In 2004 in a joint operation, Bransby along with the RSPCA and Redwings came to the aid of 72 abandoned horses in Lincolnshire. 23 of the horses came to Bransby, a mixture of mares, foals and stallions. In this group was Chocolate, a lovely 4 year old Shetland mare. She came in with her foal at foot. Unfortunately the foal had to be put to sleep soon after arrival due to his failing health.

 
Once Chocolate started her rehabilitation process she was not afraid to tell us she was in charge (or so she thought!).  Chocolate needed lots of handling work because she didn’t like the farrier, the equine dentist or being caught in the field. After extensive work she became more trusting and friendly towards the staff. She learnt to stand for her feet to be trimmed and loves the attention from the visitors and staff. She is much better for her teeth now and with the right home it was felt that she was ready to be put forward for the ‘Friend 4 Life’ scheme.  Chocolate is a loving and sweet mare who loves having cuddles, she deserved a permanent home with one on one attention.  This permanent home came in the form of Barbara who has already been fostering one of our ponies – Billy Brownie for over 10 years.

Barbara had recently enquired about re-homing a pony to live with Billy Brownie, a Shetland that she already fosters from Bransby. As Billy is blind in one eye Barbara wanted to find him a friend to live with full time. Barbara came to look at a few Shetlands and Chocolate was very keen to go home with her. She passed her vetting and Barbara came to collect her on Friday.

Once she got her home Barbara says that “She settled in immediately and showed Billy whose boss! Billy Brownie just loves everything and everyone so he didn't argue and they have got on well right from the word go.  She is not backwards in coming forward and is into everything at the first opportunity, including the feed store!”

Bransby strives to help each individual animal and is proud to be able to re home as many animals as we can, in Chocolate and Billy’s case they have found their ideal home with the perfect partnership. To find out more about our Re-homing scheme and read some of our other rehoming success stories please click here 

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Bransby is delighted to report that following the distressing theft of Rosie, Sarah has been reunited with her beloved mare. Rosie was spotted in the south of Lincolnshire and is now back at home with Angus and Heidi.

Thank you to everyone who helped circulate information about Rosie and kept an eye out for her. Horse theft is a serious problem and sadly does not always have the happy ending experienced by Sarah and Rosie.

To minimise the risk of horse theft:

• Microchip and / or freezemark your horse and put up signs on gates to let people know you have taken these measures.
• Invest in a heavy duty chain and padlock. Really robust ones will not be cheap but are far more effective.
• Ensure your gate cannot be lifted off at the hinges.
• Good quality fencing is not only better at keeping your horses in, it can help to keep unwanted people out! Fencing is a big investment, but there are many benefits to digging deep on this if you can.
• Look at all access routes to your yard or field and ensure there are not obvious back routes in which may be beneficial to criminals.
• Make friends with your neighbours and let them have your mobile number so they can contact you should any strange people or vehicles be seen around your yard or field.
• Keep up to date with horse theft alerts and related crimes in your area by joining your local horsewatch group. Go to www.ukhorsewatch.org.uk for more information.

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Bransby Home of Rest for Horses has pulled out all the stops to care for 30 abandoned ponies who were in urgent need of good food, routine care and a safe home.

The group of young cobs arrived at Bransby on 13th January after local authority officers authorised their removal from a site in South Wales. The ponies were successfully transported and accommodated in a joint operation by a number of charities who came together to secure the future of these neglected youngsters including Redwings, Horseworld, the Donkey Sanctuary, the Blue Cross and World Horse Welfare.

Bransby agreed to take on the largest group from the rescue, despite the Charity already being very stretched over the winter months. Bransby’s Head of Equine Operations, Philip York, explains ‘Rescue work is not only about taking animals out of an environment of cruelty or neglect, it also means being able to bring them back to health and provide them with a secure future, with all the knowledge, time and expense that involves. Although it is a huge investment, we are totally committed to giving these lovely ponies the new life they need.’

Every one of Bransby’s 30 new arrivals will receive much needed attention, including worming, farriery and veterinary assessment. As a feral group, the ponies also will require specialist handling to help them establish a positive relationship with their carers and enable them to benefit from life in a domestic environment. Taking on feral ponies is a particular area of expertise and Bransby is one of a limited number of organisations around the UK that has the specialist experience and facilities needed to rehabilitate these challenging equines.
Times are tough for charities in the present climate, but staff at Bransby are working extremely hard to ensure that these delightful ponies can finally receive all the care and kindness they have been denied for so long.

