About the Flicka Foundation

The Flicka Foundation was established in 1995. Prior to this, it had been a well-known equestrian centre since 1968. We often took in horses that needed a home and if they were young and fit enough they would be schooled for lessons, which in turn would help to pay for those that had to retire. Over the years, the welfare aspect of the centre steadily increased. By 1995, the welfare side of our centre had increased so much that, when a little strawberry roan pony called ‘Flicka’ became ill with an inoperable tumour, the foundation was born.

Flicka had been rescued some years earlier after being found in a field in the middle of an industrial estate – a small pony amongst high-rise buildings and billowing smoke. Flicka was delightful; he loved people, he was very affectionate despite his beginning and he adored lots of fuss. After several years of teaching young children to ride, he sadly developed liver cancer and was retired to convalesce with a condition we knew would ultimately take his life.

Flicka’s illness highlighted the problems for horses and ponies in any walk of life that become too unwell or old to work or be riding ponies. Flicka was the beginning of our sanctuary, and he has lived on through the work we do. After six happy months Flicka’s cancer took him from us – he was buried in a prime place in one of our paddocks and will never be forgotten.

Since then we have had the privilege of many horses and ponies coming to us for many different reasons, each one has a story to tell. Some would tell of unthinkable cruelty, neglect, some ailing in some way and abandoned, and some just too old and require lots of tlc. You can see their pictures and read all about each one and their, sometimes, very sad stories on this website.

We currently have thirty two horses and ponies; we also have some sheep, pigs, rabbits, chinchillas and various other small animals as well as cats and dogs. The Flicka Foundation has been a non-profit making organisation for ten years and has recently gained charitable status. For most of our income, we have tried to be ‘self-funding’ with our horse riding lessons and two mobile holiday homes, but it just isn’t enough. Every year we do lots of fund raising – sponsored walks, coffee mornings, cheese & wine evenings, raffles and a couple of very successful concerts.

We are a very small sanctuary for funds raised, but quite large in terms of animals to care for. All our adopters are part of a very small team and every penny raised helps so much. As our ‘residents’ get older so their requirements increase, care becomes more specialised and expensive. One of our biggest expenses are vet fees, and we can never anticipate how much they will be or when.

All animals deserve a chance - whilst there is so much cruelty in this world to people as well as animals the reality is that it’s possible to care about more than one issue at a time. We mustn’t assume that a capacity for compassion is dependant on mutual exclusivity.