A safe haven, and a lifeline
We need our horses, and they need us too.
Our mission is to sustainably uplift the welfare of horses in Fiji by educating and assisting horse owners, and creating a refuge for the ongoing rescue, rehabilitation and care of horses in need.
We are a registered not-for-profit company under the Republic of Fiji Companies Act 2015. Click here to view our certificate of registration.
Donations to the Fiji Horse Sanctuary are tax deductible in most countries and are essential to our ongoing viability. Please visit our support page to find out more.
Our Story
The Horse Sanctuary Fiji is the passion project of founder Morika Hunter. Since founding the Sanctuary in 2021, Morika has been a driving force - running the Sanctuary in conjunction with her full-time office job.
The volunteer effort behind the Sanctuary is growing, and the project is gaining momentum consistently. Since becoming a registered not-for-profit company in 2022, the Sanctuary now employs a small team of on-site staff to provide essential full-time care and is focussed on building it’s facilities to become a sustainable hub for rescue, rehabilitation, outreach and education.
In Fiji, an estimated 43 to 57% of the population live rurally at any given time. Fiji has high and increasing poverty rates, and of those living in poverty, around 62% live in rural areas. A large portion of these rural communities rely on horses to support their livelihoods: through draft work, means of transport and breeding. While these horses are an essential contributor to community life, they often suffer neglect resulting from low levels of horse care education combined with a lack of resources. As families struggle to survive, their horses suffer too.
In 2020, MDPI published a peer-reviewed study: Welfare Assessment and Husbandry Practices of Working Horses in Fiji. The study findings indicate that intervention in the form of targeted veterinary and hoof care services, alongside participatory workshops and training programs for owners, will likely improve the welfare of working horses in Fiji.
Our Why
Our How
Our approach is by the Fiji community, for the Fiji community - designed with consideration for the unique cultural and sociological factors faced by Fijians. We are focussed on a scalable model with three key efforts:
Create lasting change by equipping communities with the education, assistance and tools they need to ensure the wellbeing of their horses long term.
Build a Sanctuary with the right capability and facilities to provide permanent rescue, care and conditioning for Fiji horses in dire need.
Ensure a sustainable funding model to support the Sanctuary and it’s rehabilitated horses, by providing fee-based services, including lessons, clinics, and trail riding.