Fundraiser launched to cover enormous vet bills of the South West’s most popular miniature horse, Taffy

The South West’s most popular miniature horse needed extensive surgery last week after coming down with life-threatening colic. Taffy, the 15-year-old miniature therapy horse from Giddy Up Taffy & Friends, has been forced to take a break from his regular visits to aged care centres across the region, after needing to be rushed to the vet to treat his condition. While Taffy is now on to mend, his owner Tracey Booth has been left with an enormous vet bill of more than $15,000 and is calling on the community to help in any way they can by launching a GoFundMe campaign. Ms Booth said Taffy started showing concerning signs on Monday evening last week and was urgently rushed to the vet. The next day she was told he needed surgery and given an estimated vet bill of about $15,000 for treatment. “I said, do what you need to — I’ll sell a kidney if I need to,” Ms Booth said. Taffy underwent five hours of surgery and has spent the past week at the vet hospital recovering, though Ms Booth said she hoped to have him home by the end of the week. For the past five years Taffy has been a regular sight at aged care centres from Bunbury to Margaret River, helping thousands over the years feel better. Taffy has proven to be such an asset to the community the miniature icon was awarded a gold medal at the RSPCA WA Animal Welfare Awards in 2024. Ms Booth said Taffy is a truly one-in-a-million horse and she would do anything to make sure he can keep helping the community for many more years to come. “He provides so much for so many people — so I know the importance of a little bit of love for someone, and how far it can make someone feel better,” she said. “And he’ll certainly make me feel better when he comes home.” Ms Booth said she has already been blown away by the support and generosity of the community having received an overwhelming amount of kind messages and support from across the region. “I’m very appreciative of everything that anyone could do,” she said. “As soon as we can get back out to the community, we’ll give it back tenfold.”