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Danish Signe Fröslee runs a horse sanctuary in Spain, where she takes in neglected and abused horses and gives them a better life. Her sanctuary is called A Better Life 4 Horses - Spain, and it is operated solely on a voluntary basis. Here you have the opportunity to gain insight into what it's like to be a sanctuary owner in Spain and the passion behind such work.
Signe used to live in Denmark but chose to move to Spain at some point. After her arrival in Spain, she had an extremely unpleasant experience that had a severe impact on her mental well-being and left her feeling very low.
During the period following that experience, Signe was feeling very bad, and it was then that she started helping horses in Spain. One day, while Signe was just walking around the area, she came across a horse she couldn't pass by. The horse was very thin and had been abused and beaten by its owner, so it was in a really bad condition. Signe couldn't bear to see it and decided to buy the horse right away.
At that time, Signe didn't have a place of her own to keep the horse, but she quickly found one. For her, the most important thing was to get the horse away from the owner as quickly as possible so that it could receive the help it needed. After rescuing the horse from a harsh fate, it became clear to Signe that helping these horses was something she needed to continue doing.
"When I saved the first horse, it quickly dawned on me that I could actually help these horses."
Getting this feeling also made Signe feel better herself, and she calls it "helping oneself through helping others."
That horse became the start of A Better Life 4 Horses - Spain, and one horse quickly turned into many. Therefore, Signe found a place where she could have her sanctuary. The sanctuary is now located in Antequera, which is 40 minutes away from Malaga. They currently have 40 horses, 6 dogs, and many cats.
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Apart from Signe, who runs the sanctuary, she also has some volunteers helping her. She receives help from Donna, Johanna, Juan, as well as her two older children (a son and a daughter) and her younger daughters, who join in taking care of the horses.
The sanctuary receives many different horses with different histories and injuries. Often, the horses come to the sanctuary through people who tip off Signe or the volunteers. People who know about A Better Life 4 Horses can contact them with tips about neglected horses. The veterinarian who visits the sanctuary also keeps his eyes and ears open and provides Signe with tips if he comes across horses whose owners refuse to provide them with necessary treatment. In addition to these tips, Signe and the volunteers also find horses themselves when they travel around the country or by seeing something on Facebook.
When Signe sees a horse they want to bring to the sanctuary, they visit the owner. They talk to the owner and get the story of what happened to the horse. For example, they currently have a young horse at the sanctuary that was tied up in the backyard of its owner, was emaciated, and survived by eating garbage. The story was that the mother of the young horse had died, and the owner had lost his job, so he couldn't take care of the horse. However, the owner couldn't sell the horse because it wasn't microchipped.
In Spain, there is a law that requires horses to be microchipped before they can be transported. Transporting an unchipped horse can result in a large fine. This makes people reluctant to buy a horse that isn't microchipped.
To take full responsibility for the horses, Signe and the sanctuary buy them from the owners. This way, the sanctuary has the opportunity to provide the horse with the exact treatment it needs without involving the previous owner in any way.
Once A Better Life 4 Horses - Spain has bought a horse, they never sell it again. Signe states, "We never sell them again because then they can just be sold on again." Instead, the sanctuary remains the owner, but they may send some horses to foster families. Signe explains that by doing this, they can always visit the horse and ensure it is doing well. If the foster family is unable to take care of the horse anymore, the horses can always return to the sanctuary and stay.
The decision not to resell the horses is influenced by Signe's previous life in Denmark, where she made a living by selling horses. She used to take in horses that needed to be sold urgently, often due to situations like divorce. She would buy inexpensive horses and then sell them at a higher price. But this also meant that she didn't investigate who was buying the horses. Signe has learned a lot since then, and today she feels a bit ashamed of her previous practices.
"We can't save the whole world, but we can make a world of difference for those we rescue"
Living with neglected horses brings about a routine that is mostly similar every day, but unexpected things can happen that can turn the day upside down. Often, it's related to taking in a new horse or dealing with an injured or sick horse. Dealing with illness and injured horses is not always enjoyable, and sometimes things can be overwhelming. Signe recalls the time when they took in two mares that had been mistreated, including being beaten in the eyes by their owner. Both mares were extremely thin, and one of them, Fanny (Tiffanny), didn't even have the strength to stand up. In this tragic case, they had to use a tractor to move her.
It was an incredibly tough experience. "That's when I completely broke down. But it only comes when all the urgent matters are taken care of, and when the horses are stable."
For a couple of days, the mares, especially Fanny, were very weak, but then they started to improve. The mares received lots of love, especially from Signe's daughter, Karoline. Thankfully, both mares are doing much better now.
"My dream is that there won't be a need for us. I really want to be part of changing horse welfare in Spain."
To endure the daily challenges of dealing with neglected and abused horses, an immense amount of passion and motivation is required, and it is safe to say that Signe possesses these qualities.
Her greatest wish is for no horses to endure mistreatment, and thus she actively fights to change the overall horse welfare in Spain.
"Just because it's not happening in Denmark, we can't just close our eyes."
As the sanctuary is entirely run by volunteers, they welcome any help they can get. One notable example is Claus Toftgaard, who generously dedicated an entire month of his time, completely free of charge. Every day, he provided treatment and training to the horses, and both Signe and the other volunteers learned numerous exercises that they can continue to use with the horses. Signe expresses great enthusiasm for Claus's efforts, stating, 'It was absolutely fantastic, and he is truly amazing. It yields results in a different way, and it can inspire others. That's exactly what we need.'
If you would like to help Signe and her sanctuary, you can support them financially, donate materials such as used equipment or feed, volunteer at the sanctuary, become a member of the organization, or follow them on Facebook and show your positive support.
If you are involved in a company within the equestrian sector, you can also make donations. Feed, equipment, treatments, and similar contributions are greatly appreciated.
You can find more information on the sanctuary's Facebook page (provided below), where you are also welcome to contact Signe if you have any questions or would like to help.
Read also: The 8 hardest things about losing a horse
