This legacy is dedicated to a little rescue horse called Jasper-Jones

Jasper’s story begins here…

In the autumn of 2019, a three-year-old bedraggled, mistreated, head shy, confused and somewhat inquisitive little chestnut horse from the Western Cape was rescued by Have a Heart Horse Sanctuary. He had ostensibly been bush raced.  He arrived in a trailer with other rescues at his temporary safe home. His rehabilitation started.  We were fortunate to have our stoep oversee the paddock, where some months later, Jasper then spent most of his days grazing and playing with other bigger horses.  With just a small fence separating us from the meadow, we could interact daily. By 2020 Jasper’s trust and confidence had grown and we had formed a beautiful bond.  We simply fell in love with him.

We learnt so much from this little chap. How to be in the moment, without our minds rushing. To keep quiet and listen and be able to let go. We loved our long walks together along the farm trails with our dogs, friends and other horses and started training him. Our in-hand encounters with tall grass, bushes, baboons, cyclists, playful dogs and children, soon stopped him spooking at every shadow and branch that blew in the wind. What a privilege to just sit and enjoy the quietness of Gods creation with him as he quietly grazes. In 2021 we formally adopted Jasper from Have a Heart Equine Sanctuary. He is such a beautiful and integral part of our daily lives.

Why Love Heart Equine? … Our Mission

Love Heart Equine is as a legacy for Jasper.  To creatively raise funds to support him and to make a positive contribution on this earth toward the people and charities that care for other local horses and animals that have been abused, need a place of refuge and require ongoing care.  Above all, our hope is that they are given unconditional love and a chance for a healthy and happy future.

We know that there are hundreds of horses and other animals that suffer. We pray much for animals and have such a heart for those without a voice. So, what could we do and how could we help. Small beginnings - We started with art commissions. These commissions, together with support from our amazing family, help to support and pay for Jasper’s stabling and wellbeing. But Jasper is not alone.

Since Covid, we have become aware that there are many loved horses that had to be euthanised because the owners hit hard times and were no longer able to feed or look after them. They did not want to sell them to anyone in case they were not properly taken care of.

We are also aware of several horses that have been sent to farms just to graze, because their owners can’t afford their upkeep. Sadly, some have succumbed to the harsh conditions. At these farms, they pretty much fend for themselves. For these and many other cases, we would like to be in a position to finance their feed, help cover vet bills if necessary, or assist with rehoming opportunities by pointing them to the right people who are expert in this field, or cover temporary or long-term stabling fees and also be in a position to hire the necessary safe transport when moving them to their temporary or new homes.

We realise that first prize is that these people keep and love their horses and look after them with the necessary support. A stringent vetting process is done in collaboration with the owner and certain authorities for the best outcome for the horse. Obviously, if a horse has been neglected, abused and needs to be rescued and rehomed, we work with local authorities, rescue centres and charities to try and find the best solution for the horse. Some charities (see our Beneficiary Link) do wonderful work. Jasper’s legacy aims to support these charities financially so that they too can benefit – one horse at a time.

Our Dream Continues … The Vision

The Love Heart Equine Sanctuary and Skills Development & Training Centre

As we grow and our funding increases, our prayer and current plans are to move to:

Phase 1 – Smallholding and Infrastructure to build the Love Heart Equine Sanctuary, for horses and animals.

Then following on to Phase 2 - a Skills Development & Training Centre linked to practical activities that train and educate people to make a sustainable impact on the care of animals, as well as offering sustainable farming and other exciting practical ministries training.

Right now – “Dreaming big and starting small”, but most of all we Started. Inspired by our first LoveHeart, Jasper-Jones and the dream of his legacy to follow.

We believe that God would not have given us this dream if He had not already given us everything we need to fulfil it. It sure is an exciting leap of Faith.

For those that Will - Thank you for journeying on with Love Heart Equine.