We will keep you all informed on their progress

Please help us to help these very special horses. If you would like to make a donation please click the donate online button at the top of the page or alternatively pick up the phone and call 01427 788464. Your help is greatly appreciated.

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Welfare work never stops! While most people were enjoying a break over the festive period, Bransby was investigating a report of a thin mare with an injured eye in Nottinghamshire. At the site, it quickly became apparent that the horse was in urgent need of help: she was extremely thin, had a serious and painful eye condition and a mature foal still suckling from her. Working with the RSPCA, a veterinary surgeon and the police, Bransby was able to bring mother and son into our care the following day and start giving the mare all the help she so desperately needed.

With good food, de-worming drugs and a sheltered environment, festively named Holly and Noel soon showed signs of feeling better. Holly’s eye continued to be a real concern though, and not long after her arrival our veterinary surgeon removed the diseased eyeball and cleaned the area thoroughly. This is not an uncommon operation and the area heals remarkably quickly.

Noel was more than old enough to be weaned and now spends most of his time playing with Herbie, another recent Bransby rescue. Not having to feed her youngster has also helped Holly to put on weight and she is already looking and acting like a different horse! We still have a long way to go to help Holly back into really good condition, but Bransby is delighted to have been able to step in and give this deserving pair the very happy new year they so needed.

In just three weeks Holly has gained over 10kg and is already starting to look better. .	Noel ( at the back) has also filled out and is growing into an extremely handsome young chap!

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Bransby foster carer Sarah Nettesheim was distraught when she arrived at her horse’s field on January 15th to find her much loved mare Rosie gone. Rosie shared a field with Bransby foster horse Angus and veteran mare Heidi and the two remaining horses are lost without their kind natured friend.

Rosie is a nineteen year old, 15.2hh piebald cob with very distinctive markings and two wall eyes. She is extremely friendly and good to handle and unfortunately her obliging character would have made the theft much easier. “She was always first to the fence to come and say hello” says Sarah “She was the kindest horse you could hope to meet and I am distraught at losing her this way. I just want her home with Angus and Heidi again”.

Please help by checking any piebald cobs that appear in your local area to see if the markings are similar to Rosie’s.

Description of Rosie: Rosie has very distinctive features including 2 wall eyes (blue), 1 white ear and 1 black ear and she was wearing a brown shires tempest combo rug when she was taken.

Anyone with any information at all should ring Lincolnshire police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 quoting incident number 120-15/1.

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Back in December we received a call from the RSPCA who were urgently looking for a permanent home for a mare and a gelding in need of specialist care. The two animals, Oliver and Sundance had been living a semi- feral life together for some time and had received little handling, and little veterinary or farriery attention.  Both of them had overgrown hooves but Sundance had one particular hoof that was quite long and had grown twisted.  The owner had agreed to sign the horses over to the Charity so we readily agreed to take them back to our Herefordshire site where we are well equipped to deal with unhandled and semi-feral ponies.

Once again, our farrier has worked wonders, and Sundance’s hooves are now starting to look almost normal.  Despite the lack of care these two animals had received, they now appear to be thriving and the lengthy task of handling them and getting them used to people can begin.  However, Oliver is very reliant on Sundance and as a result he cannot be separated from her at the moment.  We hope to build up his confidence enough so that they can both eventually join one of our herds either here at Priory Farm or at our main site in Lincolnshire.

One of Bransby’s most popular adoption equines is being treated by our vets for a condition affecting her back and legs. Beautiful bay mare Lizzie is now well into her twenties, having been rescued from terrible neglect back in 1991 in a case that was widely reported in the media and resulted in her owner being jailed. Following intensive, round the clock care at the time, Lizzie made an amazing recovery and has enjoyed a long and healthy life with us here at the Charity. Unfortunately the years have caught up with her and she has now developed a condition which affects her nervous system.

Bransby staff noticed recently that Lizzie was not walking well and had some swelling in one of her hind legs. Vets assessed her and prescribed medication but her condition did not improve as hoped. Further tests showed that Lizzie has arthritic changes in her spine which affect the ability of her nerves to send messages to her back legs. This means that at times she appears unco-ordinated and is slower to move and respond to what is happening around her than usual. Lizzie is getting all the special care and veterinary treatment that she needs and being kept happy and comfortable and given lots of fuss by our staff.

Lizzie understandably has a lot of adopters and fans who have remembered and supported this very special horse who survived against the odds all those years ago. We will keep everyone informed of Lizzie’s progress through the Bransby website and continue to work with vets to give her all the love and care she needs and deserves.

