The Coastal Horse Care Unit Raceday

The Coastal Horse Care Unit, a new operation similar to that operated on the Highveld, has been established on a 50 acre farm at Cato Ridge in KwaZulu-Natal from where it will service the entire province with clinical and educational programmes designed to enhance the care and welfare of the horse.



It will be launched officially with a raceday at Greyville Racecourse on Friday evening, September 25, followed by an open day at the farm on Sunday, September 27.



This dream project is in its infancy and is run by Gill Olmesdahl and two other dedicated horse lovers in Catherine Gurney from England and Candice Davison of Kloof.



Gill was a voluntary worker at the SPCA Horse Care Unit at Kloof and has studied extensively and been involved in all matters related to animal and horse care here as well as in Australia and England.



Catherine has vast experience in rural horse care having spent a year with a privately run unit in the Gambia in West Africa while Candice has been a voluntary helper at the Kloof unit for many years.



Candice is fully employed by the new unit while Catherine has offered her services to the unit and will run the clinic side of the operation free of charge.



The farm was given to the Unit by an individual who wishes to remain anonymous, and is a few kilometers off the national road at Cato Ridge. Plans are being drawn up for the development of the property to cater for all aspects of horse care and, while it is receiving assistance from organisations such as Gold Circle and the Highveld Unit, much of its development will depend on public assistance and funding.



The purpose of the unit, in addition to caring for and rehabilitating horses in need, is to educate horse owners in the rural areas on the benefits of proper horse care. "We want to teach them how to care for their animals and the resultant benefits they will reap from healthy, fit horses," Gill explained.



The Unit recently conducted its first clinic in conjunction with the SPCA in two areas in the Winterton region of the Drakensberg where they tended to horses in need, provided various tack items and were able to inoculate a number of horses against African Horse Sickness.



"We are not taking over the work of the Kloof Horse Care Unit but are working in conjunction with them. We have great plans for development which include facilities that will generate income to cover the running costs with all public donations being channeled directly to the care of the horse," Gill said.



For more information on the Coastal Horse Care Unit please phone Gill on 073 550 3061 or email horsewelfare@telkomsa.net.




Sixteen-year-old chestnut mare, Off The Edge, is looking for a home.
Her Sire was Fine Edge and her Dam was My Bird. She had 16 runs with 1 win
and 4 places. She has a lovely nature and loves being pampered.
Seen with her are Candice Davison (left) and Catherine Gurney