Tucked away in rural Lisbellaw are 18 abandoned horses, ponies and donkeys – most of which were found in very poor health – hoping to find a home.

Every week brings another call to busy mother-of-four Kerri-Anne Fitzpartick, founder of the Equine Welfare Network, a charity which aims to “support equines and support people”.

“At times in my life when I’ve found things challenging, it seems to be horses that get me through,” said Kerri-Anne, who spent her youth growing up in care homes in her native Scotland.

“I honestly think you are born with a gene that makes you loves horses,” she told The Impartial Reporter. “My whole life people thought my passion for equines was a fad. I grew up in care homes and while everyone else was looking for drink or drugs, I was looking for horses! On my first job training scheme I worked for a Scottish Lord on his fancy show-jumping yard and that made me really determined to have my own yard someday. For the moment I’ve got the Equine Welfare Network yard and the demand is rapidly outgrowing the resources available.”

The charity has been in Lisbellaw for the past year. It takes abandoned and neglected horses, ponies and donkeys into its care, provides them with professional rehabilitation and training to increase their chances of finding new homes, all on a voluntary basis. Since opening it has re-homed 17 horses, donkeys and ponies. Most of the animals that come into their care are very nervous and have had little or no handling.

After becoming a British Horse Society professional instructor, Kerri-Anne spent some time working in the health and social care sector. It was during work in an equestrian yard with one of her clients who had autism that she realised how much she missed horses. She saw lots of similarities between her helping a non-verbal, autistic client overcome his anxieties and nerves, allowing him to go to college and secure a job, to helping an abandoned animal overcome its trauma to become a perfect children’s pony.

In recent years, the psychological benefits of working with horses are being recognised by growing numbers of therapists who work with autistic children, young people with behavioural problems, adults with depression or celebrities with addictions. A big believer in equine assisted therapies, Kerri-Anne hopes that her Lisbellaw-based charity will one day grow to offer professional supports for young people facing difficulties such as mental health problems.

She currently has 10 young volunteers at the yard, many of whom have suffered from depression.

“Kerri-Anne is very good at helping people,” said Lisa McCaffrey, one of the volunteers. “I suffer from mental health and depression and she and the horses have taught me to get better. The traditional mental health services didn’t work for me because they are too clinical. When you come here, you are not here for your health, you are here for the horses. But by working with the horses, you improve your health. The horses help us more than we help them!”

Aaron Watkins, who has also suffered from depression, said: “I love this place. It’s built my confidence up. Kerri-Anne has trusted me to work with the ponies and it makes me happy to know that the ponies are getting proper care.

“The horses put a smile on your face; it’s knowing what they have been through and the state they are in when they arrive here. There’s times you can be upset and you come to your favourite horse and you can let it out with them.”

Kerri-Anne is appealing for anyone with experience of filling in funding applications or advice on how she can progress towards equine assisted therapy to volunteer with the charity. She is also calling for local fundraisers to consider the Equine Welfare Network when they are next running a 10K or organising a charity event.

“People think charities are always asking for money but, while money would be helpful, we would be very grateful to receive hay for next winter, sawdust for the bedding in the stables. We desperately need extra shelter for the horses so donated construction materials would allow us to make a new paddock and some lean-tos for the horses to shelter under,” Kerri-Anne stated.

As well as taking in abandoned equines and training the volunteers to safely work with the animals, the charity works with land owners who have had animals dumped on their land. If the horse owner does not appear within the 14 day notice period, those animals become the responsibility of that landowner, causing frustration. If wild horses are left to wander the road, there is a serious risk of car accidents.

“We are realists,” said Kerri-Anne. “We are not huggy people saying: ‘Oh the poor wee animals’. We see the problem and we look for the solution. We can put supports in place for land owners which often gives us time to get a home for the animals.”

In addition, if a horse owner finds themselves in a financial or personal crisis which means they are struggling to look after their equine, the Equine Welfare Network can take the animal until the issue is resolved.

“We also offer a follow up care, so, if for any reason you can’t look after the horse you have taken from us, we can take it back into care,” said Kerri-Anne.

All this costs money but they never have enough for the demands they face.

“The minute we take in an animal that’s around £200 in costs already for a vet check and passport, the farrier and the dentist, before you factor in food and medicine,” Kerri-Anne explains.

She feels blessed to be part of a supportive local equine community offer each other deals or discounts, all in a bid to make sure the horses are happy and healthy.

As two black Shetland ponies called Blueberry and Muffin munch on hay, Kerri-Anne explains how she was at a loss in trying to treat Blueberry’s irritating skin condition. Green Gold Equine in Fivemiletown developed a specialised organic supplement that has resulted in the pony’s mane and tail re-growing in the space of six weeks.

“That’s an example of how people support us, horse supplements are something that we could not afford,” Kerri-Anne states. “The Equine Welfare Network would not function to the level we do without the time, dedication and passion towards equine welfare we receive from people like Kyle Hayes, a local instructor who operates a business near the yard; Sarah Taggart, a horse dentist who works with all our animals; Green Gold Equine; Sarah Johnston, from Brookeborough who repairs horse rugs and Erne Erne Veterinary Group in Enniskillen who have such professionalism and passion.”

According to Kerri-Ann, the local “hot spots” for abandoned equines are Kesh-Pettigo; the Knocks-Lisnaskea; and Fivemiletown.

She concludes: “We take an eclectic approach to fixing the equine crisis by supporting the animal and the person who is reaching crisis because of an animal. I am so tied up in raising my children that I don’t always have the time to do everything but it’s the passion for the horses that drives me.”