Our local supporter Kenina Platts kindly offered to organise a sponsored charity drive along with her friends through the village of Collingham

This was a brilliant and festive idea to raise funds for the horses, ponies, donkeys and mules in our care.

The event was a great success with everyone joining in the festive spirit. All the carriages were beautifully decorated with Christmas tinsel and decorations.  Kind donations were collected on their journey round the village. One of our horses, Lillie, who is part of our Re-homing Scheme joined the procession with her fosterer.

Even though it was a little chilly, everyone still remained committed and a huge thank to Kenina and friends for their great efforts for the successful fundraising event and to all who kindly supported them.

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This year Grand Christmas Draw has been another great success and raised vital funds for the horses, ponies donkeys and mules in our care. The Raffle was drawn by our President, Clifford Marshall and General Manager, Joanne Snell on Monday 19th December. A huge thank you to all who participated, your support is greatly valued.

The Winners are:

1st Prize                 £1000   Ticket No 400194
                                Mrs B Vale of Somerset

2nd Prize                 £500   Ticket No 576140
                                Mrs A Comery of Derby 

3rd Prize                 £250   Ticket No 890880
                                Mrs L Fiddes of Duns 

4th Prize                 £100   Ticket No 763484
                                Mrs P Sidebottom of Scarborough 

5th Prize                 £25   Ticket No 601682
                                Mr B Galvin of Bedford

6th Prize                 £25   Ticket No 659050
                                Mrs D Porter of Stirling 

7th Prize                 £25   Ticket No 273077
                                Miss G Harris of Warwick 

8th Prize                 £10   Ticket No 855291 Mrs D Entwistle of Darwen

9th Prize                 £10   Ticket No 378110
                                Mrs K Walker of London 

10th Prize               £10   Ticket No 489163
                                Mrs L Jennings of Saltash 

Our next raffle is intended to be held in the Spring.

A young pony tethered on waste land in the Ermine area of Lincoln was rescued this week in partnership with the RSPCA and is loving his new life here at Bransby Home of Rest for Horses!

Bransby, the RSPCA, local council and police had all received numerous calls and emails from locals concerned about the pony. Bransby welfare staff had visited the pony on several occasions and although tethering is not illegal, there were several points of specific concern about how and where the pony was being tethered in this case. Working with the RSPCA and local council to try and secure a better life for the pony, the owner eventually agreed to sign his animal over and this sweet youngster was collected by the Bransby team later the same day.

Now named Herbie, our new arrival is only around 18 months old. He is still growing and definitely full of life and energy now that he has the freedom to show his personality! In a safe environment with knowledgeable people to handle and care for him, Herbie can finally put his very unsuitable start in life behind him and Bransby will make sure this delightful youngster enjoys the happy, healthy future he deserves.

If you would like to help support Herbie in his new home, please give a donation by clicking on the following http://www.justgiving.com/bransby-home-of-rest-for-horses or ring 01427 788464.

Bransby is very sad to report that we have had to say goodbye to our much loved resident and adoption star Carrot.

This elderly gent was rescued with his close companion Spud in September 2009, both being found in terrible condition. Their neglect was the subject of a high profile campaign on the Horse and Hound website as images of the two ponies shocked people all over the country.

In the capable hands of Bransby staff, Carrot and Spud both made a fantastic recovery and were able to enjoy life again with all the special veteran care they deserved. Despite his advanced years, Carrot gained more than 100kg in five months with just good food and routine care and was a very characterful pony; bright and sociable and not always as co-operative as our staff might have liked! When we sadly lost Spud to cancer earlier this year, Carrot coped well with the loss of his friend and was able to rely on his other Bransby companions to help him adjust.

Carrot has been full of life and character since his rescue. In recent weeks, however, staff have been concerned that this special pony was starting to lose weight and showing signs of struggling to get up after lying down in his stable or rolling in the field. Our vet examined Carrot and discovered that the left side of his heart had stopped working. This meant that Carrot’s remaining heart and bodily systems were having to work very hard to try and keep his body going, but they would not be able to keep this up for very long. There is no treatment for such a serious condition and to ensure that Carrot was not put at risk because of his failing heart, the decision was made to put him to sleep.

Carrot was believed to be more than 30 years old when we lost him. This is a great age for a pony, particularly one that has suffered the effects of severe neglect. When Bransby took on the care of Carrot and Spud, we were determined to give them both the very best quality of life we could for as long as possible, but not to shy away from our responsibility as owners when the time came to say good bye.

Thank you to everyone who has followed Carrot’s progress from rescue to rehabilitation and those who have supported him through the Bransby adoption scheme.

