A £90,000 cash boost will help a charity move forward with plans to improve a facility dedicated to rehabilitating horses at its Norfolk headquarters.
World Horse Welfare, based in Snetterton, near Attleborough, received the significant grant from the Pets at Home Foundation.
The money will support the charity in modernising its isolation facilities and crew yards, as well as creating extra room for more horses to be rescued and rehabilitated.
World Horse Welfare has four rescue and rehoming centres across the UK, with the others in Somerset, Aberdeenshire and Lancashire.
Over the past decade, it has seen a steady rise in the number of rescues which involve multiple horses - sometimes groups of more than 100.
The Norfolk isolation facility and crew yards allow horses arriving at the centre to be kept separate from others to protect their health, and ensure they have their own space to help calm and get used to their new environment.
Eleanor Stourton, major donor officer at World Horse Welfare, said: "The generous donation from the Pets at Home Foundation will help us to transform our isolation facilities in Norfolk, ensuring the team can deliver the best standard of care and support more horses on their rehabilitation journey.
"Due to the nature of our work, we take in horses and ponies from all kinds of backgrounds, many of whom have an indeterminate health status and may be nervous around other horses and people.
"This makes our isolation areas vital in the work we do and the care we provide. We can’t wait for the work to get under way in spring next year."
Pets at Home Foundation was founded by pet supplies retailer, Pets at Home, back in 2006.
It provides grants to a number of good causes, many of which provide assistance to ensure animals can remain with their owners.
Amy Angus, charity and community manager at Pets at Home Foundation, added: "The team at World Horse Welfare do a phenomenal job in caring for horses across Norfolk and beyond.
"We are so pleased to be able to continue to help charities like these, which are working tirelessly to look after pets that find themselves without a family for whatever reason that might be."
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