The National Horse Trust is the national fund raising body, collecting funds to support the Highveld, Eastern Cape, and other rural units.

These units carry out vaccinations, de-wormings and farrier work in order to improve the overall health of the horses and donkeys. They conduct proactive programmes to try and improve the quality of the equines for the work they are doing, educating owners about which horses and donkeys to geld in order to get better and hardier stock.

In the rural areas and townships there is a great deal of poverty and unemployment. Residents’ main source of transportation and income is using a cart. Donkeys and horses are used on a daily basis for transportation of children to school, pensioners to shops or collect pensions.  Equines are often the only way a family can earn a living, through collection and sale of firewood, water, coal and scrap.

Improving the welfare of working equines directly impacts upon the ability of the family to earn a living and there is increasing demand on us to provide assistance to these animals all over the country.
 
The units assist in the first aid care of horses. If an equine can be treated by its owners, the owner is given medication and advised on treatment application. Alternatively, the equine is rehabilitated at a unit and unless there are other extenuating circumstances, such as treatment of an animal not in accordance with the provisions of the Animal Protection Act, the equine is returned to the owner once it is well. Units replace unkind harnesses, providing bits to replace wire and other implements used, as well as equipment to put under harnesses to prevent sores.

The National Horse Trust is entirely dependent upon donations from the general public and receives no government grant support.