Horses of Gili
Website: www.horsesofgili.com
Horses of Gili is a nonprofit organization founded by the residents of the largest island(Gili Trawangan) of the 3 Gili Islands that are located off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia. Horses of Gili runs independently with the support from Animal Aid abroad to create a charity vet clinic as well as a horse rescue.
The working horses on the Islands either pull carts designed to carry goods such as Bintang Beer and other such items, or they pull a Cidomo which is a traditonal passenger cart that takes tourists and residents to various spots on the islands. Thus, we are striving to help provide the best living conditions and standards of care for these horses as much as possible while still understanding that the locals rely on the horses for income and that they are a tradition handed down through generations.
We provide free veterinary clinics several times a year since there are no veterinarians on any of the islands. We also provide donated bits and bridles, padding for harnesses, and boots to help protect the horses from accidental injury. One of our primary goals is to educate regarding basic diet and care, including not giving salty water, and keeping the horses feet trimmed and properly shod. This is a long term project with many obstacles in the way such as the lack of funds, cultural barriers, language barriers and a remote location. All of our funds are donated either through the Gili Eco Trust which collects donations of Rp 50,000 per diver on the islands or through fund raisers.
At any given time, we have more than 6 horses to care for on a daily basis and always an assortment of cats and goats and perhaps other critters. We can provide a shared accommodation for Rp 100,000 per night for volunteers. We always need people to clean, organize, Medicare, groom etc. Volunteers should be comfortable around animals.
If you are interested in volunteering, please leave your contact details in the Express Interest section down below.