Thank you to all those who have written such beautiful comments on the Horse and Hound Forum This means a lot to us and shows just how much Carrot will be sadly missed .

Bransby Holds it first Christmas Fayre in over 20 years

On Saturday 10th December Bransby held its first Christmas Fayre. Although the weather was vey cold a great day was had by all. Over 127 cars were recorded coming through the gates and we raised over £1900 on the day so a big thank you goes out to all those who came and every one who volunteered their help for the day.

Throughout the afternoon there was something for everyone, Santa arrived on his very unique sleigh and then proceeded to his Grotto along with his happy little elf. Adoption donkeys Domino and Nero where out to greet the public as they entered the grotto. We had carol singers and Christmas craft stalls which were very popular. There were festive refreshments available including Mulled wine and mince pies and the turning on of the Christmas lights.

Bransby would like to say a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all its supporters. We look forward to seeing everyone next year

Santa Arriving on a very Special Sleigh	Christmas Craft Stalls
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Bransby has been out and about over the winter season Promoting at Shows and markets both locally and nationwide.

On the 15th and 16th October Bransby visited the Robin Hood Country and Game Show, where we were joined by Karen Thompson and Hovis himself for a book signing. This event was organised bu Aztec who we would like to say a big Thank you to for providing us with a stall. A big Thanks goes to Karen and Hovis for joinig us.

On the 29th September and the 21st October we attended the Monty Roberts UK Tour at Arena UK and Bishop Burton College. We would like to say a big thank you to Monty and Kelly Marks who kindly arranged for us to have stalls at these events. If you would like any further information on the work that Kelly and Monty do visit the Intelligent Horsemanship website http://www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk

On the 6th November Bransby attended the Animal Charities Fair in Camden, London. It was lovely to see so many valued supporters here. For further information on the fair go to http://animalcharitiesfair.org.uk/about.html

On 12th, 13th of November we Visited Your Horse Live. The First time that Bransby has gone to Your Horse Live, and what a response!!!!                                              The show took place at the Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire and was run over two days, We had a fantastic time talking to existing supporters and also hopefully gaining many new ones. We were very lucky and had Karen Thompson (the author of Hovis’s Diary) join us on both days, this gave people the opportunity to buy the book, have a chat with Karen about Hovis’s antics and also get there book signed   -A Big Thank you to Karen unfortunately Hovis wasn’t able to go to the event, so we took the next best thing, a life size cut out picture of the Big Boy. A big thank you goes to Ian and Jane who volunteered their time to help out on the stall, we couldn’t have done it without you. We also had a few famous names drop into the stall including Oliver Townsend, and Kelly Marks. Further information on this show can be found at http://www.yourhorse.co.uk/your-horse-live-2011/

The same weekend we also attended The Newark and Notts Rare Breeds and Tractor Show which was organised by the Newark and Notts Showground. A big Thank you goes to them for providing us with a stall for the weekend.

Bransby has also attended many local Christmas markets where it has been lovely to meet so many of our valued supporters and also met quite a lot of new ones.

From the 1st -4th December we attended Lincoln Christmas market, where people travelled from far and wide to visit this famous market. It was a very successful weekend and Thank you to our dedicated team who braved the cold weather and the crowds to man the Bransby stall for the weekend.

A huge Thank you goes to all who have been involved in the shows and Markets and all who came along to support us.

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Back in October we took into care a very young foal suffering from pneumonia.  Topaz was born very late in the season when the weather had started to turn wetter and colder and there was little shelter available for her and her mum. 

We are pleased to be able to tell you that she has made a marvellous recovery and is fighting fit and growing bigger and stronger by the day.  However, Topaz was born with another condition that needed specialist care; she has a condition described as ‘tendon laxity’ in her hindlegs.  This resulted in her walking on the soft tissue of her heels rather than on her hooves.  If left unchecked, this could have caused considerable discomfort and more serious complications as she grew and developed.  Our farrier and vet have worked closely together over the last 6 weeks, making specialist plastic glue on shoes for Topaz to lift her heels and get her tendons working properly and this week she has finally had her shoes removed and is walking on her hooves for the first time. before any real suffering has occurred.

Topaz’s mum, Mystique, has taken everything in her stride and is a very good mother to this special little foal.  Topaz and her mum will stay together well into the new year as Topaz is still only just over two months old.  There was also another horse that came with Mystique and Topaz, a delightful, very elderly mare called Lea.  When we collected Lea, we were advised that she was pregnant but thankfully this is not the case.  Lea is a very sensible and kind mare and lives next door to Mystique and Topaz and all three go out in the field together when it’s playtime!

