Since 1995, the Cart Horse Protection Association (CHPA) has been providing
services and support to cart horse owners and their horses. On the Cape Flats, owners and drivers use their cart horses to collect scrap metal, which often leads to neglect or abuse. CHPA’s subsidised clinics provide access to feed, a professional farrier service, harness repairs, basic veterinary treatments, as well as free de-worming and vaccinations.

Horse owners are also educated and given practical training on how to take care of their horses. The Patrol and Call Out Response Unit polices cart horse drivers by
conducting inspections.

The Veterinary and Rehabilitation Unit provides veterinary services to sick and injured horses and carries out stable yard visits, while the Recovery and Rehabilitation Centre provides a place of safety for abused and neglected horses. Last year, CHPA put on 2218 sets of shoes, and distributed 4540 bales of hay and 1200 bags of 10% horse meal. The
organisation treated over 400 sick and injured horses, responded to over 400 emergency call outs, removed 18 horses, seized over 100 horses, and conducted over 6000 general inspections. All this with just two full-time inspectors! Contact Megan on 021 535 3435 for
more information. (Readers are invited to submit photographs, together with a brief
overview of their organisation’s work, for inclusion in this regular feature.)

CHPA provides various essential services to over 500 working cart horses living on the Cape Flats.