💚 When Help Is Hard to Find – Life at the Stable on a Low Budget

Sometimes people imagine that running a horse project in Ghana means spending your days brushing horses in the sun and watching them gallop across the field. The truth is — it’s beautiful, but it’s also really, really hard work.

Every morning starts before sunrise. We clean, feed, fetch water, and check on every single horse. Some are still recovering from years of neglect — thin, with weak hooves or old wounds that take time and care to heal. We do our best, but there’s one challenge that never goes away: we’re doing all of this on an extremely limited budget.

We don’t have sponsors, and there’s no government support for horses in Ghana. The small funds we earn from lessons and our second-hand shop go straight back into food, medicine, and farrier visits. Even something as simple as a set of brushes or a bag of feed can be a big deal here.

And just when we thought we had everything under control — Angela gave birth to a surprise baby! 🐴💛

We actually knew she was pregnant, but as a first-time mom she didn’t show any signs beforehand. One morning, there he was — a beautiful, healthy foal standing beside her, full of life and curiosity.

Caring for a newborn means even more work — more feed, more cleaning, and extra care to make sure both mama and baby are safe and strong. It’s a blessing, but also a reminder that our small team is stretched thin.

We love what we do, and we’ll keep going no matter what. But the truth is, we need help — both from people and from those who can give a little financially.

If you’re in Ghana and would like to volunteer, even for a few hours a week, your presence makes a difference.

If you’re abroad and want to help, donations of brushes, halters, feed, or small financial support through PayPal help us keep the horses healthy and the team motivated.

Every bit of support means that another horse gets a second chance. 💚

Thank you for being part of this journey — even from afar.

— Marie & the Bridging the Gap Team

🐴 Horse Riding XP Ghana

Horse Assessments – Small Steps, Real Change

Last week

Every few weeks, we take time to document how the horses here in Doboro are doing — their body condition, their hooves, their posture, and how they’re responding to care. It’s not always the most glamorous part of the work, and the changes are sometimes small. But these small steps matter. They show where we’ve come from, and they remind us what consistency and love can do.

Many of the horses we care for were once forgotten — living with neglected hooves, untreated wounds, or simply no one paying attention. Through these assessments, we can track healing, prevent new problems, and help each horse find its balance again.

Rainbow – Our Sorgenkind

And then there’s horses that don’t pick up as nicely within a week.

Rainbow is one of our stallions — and definitely one of our Sorgenkinder, our “problem children.” He’s strong, fiery, and dominant, which means he can’t be turned out with the mares or other stallions. Some weeks ago, he suffered a seizure out of nowhere. Thankfully, it never returned.

Rainbow last week

Rainbow this week

But Rainbow’s biggest struggle right now is his feet. His hooves are in poor condition, and his owner can’t afford the farrier’s visit. One treatment costs just €15, and there are still about ten horses waiting. That means we need to raise €100 to have the farrier come back.

Healthy foot for reference

Rainbows foot (severe thrush and degeneration)

If you’d like to support Rainbow or any of the other horses, even a small donation makes a difference. Every hoof trimmed, every wound cleaned, every calm day — it all adds up.

You can donate on PayPal

https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/9jmAe0UIb5

And get in touch via

+233269882134

Marie

Founder of Bridging the Gap

How I accidentally put myself in charge of 14 horses

Just when I thought I was coming for vacation, life had other plans.

A few weeks ago, I brought my horses to a resort here in Ghana. I wanted to rest — truly rest — after months of nonstop work. But what I saw when I arrived changed everything.

The horses living there were shockingly thin, standing in dark, smelly stalls, forgotten except for a few children who sometimes came by to feed them scraps. Their hooves were rotting, their eyes dull, their ribs visible. The management loved horses, but they had given up — the work was too hard, the pay too small, and there was no support.

I couldn’t look away.

I couldn’t walk away either.

So I offered my help.

Four weeks later, the horses have started to gain weight. Their hooves are clean, their coats are shining again, and the stable — once silent and heavy — feels alive. But there’s still a long way to go, and we need help to keep going.

The Bigger Picture

In Ghana, most horses don’t live on well-kept riding facilities. They live on beaches or in small backyards. There are over 200 horses in Accra alone — yet not a single tack shop in the entire country.

Things that are basic in Germany — saddle soap, hoof oil, bandages, biotin, grooming kits — simply don’t exist here. And it’s not because people don’t care. Most horse owners love their animals deeply, but they lack access to knowledge, products, and veterinary support.

That’s how my project, Bridging the Gap, was born.

Originally part of my riding business, it has grown into a mission to build Ghana’s first training center for professional horse careers — grooms, farriers, riding instructors — and to improve horse welfare through education and access to proper gear.

What We’re Doing Now

We’re collecting used horse equipment from Germany — everything from saddles and halters to brushes and boots. Some items are used directly for the horses here; others are sold in our small second-hand shop to fund feed, medicine, and hoof care.

There’s no public funding, no official support — just a few of us trying to make a difference with what we have.

My sister in Berlin collects the donations, and a logistics partner helps us ship everything to Ghana in batches. Every item helps.

Why I’m Sharing This

Because horses in Ghana have no voice.

And I can’t unsee what I’ve seen.

Here, even a simple grooming brush or a used halter can change a horse’s life.

If you’d like to help — by donating, sending used gear, or simply sharing our story — you’re helping to build a bridge between two worlds that have so much to learn from each other.

💚

Marie

Bridging the Gap Project – Ghana