About Us

Our History & Mission
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Since 2016

Saving Horses & Finding Forever Homes

Our Story
1. When and how did RMJ start?

Our RMJ Horse Rescue is based in Malta and started around 2016 by Corinne Farrugia. Corinne used to look for horses needing rescue, rehabilitate them and then a find them a home. Through social media and word of mouth, people started finding out what she was doing and suddenly horses bound for slaughter where then finding her.  

2. Where are we located?

End of 2019 we had to move quickly to a new facility, which was an abandoned pig farm. We had almost no time to make it suitable for horses. 2020 was a tough start for all of us, but our new home nestled in the countryside of Siggiewi slowly but surely becoming beautiful sanctuary for our horses, thanks to our volunteers and generous supporters from Malta and abroad.

We are located right next to the Madonna Tal- Providenza Chapel in Siggiewi

3. How many horses do we have now?

Fast forwarding to today, our activity has grown very fast and today many horses being sent for slaughter or neglected are made aware to RMJ Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation. Additionally, we are the only NGO in Malta that can take in and rehabilitate neglect cases by Animal Welfare in Malta.

Approximately 300 horses are imported in Malta every year for sporting activities such as racing and polo. Due to the size of the island and the cost of their maintenance, most of these horses are destined for slaughter once they are injured and not fit for the track or retired.

We started with 5-7 horses, but the numbers slowly went up. Now we have circa 80 NGO horses with the majority of which are permanent residents and the rest to eventually be re-homed.

4. Why do these horses come to us?

Majority of horses are ex-racehorses who have finished from their racing career. They are in the most part young and healthy just no longer performing well on the track. They are replaced by newly imported horses for racing so they face slaughter if no alternative home is found.

There are also abandoned and neglected horses which are hidden away from sight. Many of these are a result of backyard breeding.

5. What is our Mission?

RMJ Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation has 4 main missions:

  1. To maintain all the horses in our care, many of which have special needs. Today RMJ is home to over 80 horses.
  2. To rehome as many of these horses as possible; some locally but mostly abroad broad. On average we send to the UK approx. 7 to 9 horses a month as part of our Project Back to the Green (PBG)
  3. To make more room for more horses which means building more stables – the more space we have the more horses we can take in.
  4. To raise awareness and give something back – our horses have also welcomed and brought joy to the activities of other NGO’s such as SEDQA & APPOGG
6. What are the most difficult aspects you encounter on a daily basis?

On a daily basis the most difficult thing would be having to deal with such a large number of calls and knowing that if we are to refuse them they will be sent off for slaughter. We also have to make the difficult decision to sometimes refuse horses which are difficult to re-home even though these would need our help the most.

We are also constantly battling irresponsible people who believe that a horse can be taken on and gotten rid of like an object rather than a living animal.

7. How can people help?

People can help by donating, fostering, adopting, organising fundraising events and volunteering. 

8. Can people adopt any of these horses and what’s the process?

We always have horses up for adoption. People interested can get in touch with us and usually they visit the place and we can discuss with them what is involved in adopting a horse. There are many options available even for those who do not have the facilities to keep a horse at home or to look after it daily.

9. What is our source of income?

The majority of our income is coming from the public via fundraisers and the events that we organise from time to time.

We have some volunteers who have taken on the full expense of those horses that for health, age or behavioural reasons cannot be rehomed.

We also receive some support from the government that helps us cover a small part of our costs.

What Drives Us

Our Mission

The aim of RMJ’s Horse Rescue is to rescue horses who are severely neglected or bound for slaughter and care for them until they are ready to be rehomed to their forever home.

Horse Sponsorship

Make a Donation

Some examples

Horses in our care

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pony after
RMJs horse rescue ChanceRMJs horse rescue chance
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Help us to be able to save more horses

We solely rely on your generous donations, can not thank enough for our supporters from all over the world!

How is RMJ's Horse Rescue funded?

Because we are an NGO, we rely on donations from the public. We organize open days, pony camps, riding sessions, and other activities that will help us collect the money we need to keep up with the most important ie feed bills and vet bills.

Anything after that, maintenance, new equipment, etc are secondary.

How much does the proper basic upkeep of a horse cost ?

On average the basic costs involved with maintaining a horse amount to €300 per month. This includes hay which is our biggest expense, seeing as it is imported and costs €220 per bale. This lasts one month per horse. It also includes bedding, horse feed, farrier and supplements. This is excluding any vet bills.

Team

Core Team

corinne farrugia rmj's horse rescue

Corinne

Founder, our fire and power

corinne farrugia rmj's horse rescue

Emma

Treasurer and Secretary