HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh Visits Horse Sanctuary to Commemorate 40th Anniversary

On Tuesday 27 June 2023, HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh visited Remus Horse Sanctuary to commemorate its 40th anniversary.

The Duchess, who has been a patron of the charity since 2013, toured the Sanctuary and unveiled a commemorative plaque with founder, Sue Burton. The Duchess spoke to many members of the Remus team and volunteers, thanking them for their hard work and support.

During the visit to the Sanctuary, The Duchess was joined by Mr Vincent Thompson, His Majesty’s Deputy Lieutenant; Mr Charles Bishop, High Sheriff of Essex; Councillor Jill Reeves, Chair of Essex County Council; Councillor Linda Mascot, Mayor of Chelmsford City Council; Mr Nick Eveleigh, the Chief Executive of Chelmsford City Council, and Mr Andy Mariner, Assistant Chief Constable of Essex Police, before enjoying an anniversary lunch at the nearby and historic Ingatestone Hall with two more of the charity’s patrons: Lord Petre and his son The Hon. Dominic Petre, and Andrew Rosindell MP for Romford. Also in attendance at the lunch were many of Remus’ trustees, supporters, suppliers and vets.

Mrs Doreen Lowman, 95, a local fundraiser and long-term supporter of the Sanctuary presented The Duchess with a small posy of flowers. This is the Duchess’ first visit to the Sanctuary since her change in title earlier this year.

Founder, Sue Burton, thanked the Duchess for her time, saying: “I am so very proud to still be in the driving seat of Remus after 40 years. 40 years of helping animals but particularly equines.

“I am proud of what Remus has achieved in that time and the animals who have come through our gates that we have been able to turn round, from emaciated, terrified, beaten, and in two cases deliberately blinded wrecks, to animals now able to live and enjoy a normal happy life free from suffering, hunger and fear. To my mind these things should be a very basic right, not a privilege.

“I am proud to have Her Royal Highness here supporting our work. It’s a massive achievement and we, I, am so grateful that you could take the time from your busy schedule to be with us today Ma’am. Thank you so much.“

For further information on the welfare work of Remus Horse Sanctuary, visit www.remussanctuary.org or contact Sue Burton on tel: 01277 356191.

Images (credit Christopher Rushton):

Remus Founder Sue Burton and HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh with commemorative plaque
HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh meets rescue Dolly, our eldest horse, 39yrs
HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh meets rescue cat Smudge

Fun Dog Show and Family Day Out in Essex

Remus Horse Sanctuary will be opening its gates on Sunday 2 July to welcome members of the public for its fun Dog Show and Family Day from 1pm to 4pm. The Dog Show will commence at 2pm with bookings being taken from 1.30pm. Visitors will be able to meet Special Guest Minnie Mouse who will be making an appearance during the afternoon.

Open Days at the Sanctuary at Little Farm, Buttsbury, near Ingatestone, offer free parking on-site, with disabled access. Admission is charged at just £6 per adult and £4 for children. Cream Teas can be booked in advance for £15 per person, including entry. All dogs are welcome on a lead.

The popular novelty Dog Show includes fun classes such as: Bad Hair Day and Best Sausage Catcher, along with the more meaningful – Dogs with a Disability (blind, deaf or a life-changing illness) and of course, the ever-popular Best in Show. The 1st – 6th winner receives a rosette.

The Open Days are a vital source of fundraising for the charity which, due to its location on greenbelt land, can only open to the public for a limited number of days each year.

The Sanctuary provides rehabilitation and care for around 200 animals, including horses, ponies, donkeys, goats, sheep and cats, and has been doing so since it was founded in 1983. As a result, the charity has created its 40th Anniversary Challenge this year to help raise awareness of the sheer number of animals being born to die. Details of the 40th Anniversary Challenge can be viewed at: donate.giveasyoulive.com/campaign/40-anniversary-challenge.

Sue Burton, founder of the Sanctuary says, “Our fun dog shows offer a new dimension to our Open Days and we always look forward to inviting visitors to come and visit the Sanctuary and learn more about what we do.

