Desperate Horse Owners
But with a fall in public donations, the charity is unable to take on any more horses.
Committed to the care of 114 horses, ponies and donkeys already retired at the sanctuary and its ongoing work with emergency welfare cases the charity has had to make a very difficult decision.
"We simply can't afford to take in any more animals at the moment. It costs us more than £17 a day to keep a horse here and with people donating less, we have no option but to close our doors to new horses temporarily," said Paul Jepson, Chief Executive and Veterinary Director of The Horse Trust
"Owners simply can't find anyone who is willing to take on an older horse, so euthanasia is often the only option they have," said Mr Jepson.
Over the last six months, The Horse Trust has been receiving over 100 requests every month from people who need to rehome their horse. Over the same period a year ago, less than 20 owners a month contacted The Horse Trust.
"Every day I hear another story from someone who has been affected by the credit crunch and is distraught about what to do with their horse. One caller I spoke to recently was a contractor who hadn't been paid as his main client had gone bust. Another had been made redundant and was now living off his partner's income," said Liane Crowther, the Equine Welfare and Education Officer for the charity.
"It's so hard to tell them that we can't help and that they may have to put down their horse," said Liane.
She continued, “We may not be able to offer their horse a place at the sanctuary but are always at the end of the telephone as each case is different and we like to help everyone individually as best we can.”
One of the last horses to be taken in by The Horse Trust is Rosie, a pony in her mid-20s, whose Nottingham owner Dorothy Shaw, 63, could no longer afford Rosie's upkeep when her husband Peter died.
"When my husband suddenly died of a heart attack I couldn't afford to keep Rosie any more. He had always paid for her upkeep - I'm only living on a pension so can't afford it on my own," said Dorothy. "We were absolutely elated when we heard that The Horse Trust was able to take her in - it was a big weight lifted off my shoulders."
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