Project African Dawn has changed people’s lives, as well as improving the welfare of horses in Cape Town and South Africa. Ashley Deelman used to collect scrap to make a living brought his horse to the Cart Horse Protection Association’s (CHPA) clinics in Cape Town. He loved being around horses, and before long he became a volunteer for CHPA, where he begun by sweeping up.

At the clinics, Ashley spent a lot of time watching the farrier at work and handing him tools. Ashley absorbed a lot of knowledge, and when the farrier moved away, he was employed as a casual farrier.

In 2003, Ashley enrolled on Project African Dawn’s very first farriery course and graduated a year later as an Assistant Trainer. Ashley has now taught two intakes of students and is now the Chief Farrier at CHPA where he shoes up to 15 horses a day at the static and mobile clinics. Now he is passing on the skills he learnt during Project African Dawn to his own apprentice while he works.

Project African Dawn has changed the lives of 1000s of cart horses in Cape Town and the Southern Cape. In the city’s disadvantaged communities, collecting scrap metal using a horse and cart, like Ashley used to, is often the only source of income.

But in the past, the terrible price of making a living has been over-worked, over-loaded and neglected horses. The aim of Project African Dawn was to put an end to the abuse of horses and empower their owners to care for them correctly.

In conjunction with the Cart Horse Protection Association, we launched Project African Dawn – a simple programme with annual courses to train students in farriery, saddlery and harness-making. Thanks to our supporters, it has gone from strength to strength. Many of our 80 students are now instructors passing on their skills to new trainees, and providing affordable care to their community. The result is plain to see on the streets of Cape Town – nourished and well-shod horses that have properly fitting harnesses and are able to do a day’s work.