“Young and old always have such a great time here. They get to meet some of our amazing animals and we give them an insight into the valuable work that we do in a fun way.

”This year is particularly special as we’re celebrating our 40th anniversary.”

To book tickets for the Open Day and Dog Show, visit the charity’s website at: www.remussanctuary.org/events/open-day-at-the-sanctuary-july.

For anyone wishing to sponsor a dog class at the event, especially local businesses, please email: info@remussanctuary.org. Further information is available on the website at www.remussanctuary.org and the charity’s Facebook page or contact Sue Burton on tel: 01277 356191.

The Rescue of Benjamin and his Friends

Sue Burton and her team have rescued thousands of animals over the past 40 years. Here she recalls the 40th animal that the charity rescued…

“I recall getting a phone call about some horses in Essex one snowy winter’s evening. We stumbled over fields that were 3 to 4 ft deep in snow. I gave up trying to count how many times I fell over in the pitch dark!”

When Sue and her colleagues entered the barn they stopped dead in their tracks – an animal Belsen was presented before them. The poor, poor ponies were emaciated, with large bald areas due to lice infestation. The sight of such vulnerable animals which were obviously being so cruelly and horrifically treated, was beyond comprehension. Sue said they couldn’t believe what they were seeing! The animals had no food, no water and no bedding. Their urine was frozen to the ground, and they stood in piles of dung. Every single one of their ‘five freedoms’ had been taken away from these dear creatures. It is a sight that Sue will never forget.

“The youngsters had never been let out of the barn and didn’t seem to know how to walk.”

When the horses could be taken out the next day, the youngsters’ legs had to be moved for them – literally – they didn’t appear to be able to walk. Their joints were stiff and frozen with cold and inactivity.

The bigger one, we called him Benjamin, had a wooden stake rammed through his stifle. We have every reason to believe that this was done to him on purpose, and the vicious injury continued to cause him problems throughout the rest of his life. The stifle is the largest joint in the horse’s body and the site where the femur meets the tibia in the hind end. You can see the ‘before’ photo of Benjamin, a shadow of the horse he was meant to be. Sue says that seeing the second photo of the horse that Benjamin became is still so emotional.

“When we were trying to get Benjamin out of the barn the owner kept slamming the door against his broken body.”

Sue and her team took five horses out that day with the owner constantly threatening everyone with a kitchen knife.

As well as Benjamin, they were Dolly, Velvet, Toby, and Charlie. All of them were aged from 6 months to just 3 years old. Getting them well became all-consuming and the team worked so hard to give them the best they could, to allow them to go on to lead healthy lives and to forget about all they had experienced at such a young age.

Dolly had a paralysed soft palate and went on to live a life where everything she ate had to be managed, just to prevent her from choking to death. But obviously they all had their issues because of what they had suffered emotionally, mentally, and physically. Yet with Remus’ care they all managed to live into their late teens and early 20’s. They were all such loving ponies and so didn’t deserve how they had been treated. Does any animal ever deserve that kind of treatment?

This particular rescue operation took just two days, but in some cases it can take weeks and even months, running into tens of thousands of pounds. As you’ve no doubt realised from the story of Benjamin and his friends above, the cost is not restricted just to the rescue but must also encompass their ongoing specialist care.

Your support made this rescue mission possible.

Please, help us to help more animals and stop them from being born to die, by participating in our 40th Anniversary Challenge. If you’re a business, you’ll be pleased to hear you can also support us. Please sign up as a Corporate member with Give as you Live first.

Are you up for the challenge?

#NeverBornToDie

Raise Free Funds for Remus

We’ve got lots of ideas on our website on how you can help us, but here’s a quick update about some other ‘Give As You Live’ donations you might not be aware of!

