Brownbread Horse Rescue Open Day

Brownbread Horse Rescue Open Day 16th May, 10.30 to 4pm

The annual Spring Open Day is an opportunity to visit our horses, ponies and donkeys and to meet some of our welfare officers. Our long-stay residents would love to meet you and pony rides will be going on all day under the supervision of Wendy.

Our bulging second-hand tack shop will be organised as usual by Mandy and she will be very happy to receive any tack donations you care to bring on the day; any horsey gear or riding kit would be most
welcome to help us raise funds. Such donations contribute greatly to our funds and are much appreciated. If you want a stall or sell from your car-boot you can have as much space as you want.

If you have a few hours to spare on the day we would be grateful for some help like monitoring the bouncy castle or taking dog show entries, assisting with pony rides or even performing on the stage! Even as I write this article I have received a report of welfare neglect which I must rush off to and this has now taken precedence over my preparations for the Open Day.

If you have ever organised such a day with lots of stalls, dog show, classic cars and performers you will know that it is very time consuming. I only hope that the many hours of preparation are worthwhile for the charity funds on the day as this last winter has eaten deeply into our small emergency reserves. The welfare case just reported concerns a large herd of horses belonging to an elderly breeder that is suffering from what we call, "the Elderly Breeders Syndrome". This means that the person will not or cannot stop producing animals which they are incapable of being able to look after.

Perhaps you know someone who fits this category? The 'syndrome' often further manifests itself by the colts not being castrated resulting in a mess of indiscriminate breeding and mares, with foal at foot, being
immediately put back in foal by whatever colt or stallion that happens around. Inevitably mares become very thin or emaciated while injuries occur from coltish/stallion behaviour.

On this same call-out I will be checking up on another herd suffering from long-term neglect while also trying to squeeze in a saddle fitting which is another service that we provide.

Info: 01424 892381
email tony.brownbread@tesco.net