Recently, the Cart Horse Protection Association (CHPA) – Recovery and Rehabilitation Centre in Somerset West got an extreme makeover. The staff of the Cape Town branches of Skin & Body Renewal spent the day at the association’s rehabilitation farm painting the horse stables, treating the wooden sheds and paddocks and establishing the gardens. The anti-aging company also donated R10 000 which was used to buy the apprentices’ some much needed farrier tools.
Every year before Christmas, the Skin & Body Renewal team ‘adopt’ a social initiative. Lynn Brown, from Skin Renewal, says they chose the CHPA this year because they would like to assist in maintaining a comfortable environment for the cart horses.
“We would really like to see a regulated carting industry on the Cape Flats with all working cart horses protected from abuse.”
The carting industry is rooted in District Six where horses and carts were used to “smous” (hawk) fish, fruit, vegetables, bottles and bones. Horses were kept in community stables, travelled short distances with light loads and business was lucrative for the cart horse owner.
However, with the forced relocations to the Cape Flats, the lives of the cart horse owners and their horses took a turn for the worst. Far from their markets, hawking was no longer a viable option. This led to the renting out of horses and carts and an increase in cart horse operators who had limited knowledge on how to properly care for and maintain a working horse. Consequently, badly shod, thin, overloaded, overworked and abused working cart horses became a common site on Cape Town’s roads.
In 1995 the Cart Horse Protection Association (CHPA) was established, providing vital services and education to the cart horse owners in an attempt to address the appalling conditions in which these working horses lived and worked. Today, the Cart Horse Protection Association Clinic and Training Centre, located in Epping 2, boasts a farrier agency, harness shop, treatment stalls and paddocks. There is also a cart repair workshop, education and training room, administrative offices and a feed storage barn. It provides services to over 400 working cart horses and their owners.
Andrea Rubin, Social Media Liaison at the Cart Horse Protection Association sent Skin Renewal this wonderful letter:
“When I heard Skin Renewal was organising a volunteer day, excitement was an understatement! A few extra hands go a long way in a charity organisation, where there are always a million things which need to be done.
Skin Renewal completely blew me away with the organisation, preparation and the passion that was thrown into their volunteer day. This wasn’t just about doing your bit for corporate social responsibility. The Skin Renewal Team really cared about our organisation and you could see it in every ounce of work that was done at the centre. It looked like the centre had undergone a small renovation!
Paddock poles were painted, the stable walls were all painted (keep in mind that there are a lot of stables!), the outdoor shelters were painted, the entire centre was cleaned up and plants were planted in the gardens. The pictures do not do it justice!
I believe the festive season is about spreading love and bringing people together and Skin Renewal embodied this message perfectly. Organising donations and sponsorship of materials needed for Cart Horse brought different people and companies together to join hands in the support of a charity organisation.
This is what I believe Christmas is all about – sharing, giving and helping those in need. Best regards - Andrea”
Cart Horse Protection Association (CHPA) would like to thank all the sponsors who made a contribution: Skin & Body Renewal donated time and money. Skincare company Lamelle donated R5000. Kaap Agri Stellenbosch sponsored 100 litres of Creosote. Western Shoppe sponsored cleaning materials. Ferndale Nurseries sponsored plants. Dulux sponsored 10 x 20 litre of paint. Genop donated NeoStrata skin care products that were raffled to raise money. Joy Heath donated a Samsung top loader washing machine.