Leaving a legacy to a charity is one of the most heartfelt ways to protect horses, ponies, donkeys and mules long into the future
A gift in your Will to HAPPA is a promise of kindness to an equine who may one day arrive frightened, neglected, abandoned or in pain, and who will need someone compassionate to stand beside them.
Every equine HAPPA rescues carries a story. Some have known hunger, fear or loneliness. Some have never felt the comfort of gentle hands, a warm stable or a safe place to rest. With your support, their story can begin again with rescue, urgent care, patient rehabilitation and the hope of a life filled with trust.
By leaving a charity legacy gift to HAPPA in your Will, your compassion can continue to reach the horses who need it most. You can be there when an Equine Inspector responds to a report of cruelty. You can be there when a neglected horse needs food, shelter, veterinary care and a calm voice. You can be there when a broken spirit begins, slowly and bravely, to trust again.
How leaving a gift in your Will can change horses’ lives
Since 1937, HAPPA has been rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming abused, neglected and abandoned equines. Every rescue begins with care: a call from someone concerned, an Inspector who will not look away, and a safe place ready to welcome an animal in need.
A legacy gift to charity is more than a donation. It is a lasting act of love that says vulnerable horses will not be forgotten. It helps ensure that those who have suffered are met with patience, dignity and hope, and that they are given the time they need to heal.
No matter the size of your gift, your kindness can leave a lasting hoof print. It can help frightened horses find calm, poorly horses grow stronger, and forgotten horses discover what it feels like to be safe, understood and loved.
If you would like to explore leaving a gift to HAPPA in your Will, our free Leaving a Legacy Guide can help you understand how charity gifts in Wills work and take the next step with confidence and peace of mind.
MEET BERTIE
How your legacy gift could help horses like Bertie
£100 every six weeks – Remedial farriery for hooves that have not been cared for in a long time.
£750 per week – Specialist care, medication and rehabilitation for a neglected or injured horse like Bertie.
£10,000 – Dental, physiotherapy and specialist treatment for one year.
£25,000 – The annual cost of one specialist equine care or welfare officer, helping horses rebuild trust and recover.
£40,000 – Veterinary fees for one year, giving horses urgent and ongoing treatment when they need it most.
£50,000 – Refurbishment of a stable block, creating safe, comfortable spaces for horses in need.
£100,000 – A small stable block, offering more horses a safe haven and a brighter future.
£250,000 – Complete care costs, helping provide rescue, rehabilitation and lifelong protection.
£1,000,000 – A full year of charity running costs, keeping HAPPA here for every horse who needs us.
It costs more than £22,000 every week, over £1.14 million each year, to continue this vital work. With costs rising and welfare concerns reported every day, legacy gifts help keep HAPPA here for horses who have nowhere else to turn.
Your gift, whatever its size, could be the reason another horse like Bertie is rescued, cared for and given the chance of a kinder future.
Request our free charity legacy giving guide
Your gift in your Will could…
- help rescue a horse from neglect, cruelty or abandonment and bring them gently into a place of safety.
- provide urgent veterinary treatment, pain relief and specialist care when an equine is injured, unwell or suffering.
- fund nourishing feed, clean bedding and safe shelter for horses who arrive hungry, exhausted or afraid.
- support rehabilitation, training and emotional recovery so each horse can rebuild confidence at their own pace.
- help educate and inspire future generations to recognise equine suffering, act with compassion and protect horses from harm.
- help a rescued horse, donkey or mule take their next brave step towards a loving forever home.
Request your Legacy Brochure by contacting Legacies@Happa.org.uk
Peace of Mind Scheme for horse owners
We know how much trust, love and history can live between a person and their equine companion. The Peace of Mind Scheme has been created to provide comfort and help plan a solution, should your horse, pony, donkey or mule outlive you, and ensure their future care will be in safe and compassionate hands.
To join the Peace of Mind Scheme, we ask for a pledge in your Will of a minimum of £10,000 per equine in your ownership to help cover the cost of their ongoing care and to allow title of ownership to pass onto HAPPA.
Once we are notified of your passing, our experienced Equine Team will act promptly and sensitively to collect and safely transport your beloved companion to our Shores Hey Rescue Centre to be assessed by our Equine Care Team to understand their individual needs and how to provide the best possible care for the rest of their life.
If, in time, your equine is ready to move on to their next forever home, we will carefully match them with one of our trusted Borrowers. Equines rehomed through HAPPA remain under the Charity’s ownership and are never sold or passed on. If your equine is rehomed, they will be checked regularly by our Inspectors to ensure they are safe, healthy and well cared for, ensuring a legacy of care.
Talk to us about leaving a legacy to charity
If you are considering leaving a legacy to a charity, leaving a gift in your Will to HAPPA, or would like to talk through the Peace of Mind Scheme, our team would be honoured to help. We understand this is a deeply personal decision, and we will handle every conversation with care and respect.
Call: 01282 455992
Email: legacies@happa.org.uk
Thanks to generous supporters like you, over half of HAPPA’s work is funded by gifts in Wills. Without this extraordinary kindness, we simply could not be there for so many horses, ponies, donkeys and mules in need. Your charity legacy gift can be more than a gift; it can be safety, healing and hope for generations to come.
Benefits of Leaving a Legacy Gift
By leaving a legacy, you will receive a Life membership to Shores Hey Farm.
Your membership includes:
- Free access to visit our stables and resident horses and ponies at Shores Hey Farm, Burnley, Lancashire.
- Access for yourself + 5 people
- All the latest news through our online newsletter.
- The HAPPA Magazine.
- An exclusive gift.
- Exclusive product offers.
- Receive 10% off all online and onsite purchases (including The HAPPA Café, HAPPA Direct, Educational offerings and courses).
How to include a charity gift to HAPPA in your Will
If you decide to remember HAPPA in your Will, thank you. Leaving a legacy to a charity like HAPPA means your kindness will become part of a future where vulnerable equines are rescued, cared for and given the chance to heal. The details below can help your solicitor include your wishes clearly.
To make sure your wishes are carried out as you intend, we strongly recommend seeking independent, professional advice when making or updating your Will. The suggested wording above may assist your solicitor in drawing up or amending your Will and clearly identifying your chosen charity legacy gift.
Horses and Ponies Protection Association
Registered address: Shores Hey Farm, Blackhouse Lane, Off Halifax Road, Briercliffe, Burnley BB10 3QU
Registered Charity Number: 1085211