Bransby staff are very sad to report that following the rescue of two ponies from Ross on Wye last week, one of the new arrivals had to be put to sleep at the weekend despite being just two years old.

Signs of Codie’s poor health had prompted the rescue operation. Underweight and appearing dull and depressed, Codie received immediate veterinary assessment and treatment on his arrival at Bransby. It quickly became apparent that the pony was infested with parasitic worms which had caused extensive and irreversible damage to his digestive system. For Codie, it was simply too late and as his condition continued to deteriorate rapidly, humane euthanasia became the only way of preventing this sweet pony from suffering further.

Controlling parasitic worms is an essential part of caring for equines. If left unchecked, worms will breed rapidly and can cause terrible disruption and damage to a horse’s body. By the time symptoms of high worm burden can be seen, the situation is often serious and, in cases like Codie’s, can quickly become fatal. De-worming drugs cost just a few pounds and there should be no excuse for allowing a horse to lose its life in such a needless and painful way.

Thankfully Chester, who was rescued along with Codie, has settled in well and is making new friends. Bransby’s rigorous de-worming programme will help him to enjoy a long and healthy life and ensure that he never has to endure the sad fate of his young companion.

Following a call from the Animal Health department at Hereford Trading Standards we have today taken into care two ponies from the Ross-on-Wye area

After initially visiting the two ponies, which were located in a small field in the middle of Ross town it was clear that their current living circumstances were less than ideal.  The field entrance was by a busy town centre road and there were a number of broken beer bottles and cans around the gateway along with various other debris which had been thrown into the ponies field.  In addition to this, the Trading Standards officer was concerned about the immediate health of one of the ponies, Codie. 

Codie was underweight and quite lethargic.  Due to a change in circumstance, the owner was no longer able to care for the ponies and agreed to sign over their ownership to the Charity.  Codie and his companion, Chester, are now happily settled back at our Priory Farm site and will both be examined by the vet later today.

The plight of the Dartmoor pony has concerned us here at the Charity for some time.

Back in 2009 we took into care 9 ponies which have been rehabilitated at our Rescue Centre in Herefordshire. After a request from a local horse charity in Devon, we once again sent a small team to Dartmoor and have brought home a further 4 of these delightful ponies. Unfortunately local farmers and breeders continue to breed these ponies which have an uncertain future, even before they are born.

Many local commoners associations do try to limit the number of ponies being bred by removing stallions where possible. Unfortunately as we have found in Wales, this is not always achievable and one stallion left out with mares will result in many new  foals in the spring.

This coupled with the fact that bracken, gorse and scrub when not controlled will grow where grass is needed. With ever increasing demands placed upon grazing due to increased stocking densities, this all impacts upon the number of animals which common land can sustain and of course the animals welfare.

There are now less outlets for semi feral ponies, people simply are not buying them from sales. Whilst they do have a place on our wild areas of open land as conservation grazers, it must be managed in context with the animals welfare interests at heart and what is actually sustainable.

3 Mountain Ponies rescued after being found running free in a small village in Wales

Our relationship with Local Authorities in Wales is strong and we are now often the first Charity that many turn to when faced with equine welfare problems. We always try our utmost to help an animal in need, often moving our animals around our two farms to allow us to take animals into our care.

We recently received a request from Merthyr Tydfil Trading Standards to help with 3 wild mountain ponies running free in the village of Pant, Merthyr Tydfil. Being close to bonfire night meant that in all probability these ponies, unless taken into care quickly, would be terrorised by fireworks. This led us to send the team from Stoke Prior to pick them up and bring them safely home. The 3 ponies were undoubtedly dumped and left to fend for themselves. A regular occurrence in this part of South Wales. 

Following a telephone call from a concerned member of the public on Saturday, the Charity has taken into care two mares and a foal.

The animals, all belonging to an elderly gentleman living in an isolated farm in Herefordshire, who had become too frail to be able to cater for their needs.

Mystique one of the mares had a foal 2 weeks ago. The foal that staff have named Topaz, contracted Pneumonia and was very poorly. She has received Veterinary attention and will continue to be closely monitored to help her overcome this potentially life threatening infection.
The second mare is elderly and in foal so will need specialist care from our dedicated staff to ensure her needs are met.
Fortunately we were notified quickly enough, which has enabled us to react in time before any real suffering has occurred.

The ownership of these animals is now in the safe hands of Bransby Home of Rest for Horses and we will keep you all informed of their progress.