Inside Brighton’s brilliantly bizarre ‘animal’ sanctuary for abandoned clothes horses

As someone who spent much of her adolescence devoted to a Lemur named Ron who lived at Howletts Zoo, I can empathise with those who want to protect vulnerable species.

That’s why I knew I was going to enjoy my conversation with Sam Smith – a Brighton-based activist who’s spent the last decade rescuing, caring, and mending abandoned clothes horses.

As I waited for the 33-year-old to join me on Zoom, I had a million questions: Why did you start collecting clothes horses left by strangers on the street? Why open a sanctuary dedicated to a household item? And what’s the real message behind it all?

Never once breaking character, which included regularly referring to the clothes horses as ‘animals’, our chat was both enlightening and entertaining.

And while some might call his passion project ‘absurd’, it’s connected with thousands of people online.

‘Clothes horses are the quiet heroes in pretty much everyone’s house,’ he tells Metro.

‘Everyone’s had one, whether it’s at your childhood home or in a uni room. And most of us also have a memory attached to a clothes horse – it breaking or getting your fingers caught.’

I saw a herd of three abandoned just a few weeks ago

The smile that spreads across Sam’s face as he talks about the clothes horses reflects the deep affection that first prompted him to rescue one back in 2016.

After seeing so many dumped next to bins, often with broken hinges, the social care worker and father-of-two decided to take them home.

‘I started giving them all their own little stories. You know, “where have they been?”, “who was looking after them?”, “How did they end up here?”, “was it a drop-off in the middle of the night?”‘

Pretty soon, he shares, he had nine abandoned clothes horses taking up space in his small Brighton flat – all of whom he’d named (personal favourites include Rita and Ruth) and created extensive backstories for.

Describing how it quickly became apparent that he’d need a bigger space to keep the ‘herd’, Sam explains: ‘Clothes horses have a mind of their own, so although I’d put them to one side, I’d just step around the corner, knock one over, and it would jump back into life.’

Luckily, Sam had a friend who graciously offered to let him use some of his land to keep the ‘animals’ – a strip of gorgeous countryside where they graze still to this day.

Once a clothes horse is in his possession, Sam’s ultimate goal is to get it adopted – a process that involves him spending hours on local forums advertising the clothes horses and scanning for anyone new to the area in search of handy household items.

Outside of that, he also spends a lot of time fixing and nurturing them – emphasising that no clothes horse is a lost cause.

‘There’s always a way to fix up a clothes horse. Some of the bigger medical procedures – like a snapped leg – are tricky but then it’s time to improvise. Some of our clothes horses have been repaired with old discarded fans or bits of an old hoover, whatever we can get our hands on really.’

Day to day, life at the sanctuary is simple.

‘By the time I get to sanctuary in the morning the clothes horses are all ready and have had their breakfast. Firstly, I’ll check on the ones who’ve just arrived because, if they’ve got a broken leg, you don’t want to leave them around with that injury, because the hinges will start to rust.

‘After that we’d probably all go out, down near the river and in the countryside for some recreational activities. I also take them into town sometimes.

‘Then in the evening everyone gets together for some team building exercises. Once that’s done they’ll usually go straight into their paddocks.’

People have asked if they can sponsor a clothes horse

Although Sam has been rescuing clothes horses for a decade, it wasn’t until recently that he started documenting the journey and sharing it on social media.

With thousands of followers and over 111,000 likes, it’s safe to say that people have become incredibly invested in the sanctuary, and in Sam.

Comments range from ‘a clothes horse is not just for Christmas,’ to ‘Thank you for doing this important work’.

One particularly honest user, @rainbow, shared: ‘I’m ashamed to say I’ve previously overworked and abused one of mine with a heavy blanket. Poor thing buckled under the weight but managed to make it. I’ll do better now.’

A number of users have also expressed interest in sponsoring some of the animals. At £3 per month, donations like these help Sam keep the operation afloat.

However, he does have exciting plans to hopefully start including Christmas cards and horse clothes plushies in future sponsorship packages.

So… Why does Sam do it?

This is a fun story, yes. Much like so many other wonderful and whimsical corners of the internet, it offers giggles and well-needed respite from everyday life.

But, amidst all of this imagination, there is a real topic of conversation here.

From naming different clothes horse breeds to seriously discussing their tendency to leave peg droppings on the stable floor, Sam knows exactly what he’s doing.

He explains that while the humour of this objectively bizarre crusade might reel people in, underneath is a genuine message about ‘repairing, reusing and valuing things rather than treating them as disposable.’

He tells Metro: ‘We’ve reached a point where people are actually bringing unwanted clothes horses to the sanctuary instead of throwing them away.

‘I have a house and outdoor space full of them, and I’ve rehomed a number of clothes horses with people who genuinely want to give them a second life.’

The sanctuary is taking a unique approach to raising awareness – calling out ‘Big Tumble’ and discussing a petition to get clothes horses classed as animals. But why not?

Sam’s dedication is admirable and, with so many clothes horses still out there – cold, alone and scattered across the streets of Brighton – I’m personally glad he’s got their backs.

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