A glorious seascape, dreamy beaches and a vibrant cultural scene are reasons enough to veer from the Pacific Highway north of Newcastle, NSW, and head towards Nelson Bay. But for horse lovers, the highlight is a visit to Hunter Horse Haven.

“I’m bewitched by a
rock-chic, pretty bay
mare called Delta.”

After swimming with wild dolphins and blissing out on satin-smooth bay beaches, then hiking up the Tomaree Headland for panoramic views of the outstretched bay and posturing landforms, my short break in Port Stephens seemed to have achieved perfection. That was until I load up on carrots and visit the Hunter Horse Haven sanctuary.

I’ve barely closed the gate when I’m bewitched by a rock-chic, pretty bay mare called Delta. She strides up to me eagerly and we snuggle, chatter and stroll about together. Granted, carrots may be motivating my new bestie, but the romantic in me revels in the joy of a spontaneous horsey connection.

Exuding glamour-puss verve, Delta comes across as a confident and practiced networker. So it’s a big surprise to learn that she was until recently terrified of people, having been rescued from a “neglect property” in Victoria along with scores of other starving horses.

Delta’s transformation echoes the journey of so many of the 29 horses residing at the Anna Bay sanctuary, a testament to the skill, love and tireless dedication of founder Debbie Barber and her crew of committed volunteers.

I look around and see everything from statuesque Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds to the cutest of minis; exceptionally lucky horses now glowing with contentment. Yet many of these horses were once emaciated, had brushes with several knackeries and bore major medical and behavioural issues. Some have been rehabilitated to the extent where they can be adopted and enjoy successful careers as riding horses. Others, however, are scarred by trauma and they’ll remain at the Haven.

Between running the rescue and caring for horses with complex physical and emotional needs, monitoring a swathe of “neglect properties”, advocating for critical industry reforms – such as the establishment of a national horse traceability register – creating welfare-driven industry relationships and organising therapeutic programmes, Debbie Barber is a woman of exceptional energy and enterprise. Squeezing in a chat whilst the vet tends to numerous horses, she takes us behind the scenes of the rescue.

RESCUE IS MULTIFACETED 

“Rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming” is the ethos of Hunter Horse Haven, however, these clear objectives are fiendishly complex in execution. Rehabilitation has two major components, mental and physical, as Debbie explains: “The mental rehabilitation can take a lot longer to address, some horses do not recover to be adoptable – they remain at the sanctuary.”

Along with the emotionally tumultuous task of attending sales to save horses from slaughter, Hunter Horse Haven is increasingly called upon to rescue horses from neglect situations, which can involve prickly encounters with humans.

Behind the dire situation of so many horses, Debbie laments, is the lack of a legal framework and the reluctance to enforce laws. These gaps inspired Debbie to lobby for better welfare outcomes.

A passionate advocate of the power of horses to help humans, Debbie has established an ever-expanding range of equine interaction activities that are available without cost to children, teenagers and adults of all ages.

EACH DAY IS A CHALLENGE 

Along with feeding, rugging and regular elements of horse care – itself a mammoth task when there are over 30 horses to attend to (another five were arriving shortly after my visit) – nurturing rescued horses is exceptionally time and money consuming.

One recently rescued horse – a handsome chestnut called Gabriel who arrived with a 1/10 body score – has to be fed four times a day, including midnight feeds! This is not an unusual situation, Debbie says. “We often have massive rehabs, such as Whitey, who could barely walk so badly were his hoofs damaged.”

“Visitors are invited to
simply spend quality time
with the horses.”

It typically costs about $4500 to get an emaciated horse into good condition, Debbie says, with about 90% of horses arriving in a near-skeletal state. “Then there’s almost constant vet visits,” she continues, adding that mounting vet bills are an ongoing concern as rehabilitation typically involves vet monitoring and intervention. For instance, when the horse dentist visited recently, many resident equines needed sedation.

Along with caring for the horses who reside at the sanctuary, Debbie is presently monitoring over 80 horses on six nearby “neglect properties”, a role she’s taken on in light of distressing recent cases where horses seized by large charities were sent to slaughter or allowed to languish in neglect whilst owners were being “advised”. “Countless horses have starved to death whilst supposedly being monitored by large charities or government agencies who are reluctant to seize horses,” she says. “There are just so many requests for help.”

RIDING HIGH AMID FRUSTRATIONS 

Seeing horses get adopted into loving homes and watching them bloom with care and in turn help humans is the big high of rescue. But there are many troughs along the way to the happy endings.

Funding – especially for staples such as vet bills and feed – is a persistent worry, and this has been exacerbated with Covid-19 restrictions quashing shopping centre stalls and Bunnings sausage sizzles, resulting in a shortfall of thousands of dollars each month.

Paperwork forms a big part of Debbie’s workload as she lobbies for legislative improvements and enforcement. A project she’s poured years into that is finally gaining traction is horse traceability. “At the moment there’s no requirement to check horse identity prior to slaughter,” Debbie says, explaining that she is pushing for a protocol whereby horses are microchipped and can be marked with “do not slaughter” instructions.

Having witnessed harrowing treatment of horses at saleyards, Debbie is horrified by the visible lack of enforcement of welfare standards at sales and during transport and is working for change.  “People send their horses to the sales even though a horse sent to the sales has a very limited chance of survival, especially unridden.”

Then there’s the blight of over-breeding. “Breeding needs to be reduced or even more horses will be sent to slaughter,” Debbie says. A sadly common scenario she describes is older people who allow horses to breed yet have no estate planning in place.

COUNTLESS HORSES NEEDING HELP 

Most of the horses at HHH have been intercepted on their way to slaughter or arrived in atrocious condition from “neglect properties”. Debbie describes “horse hoarders” who acquire horses that they then allow to breed, resulting in large numbers on properties that cannot sustain them. She mentions one case where a woman squatting on another person’s property has amassed 42 horses, with the property owner having spent over $20,000 in legal fees but remaining powerless to remove the horses or the squatter. “Collecting horses seems to almost be an addiction for some people,” she says, adding that she was shocked at how many such situations fester just in her area.

“There are just so many
requests for help.” 

HOW TO HELP 

Sponsorship of a horse costs only $12.50 a week and goes a huge way towards caring for that horse. Sponsors get access to the sponsored horse and regular updates on progress and training.

With rugs getting constantly ripped, any spare rugs are heartily appreciated, as are bandages, supplements, and other horse gear. “We especially love volunteers,” Debbie enthuses. “Extra volunteers are always welcome – either for regular shifts and also for occasions such as farrier visits and dentistry.”

SPECIAL SOULS 

Every horse at the Haven has a sad story to tell. Brigit was once a top-tier dressage horse, yet she arrived in a deplorable state and remains quite shut down mentally.

George, a strapping red bay Standardbred who loved the beach, had been to the abattoir seven times! Similarly, Stryder had been to a knackery four times.

When my eyes fixed upon a brumby mare with unusual dappled colouring, Debbie explains that she was saved from a supposed “rescue” (she is also working on a register that would enable people to check on rescues prior to donating).

ADOPT A WINNER

Rescue horses forge especially close connections with their people, according to Debbie. The benefits of adopting from a private rescue such as Hunter Horse Haven are a “no brainer”, she says. “You save lives by making room for new horses and the adopter gets back-up and support”. And if circumstances change, the horse returns to Hunter Horse Haven.