Buddy the therapy horse legacy to live on in postcards

Buddy, the much-loved therapy horse killed in the June floods, will feature on postcards to raise awareness of the Riding for the Disabled Association.

• DoSomething! Day: Buddy the therapy horse inspires good deeds
• Heroic rescue ends sadly for much-loved therapy racehorse Buddy
• Buddy the charity therapy horse rescued from floods as two stablemates perish

BUDDY the therapy horse, who died tragically in the June storms, has been immortalised on a postcard.

“The cards will be distributed on July 27 which is very exciting,” Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) Nepean Centre assistant coach, Helen Monday, said of the free Avant Cards advertising postcards, found nationally in cafes and cinemas, among other places.

He’s pictured with surviving stablemate Jasper.

“It’s a beautiful image of them touching nose to nose,” Ms Monday said of the photo depicted, by RDA-Nepean volunteer Herman Ivanoff.

Buddy, a retired harness racehorse, was one of three RDA-Nepean horses found along the South Creek riverbed in the heavy rains.

Charlie and another retired harness racehorse, ‘Sumatran Tiger’, were found dead but Buddy survived the night. A horse belonging to a young local girl was also found dead on the creekline after being swept about 2km.

Since the storms, friends and strangers have rallied to support RDA-Nepean including on DoSomething! Day.

Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) Nepean Centre therapy horses Buddy (now deceased) and Jasper, as featured on the new Avant Card postcard coming out later this month.

The words on the back of the Avant Card postcard. “Last year I made a successful application for the sponsored promotional postcard campaign,” RDA-Nepean Centre’s Helen Monday said.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist the centre, Graham O’Kell presented a $15,000 cheque on behalf of the Great Walk Foundation, Idlewild Hot Rod Club Penrith branch donated $500, and a new Facebook group was created.

The closed ‘South Creek Horse Community’ group is “a place for horse people who live or agist along South Creek to share and discuss local knowledge, weather warnings and contingency plans”, Ms Monday said.

“I had quite a few people contact me and through that, in the event something similar happens in the future — and we all pray it doesn’t — it’s a way people can network.”

She said the association is determined to re-open its centre, where 25 disabled people usually ride, before their annual fundraising event on October 1.

She said the horses, who are temporarily homed in Box Hill, were “happy and healthy and easing back into training”.

“Archie, who was seriously injured (after being washed over a fence in the June storm), is healing quickly and is expected to make a full recovery, as is Gizmo,” Ms Monday said.

“Jasper, Toby, Queenie and our 31-year-old Arab mare Annie are getting over their bumps and bruises.”

Helen Monday with Gizmo, who was rescued by a heroic neighbour after he became entangled in a fence during the June heavy rains. Picture: Matthew Sullivan

HOW TO HELP

■ Help with cleaning and restoration at RDA-Nepean Centre every Saturday

■ Tickets for their yearly fundraiser go on sale on August 1 (Horses’ Birthday)

■ The event will have horsemanship and riding demonstrations, kids’ activities, entertainment

■ Details: www.facebook/rdansw.nepean, email [e-mail]