Donations on Fuel – Thanks to Morrisons, Give as you Live members like you can now raise donations when you fill up at the pump, and pay using a Give as you Live Instore Morrisons card – a handy pre-paid payment card. Just order your free card, top-up when it suits you, and use it to pay for your fuel.
Donations on Meals – Did you know that you could raise donations on the table bookings you makes for special occasions with your family and friends? If you use Give as you Live Online, you can earn 50p per booking at lots of restaurants, or you can raise donations on the whole bill by paying with a Give as you Live Instore card at 12 different restaurant chains, including Nando’s, Harvester and Turtle Bay!
Donations at Ikea – It’s true – Ikea have joined the Give as you Live family and are offering donations of 2.5% when you buy an eVoucher. These are delivered straight to your inbox or can be gifted to friends and family. Just scan your voucher from your phone at the till – no need to print!

There are also a whole host of additional donations available via Give as you Live Instore – you could raise for Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary on everything from your Spotify subscription to multi-store gift cards covering travel, entertainment and fashion favourites – they make great presents!

Quick, go check out Give as you Live Instore now!

Special Guest Mickey Mouse to Visit Horse Welfare Charity

Remus Horse Sanctuary will be opening its gates to visitors for the first time in 2023 on Sunday 4 June, after rain stopped play before its Open Day in May. The horse welfare charity will open from 1pm to 4pm and visitors will be able to learn more about the charity and meet special guest star Mickey Mouse!

The Open Day at the Sanctuary at Little Farm, Buttsbury, near Ingatestone, will offer free parking on-site, with disabled access. Admission will be charged at just £6 per adult and £4 for children. Cream Teas can be booked in advance for £15 per person, including entry. Dogs are welcome on a lead.

The events at the Sanctuary are always fun and interesting for the whole family, with a children’s entertainer, facepainting, live music and sing-a-long entertainment, delicious refreshments, lots of stalls, a tombola and a raffle. The Open Days are a vital source of fundraising for the charity which, due to its location on greenbelt land, can only open to the public for a limited number of days each year.

The Sanctuary provides rehabilitation and care for around 200 animals, including horses, ponies, donkeys, goats, sheep and cats, and has been doing so since it was founded in 1983. As a result, the charity has created its 40th Anniversary Challenge intended to help raise awareness of the sheer number of animals being born to die. Details of the 40th Anniversary Challenge can be viewed at: donate.giveasyoulive.com/campaign/40-anniversary-challenge.

Founder, Sue Burton, said: “We love opening our gates during the summer months and this year is particularly important to us, given our 40th anniversary. The Open Days provide a great opportunity for us to share the vital work that we do here in terms of both rescue and rehabilitation.”

To book tickets for the Open Day, including the Cream Teas, visit the charity’s website at: www.remussanctuary.org/events/open-day-at-the-sanctuary-june.

Further information is available on the website at www.remussanctuary.org and the charity’s Facebook page or contact Sue Burton on tel: 01277 356191.

Prevention is Better than Cure: Atypical Myopathy

All horse owners know the risk of ragwort in their fields – and despite it being a back-breaking job, you’ll see them out in the fields pulling the weed to protect their animals. It’s a job the staff at Remus Horse Sanctuary know well! But did you know there’s another danger out there – from the humble Sycamore tree.

Seeds and seedlings from the Sycamore tree contain a toxin that can cause a potentially fatal disease called atypical myopathy, or sycamore myopathy. Most prevalent in spring and autumn, prevention is most definitely better than cure in this case.

Horses that have eaten seeds to seedlings might show signs such as lethargy, depression, muscle tremors, sweating, a reluctance to move, and red/brown urine. Should you see these signs, it is important to get immediate veterinary assistance – the first 24-48 hours will be the most critical time.

How can you lower the risk of atypical myopathy? If there are sycamore trees nearby, fence them off from your horse, or move your animal to another area at high-risk times. You can also offer more forage so the animal isn’t tempted to eat anything that poses a danger – and clear up any areas of seeds and uproot seedlings.

For more about prevention, symptoms and treatment head to Atypical Myopathy (Sycamore Myopathy) on the Dengie website.

New Corporate Fundraising Platform

Did you know that you can help boost your CSR (corporate social responsibility) and ESG (environmental, social and governance) or B Corp initiatives in partnership with Remus Horse Sanctuary by signing up to Give as you Live’s corporate fundraising platform?

