About Us

Protecting the working cart horse from abuse since 1995

Vision

A regulated carting industry on the Cape Flats, with all working cart horses fit, healthy and comfortable in their work.

Mission

To protect working cart horses and donkeys from abuse, and contribute to the social upliftment of the Cape Flats carting community.

Aim

To provide clinic, patrol, and call out response, veterinary, and rehabilitation services to all working cart horses and donkeys living on the Cape Flats, and support, education and training to cart horse owners and drivers who use working cart horses as a means of generating  income for themselves and their families.

Background

The carting industry today has a proud heritage rooted in District Six where horses and carts were used to “smouse” (hawk) fish, fruit, vegetables, bottles and bones.

Horses were kept in community stables, travelled short distances with light loads and business was lucrative for the cart horse owner.

With the forced removals to the Cape Flats, the lives of the cart horse owner, his family and his horses took a turn for the worst. Far from their markets, hawking was no longer a viable option and communities began using horses and carts for the collection of scrap metal as a means of generating an income.

This new carting industry led to the renting out of horses and carts and an increase in cart horse operators who had limited knowledge on how to properly care for and maintain a working horse. Consequently, badly shod, thin, overloaded, overworked and abused working cart horses became a common site on Cape Town’s roads.

In 1995 Cart Horse Protection Association (CHPA) was established, providing vital services and education to the cart horse owners from two rusty shipping containers in an attempt to address the appalling conditions in which these working horses lived and worked. Today, the Cart Horse Protection Association Clinic and Training Centre, located in Epping, boasts a farrier agency, harness shop, treatment stalls and paddocks, cart repair workshop, education and training room, administrative offices and a feed storage barn and provides services to over 400 working cart horses and their owners.

Regulation of the carting industry

In September 2010 the first step to the regulation of the carting industry was taken by the introduction of identification plates for the carts.

The ID plate is affixed to the back of the cart and denotes the horses name and Cart Horse Protection Association unique registration number which is captured on a central database with all the horse and owners information.

The ID plate ensures that the cart operators who contravene the Animal Protection Act or traffic regulations can be easily identified and traced through our Information Management System.

Training is also provided by the Inspectorate to City Law Enforcement Officers on how to detect abuse and inspect a horse and cart.

The training also offers an opportunity for Inspectors and law enforcement to share information on challenges and problems faced on the road with cart horse operators and formulate solutions in partnership.

Cart Horse Protection Association contributed Chapter 4 – Working Equines to the new City of Cape Town Animal By Law which was promulgated in August 2012.

Funding

Cart Horse Protection Association relies solely on fundraising efforts to fund the annual operational budget.  Fundraising activities include; events and promotions, direct mail appeals, social networking and grant proposals.

Our Status

Cart Horse Protection Association is:

• A registered NPO with the Department of Social Development
• A registered PBO with the South African Revenue Service. PBO Number 930000749.  All donations to the Association are tax deductible in terms of Article 18A of Income Tax Act No 58 of 1962.
• Classified as an ‘Exempt Micro Enterprise’ as per the Department of Trade and Industry’s Black Economic Empowerment Codes of Good Practice. We are a good BEE contributor and score between 65 – 75%, a BEE Recognition Level 4.
• Audited by Campbell & Co
• Governed by an active Management Committee which meets on a monthly basis and holds bi–annual Strategic Planning Workshops to ensure that our goals and objectives are aligned with the trends in the carting industry.

Cart Horse Protection Association (CHPA) is committed to the welfare of the working cart horse and will continue to be involved with the carting community at grassroots level, maintain a strong and dedicated leadership, encourage participation of our beneficiaries in protecting the welfare of the working horse and their source of income, provide education and training and ensure sound financial management of donor funds. Over the years, CHPA has proved to be a creditable NGO working in the field of animal welfare with excellent social investment returns for funders and donors.