Wairarapa volunteers have transported over 200 bales of hay to Hawke’s Bay for distressed horses.
The five volunteers – Louise Hyde, Claire Cross, Ali Angove, Anne Marie Hazlitt-Black, and Maree Scott – banded together to deliver feed to the region after floods resulted in rural sections being covered in silt last week.
“Much of the attention in the news has been on the people, so we want to bring attention to the animals,” said Hyde.
The bales were transported by local haulage companies, which offered the service for free.
The team – operating under the name Hawke’s Bay Equine Support received – began planning on Wednesday last week and the hay was transported to Hawke’s Bay on Friday after the roads were opened to essential travel.
Haulage support was provided by Graeme Reisima, Raymond Hicks, Karen and Dave Buckthought, and Ian and Rodney Garrity
The showgrounds in Hastings have been turned into a refuge for horses, in the hope of reuniting them with their owners.
“The floods are distressing for the animals, they panic easily. A lot of horses fled to escape the flood water,” said Hyde.
“There have been some sad stories, but there has also been plenty of horses found.
“The main thing is getting feed to them. They need to eat constantly.”