Their unmatched features include:

Each fundraising campaign can support up to 5 charities at a time, meaning you can support Remus alongside other amazing charities of your employees’ choice
Branded pages with logo, event banner and custom messaging, keeping your campaigns authentic and relevant to your company
Utilisation of matched funding facilities to easily double your employees’ donations
All reports providing the best-in-class level of GDPR-compliant data, keeping track of your fundraising goals
Expert fundraising managers a call away and on hand to help, enabling you to have a personalised approach to your fundraising initiatives
‘Basic FREE Plan’ and ‘Plus Monthly/Annual Plan’ options, so you can fundraise and support us whatever your budget!

As you may already know, this year we are celebrating our 40th Anniversary and have created our 40th Anniversary Challenge intended to help raise awareness of animals being born to die. Participation in the Challenge or as part of your CSR/ESG initiatives, would greatly help the Sanctuary in our mission.

Why should your business participate in CSR/ESG initiatives?

For many consumers nowadays, exhibiting your business’ values is an important element in deciding which businesses to support and buy from. As a small business or corporate, the ability to affirm your charitable values with corporate fundraising best presents your commitment to making a difference and betters the image of your company mission.

Additionally, it’s a terrific tool for your internal marketing, allowing staff members to interact and cooperate in new settings. Plus, it allows teams to liaise with individuals in the business whom they might not often interact with.

Find out more here > corporate.giveasyoulive.com/charity-refer/67663. And remember, you can select up to five charities to support – though please make sure one of them is Remus Horse Sanctuary!

Remus 40th Anniversary Fundraising Challenge

Ahead of its first Open Day of 2023 on Sunday 7 May, Remus Horse Sanctuary based in Essex, is launching its 40th Anniversary Challenge to raise £40,000 during the remainder of the year.

Sue Burton, Founder of the Sanctuary is asking its staff and volunteers, trustees and patrons, members, sponsors and supporters to fundraise just £40 each. Coming together in this way would help achieve the 40th Anniversary target – to help stop any animal from being born to die.

In the last month alone, three dead horses have been dumped in Essex and one foal was left to die under a hedge in Kent.

Founder Sue said, “I started the charity after reading the headline on the front of the Romford Recorder in February 1983. It said ‘Doomed! 100 horses left to die’. Coming from London, I’d never even met a horse, and I couldn’t believe that in this day and age we allow animals to die and do nothing.

“Some days it feels like very little has changed. We’re doing everything we can at Remus to stop animals from being born to die; working with other charities, campaigning and fundraising, but still we need to do more.

“We know our current ask is a biggy, so we’re asking everyone we know to fundraise just £40 for us. But of course, there’s no need to stop there, perhaps they could raise more!

“This is a very serious subject which we’ll be expanding on in the Summer with our Patrons. In the meantime, we’re asking people who care about animals everywhere to join us in our mission and have a little fun at the same time.”

The reason behind the challenge may be a serious one but the idea is simple, how could you raise £40? Perhaps you could bake and sell 40 cakes; make and sell 40 cards or crafts; cycle 40 miles; swim 40 lengths; get together friends for a 40 minute Zumba class! Put on your creative hats and Sue and her team are sure you’ll come up with some crazy fun ideas!

The Remus 40th Anniversary Challenge is intended to help raise awareness of animals being born to die. Here’s how your fundraising will help the charity directly:

£4 buys bandages for one of our laminitic ponies
£40 would pay for a special set of shoes for one of our laminitic ponies
£400 would provide straw bedding for 30 animals for 1 month
£4,000 would provide the routine medications needed by the older animals for 2 months
£44,000 would feed all of our horses, goats and sheep for 6 months
£440,000 would enable the charity to run for a whole year!

For the past 40 years, Remus has helped thousands of animals – horses, ponies, donkeys, cats, goats, sheep and more – rescuing them from cruel and sometimes dangerous situations; rehabilitating them with the help of specialist medical attention from vets, farriers, and complementary therapists; and allowing them to develop into old age, living a life free of harm. Each and every one receives the love, care and attention that Sue Burton, founder of the Sanctuary, and her team provide.

