Escape Xmas Stress
The Horse Trust sanctuary in Speen, Buckinghamshire will be open nearly every day over the Christmas period. The sanctuary for retired and rescue horses will be open between 2 and 4pm every day over the Christmas holidays apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day.
"With so many local attractions closed over the Christmas holidays, it can be hard finding something to do over the Christmas holidays," said Susan Lewis, Marketing Manager at The Horse Trust. "If you need some time out this Christmas, why not pay us a visit? The sanctuary is in a peaceful and tranquil location in the Chiltern Hills and is an excellent remedy for Christmas stress."
Visitors to The Horse Trust over the Christmas period will have the opportunity to meet some of the residents at the sanctuary, including retired Greater Manchester Police horse Snodgrass. While working for the police, Snodgrass was involved in high-profile work such as patrolling crime hotspots and crowd control at Manchester United football matches.
Snodgrass is prone to losing weight over the winter, so staff bring him into his stable every afternoon and evening, where he appears more content and eats better.
Other animals that visitors will be able to meet over the Christmas period include Briar, a hinny that retired to the sanctuary in 2004 when Battersea Children's Zoo closed down, and Kylie, who at 40 years old is the sanctuary's oldest horse.
Routine is important to the horses at the sanctuary, so there is no change to their routine over the Christmas period.
The grooms at the sanctuary are split into two teams with one team working over Christmas and the other team working over the New Year.
This rota is swapped each year, so the grooms get every other Christmas off.
On Christmas and Boxing Day, the grooms only work until 1230, so they can spend the afternoon with their families. Three staff who live on site work on Christmas and Boxing Day afternoon to give the horses their afternoon feed and check on them at night.
Shirley Abbott, Yard Manager at The Horse Trust, will be providing cover on Boxing Day. "I don't mind working on Boxing Day afternoon - it's only for a few hours," said Shirley. "Any family that are visiting will be roped into helping me out, which will make it quick work!"
For more information about visiting the The Horse Trust's Home of Rest for Horses, go to www.horsetrust.org.uk. Entrance to the sanctuary is free, but donations are welcomed to help the charity meet its running costs. It costs the charity around £17 per day to look after each horse at the sanctuary.
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