Founded on the 4th day of the war by Mykhaylo Parkhomchuk, the Ukrainian Equestrian Federation Charity Foundation (UEF-CF) is still a very young organization. The foundation helps horses in Ukraine with food, bedding and the relocation of horses within Ukraine from dangerous areas to safer areas. The UEF-CF is running two safe stables in Ukraine where horses, often traumatized by the war, can recover.
In June 2022, UEF-CF has supported 133 stables with 1712 horses receiving humanitarian assistance from UEF-CF, including stables in Kiev, Kharkiv, Odessa, Chernihiv and Zaporizhzhya. To date, 1200 tons of hay, haylage, feed and shavings have been received and 1,000 tons distributed. More than 500 horses have been relocated within Ukraine or evacuated abroad.
Many horse owners have lost their jobs due to the war. Stables were completely destroyed, bombed by Russians or set on fire. Horses were burnt alive. The horse owners need help in the form of in-kind donations such as hay and bedding, which UEF-CF receives at its warehouse in Poland and sends to Ukraine or buys within Ukraine and distributes then. In order to be able to finance the supply trips, UEF-CF is also dependent on monetary donations.
Decline in Donations
Due to the high fuel prices, expenses have increased considerably, and at the same time, donations have dropped sharply. The decline in donations is probably also due to the fact that the rest of the world is feeling the economic effects of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The hay supply situation in Ukraine is particularly desperate. Many fields are littered with landmines and therefore cannot be harvested. The impact will be felt especially in autumn and winter, when already high hay prices will rise even further.
The Ukrainian Equestrian Federation Charity Foundation (UEF-CF) is one of the few organizations, if not the only one, that has started to produce compound feed for horses in Ukraine with the support of a Dutch company. Sponsors are needed to financially support this feed production. This would secure jobs, provide horses in Ukraine with the feed they need during stressful times and at the same time support the Ukrainian economy.
The support and commitment of people to the Ukrainian Equestrian Federation Charity Foundation (UEF-CF) around the world is incredible. However, the equestrian community is called upon to continue to donate what they can and to organize creative (online) Fundraisers to help meet the current need for humanitarian aid and feed for more than 300 stables with more than 3500 horses, organize distribution and logistics, and cover the costs of running shelters and evacuations.
For the horses in Ukraine, every donation, no matter how small, counts. The UEF-CF is also seeking donations for portable diagnostic equipment and/or a fully equipped mobile veterinary clinic.
Many people from around the world have come together to raise money for the Foundation, and their efforts have ranged from selling cakes, selling sunflowers, t-shirt sales, special horse shows, endurance rides, and all sorts of imaginative ways to raise money. The UEF-CF is grateful for their support and efforts and welcomes them to initiate new (online) fundraisers and challenges to support their work. Pictures of the Fundraisers can always be send to the media mail. Many of the Fundraisers have been posted on the UEF-CF Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/helpuahorses along with the latest news and stories from Ukraine, and also on the Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/helpukrainehorses/?hl=en.
Ride for Ukraine
The UEF-CF has also established a new campaign called Ride for Ukraine.
The funds raised from this will be directed to providing food, bedding, veterinary services, evacuation of horses from dangerous areas, and keeping them for free in evacuation stables. This campaign is asking show organizers, federations, businesses and the media to get involved. https://rideforukraine.info/become-a-partner/become-a-partner-organizers.
Volunteers
The UEF-CF has many volunteers inside and outside of Ukraine to ensure that the help reaches those who need it most.
The UEF-Charity Foundation is led by its founder Mykhaylo Parkhomchuk, who is also Secretary General of the Ukrainian Equestrian Federation, and the day-to-day activities are overseen by Taisia Stadnichenko from Ukraine. There is also a group of volunteers from different European countries who help in different ways, including Martin Kiilo from Estonia, who takes care of all IT matters of UEF-CF, and his wife Tatjana Kiilo, who is the European coordinator for the Foundation and the Ride for Ukraine campaign. The media and communication department is headed by Marianne Ironside from France, she is responsible for the organization's facebook account. Marianne Ironside has a strong background in equine welfare through her association Clean Endurance International and is also chair of the World Bitless Association Working Committee. She is supported by her personal assistant Franzi Kurz from Germany, who, among other things, manages the UEF-CF's Instagram account.
The UEF-CF can always be reached via email media@helpukrainehorses.eu or via their social media accounts. People can also visit the website helpukrainehorses.eu to donate or to find out more information about the work of UEF-CF.
There are more informative articles in our sections on Retire & Rehome and Health & Education.
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