Sue is asking, “Are you up for the challenge?” and for you to share the hashtag #NeverBornToDie.

For further information, visit donate.giveasyoulive.com/campaign/40-anniversary-challenge.

Tickets for the Open Day taking place on Sunday 7 May can be purchased online via the website at: www.remussanctuary.org/events/open-day-at-the-sanctuary-may or by telephoning the Sanctuary on: 01277 356191.

Stripes Could be Key to Combating Horse Flies

The latest research from scientists suggests that the pattern on your horse’s rug could be a vital weapon in your battle against bugs…

Scientists from the University of Bristol have expanded on previous research that found that horse flies avoid landing on stripes.

The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, used horses wearing different patterned rugs to compare results.

The research found that high contrast patterns – such as black and white – were particularly effective in thwarting fly attacks. The theory is that the flies find large patches of dark colours appealing.

So next time you buy a rug, look for one with a high contrasting pattern – in stripes or a small checkerboard patterns – for increased protection for your horse. It’s something we will definitely be trying out on our residents at Remus Horse Sanctuary!

Find out more at www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/zebra-stripes-horse-flies-research

Have a Healthy Spring with Dengie

Whilst the onset of spring brings joy to many horse, pony and donkey owners, for those of laminitis-prone individuals it can be a stressful time deciding whether it is safe to turn out on spring grass and what to feed if you don’t.

Why does spring grass = laminitis risk?

More grass to eat – As the daytime temperatures gradually increase, grass growth begins in earnest. Fundamentally this means there is more grass to eat which can result in rapid weight gain and consumption of larger amounts of non-structural carbohydrate (NSC). Both factors are linked to an increased risk of laminitis in susceptible individuals such as those with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS).
A higher level of NSC in grass – Levels of NSC, an analytical term to describe the sum of simple sugars, fructan and starch, start to increase when the sun is shining. If it is too cold for grass to grow, levels of NSC are driven up. During the spring where there are times of high light intensity, but low temperatures persist it is advised that susceptible individuals are prevented from grazing (Longland and Byrd 2006). Consumption of larger amounts of NSC is a problem for those with underlying insulin dysregulation such as those with EMS, as it results in a higher insulin response and therefore increased laminitis risk.

Feeding for a Healthy Spring

For horses and ponies with EMS and underlying insulin dysregulation that are very susceptible to laminitis, complete removal from grass may be the safest way to keep them healthy in spring. This increases reliance on conserved forages but gives greater control over what and how much they are consuming. The aim is to maximize chew time and maintain interest whilst not eating grass.

Dengie Healthy Hooves Molasses Free is a nutritionally complete fibre feed combining chopped and pelleted alfalfa and straw with a light rapeseed oil coating, added vitamins and minerals, garlic, and MSM. Dengie Healthy Hooves Molasses Free is a great addition to the ration of the laminitis-prone individual as:

It is a low-calorie fibre feed at 8.5MJ/kg which is ideal for those watching their waistline
It is very low in sugar and starch at 2.5% and 1.5% respectively making it very suitable for those prone to laminitis – it is approved by the Laminitis Trust
Healthy Hooves Molasses Free combines chopped and pelleted fibres for added interest and to encourage foraging activity
When fed at the recommended quantity of 500g per 100kg of bodyweight no additional vitamin and mineral supplement is required as Healthy Hooves Molasses Free is a nutritionally balanced fibre feed. Healthy Hooves Molasses Free also contains a full range of B vitamins including biotin at the level you would typically find in a hoof supplement
Healthy Hooves Molasse Free contains added MSM for healthier joints and stronger hooves. Grass is the horse’s natural source of sulphur and horses on restricted grazing may therefore miss out. MSM is a source of bio-available sulphur which is found in high concentrations in connective and structural tissues such as collagen and keratin in the horse’s joints, skin, coat and hooves

For friendly feeding advice contact the Dengie Feedline on 01621 841188 or visit www.dengie.com.