When the war in Ukraine began in 2022, it was not only people who were left in urgent need of support. Thousands of horses lost the owners who cared for them and the safe environments they once called home.

Horse Paradise Social Ranch rescues horses from war-affected areas of Ukraine and provides refuge for animals that have been evacuated, displaced, or abandoned.

What is Horse Paradise Social Ranch?

Since 2023, Horse Paradise Social Ranch has been operating in the village of Zhukyn, offering safety and care to horses rescued and evacuated from areas affected by constant hostilities and fighting along the front line. Many of these horses are found by members of the military after their homes have been destroyed by the conflict.

The ranch, which currently provides a home for 54 rescued horses, was once abandoned itself. Founders Halyna Nahorna and Ksenia Berezna, alongside volunteers, rebuilt the site from the ground up. There were no stables, no suitable paddocks, and no facilities to meet the horses’ individual needs, so extensive work was required before the ranch could begin its life-changing mission.

What was once an abandoned site has become a place of refuge, recovery, and quiet safety for horses that have already endured far too much.

Rehabilitation and Recovery

Many of the horses that arrive at the ranch require both physical rehabilitation and emotional support. They often need help recovering from injury, coping with traumatic evacuations, and learning to socialise again with other horses and people. Although the ranch cannot currently fund daily training, it does arrange organised training sessions at least once a week.

Rosynka, one of the horses evacuated from the Derhachi Children’s Youth Equestrian School, suffered severe damage to one eye after the school was repeatedly shelled. When she arrived at the ranch, the eye had to be removed. Following careful rehabilitation, she is now living comfortably with her evacuation companion, Richard. Both horses are now 31 years old.

Some horses were able to return to the Derhachi school a year after the shelling, while Richard and Rosynka remained at the ranch, where they now enjoy a safe, calm and well-deserved retirement.

How Do We Help?

Maintaining a facility like Horse Paradise Social Ranch is costly. As the ranch does not receive state funding, it relies on donations from charitable foundations, individual supporters, and volunteers. Each month, the cost of caring for the horses alone can reach nearly £4,000, excluding essential improvements to the ranch and day-to-day maintenance.

To support this work, Hilton Herbs has donated more than £3,000 worth of supplements so far to help maintain the horses’ health, wellbeing, and recovery, while also providing comfort during extremely difficult circumstances.

The ranch received Equimmune to help strengthen the horses’ immune systems, Freeway to support respiratory health, Calm & Collected to ease stress, Phytobalm for minor cuts and abrasions, and, of course, Herballs.

Kseniya shared: “Hilton Herbs supplements have been especially valuable because they are not only healthy and beneficial for the horses, but also genuinely enjoyable for them. Small moments of comfort like this make a meaningful difference for animals that have experienced trauma, stress, and displacement.”

We are incredibly proud to provide care and supportive nutrition to Horse Paradise Social Ranch as it continues its critical rehabilitation work, particularly for senior horses, weakened horses, and those recovering both physically and emotionally.

Every horse at the ranch represents a life saved, a trauma answered with care, and a second chance made possible through compassion. The ranch makes a real and visible difference to the lives of these animals, and we are privileged to play a small part in supporting that mission.