses, ponies and donkeys saved from abuse and neglect, plus a menagerie of other rescued animals, including dogs, cats, parrots, chickens, geese, peacocks and pigs.

Their belief is that when you love an animal, you fight to save it. They may be old crocks and broken down and disabled, but they have all suffered and survived abuse, and they deserve a second chance.

Saving Faith the three-legged pony

The rescue centre has attracted significant media attention both in Spain and abroad, particularly after the daring and difficult rescue of Faith the Pony, which pushed animal welfare into the public spotlight.

Faith became the first pony in Spain to be fitted with a prosthetic leg after her mutilated front leg had to be amputated.

In 2014, the American publication Narratively ran a feature-length story on the rescue, entitled Saving an Amputee Pony Named Faith.

Faith’s journey inspired Sue to write a series of children’s books telling the stories of the rescued horses, aiming to raise awareness about animal abuse while generating additional funds to cover the centre’s hefty running costs.

The first children’s book, Faith: Diary of a Heroic Horse, is now available via the free monthly open day at the rescue centre.

Tipping Point

The tipping point came in 2010 with the case of Captain and Hope, two skeletal horses left to die inside a pitch-black garage.

The dreadful condition of these horses attracted major media attention and amid intense community lobbying, the police finally acted.

A man was later jailed in what is believed to be the first such prosecution in Spain – and the authorities have been cooperating ever since.

Lobbying against animal abuse in Spain

Rod and Sue are determined to help push for the better treatment of animals in Spain and constantly lobby authorities to change laws and punish those who abuse animals.

How you can help lobby for animal welfare in Spain

The Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre is the only officially registered horse rescue foundation in Spain. They are a non-profit foundation and rely solely on donations to fund the important work.

They also run a network of charity shops across the Alicante province, located in La Zenia, La Siesta, Ciudad Quesada and Gran Alacant. Donations of furniture, clothes and bric-a-brac to stock the shops are gratefully welcomed.

Every single cent donated or spent in the charity shops goes towards the hefty feeding and care costs of all the animals.

Stay in touch for the latest on life at the horse rescue centre and visit their website Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre

A mailing list is available for regular updates on the horses, the newest rescues and animal welfare lobbying.

Regular updates appear on the Facebook page  www.facebook.com/EasyHorseCare/, Twitter and Instagram and the YouTube channel, with regular stories and pictures of all the animals.