Colic Awareness Week

The first week of October was Colic Awareness Week. The term ‘colic’ refers to all types of abdominal pain in horses and it can affect all ages and types, from a four-star eventer to a field companion.

The REACT Now to Beat Colic campaign launched back in 2016 and aims to educate as many owners as possible on the early signs of colic. We all know how quickly horses showing colic symptoms can deteriorate. Sometimes these symptoms are very subtle and so it is essential we are able to identify them and get the necessary veterinary help. It might be that a horse is experiencing a mild bout of discomfort that resolves itself, or that they are in need of medical intervention and possibly even surgery.

The REACT campaign stands for the five common warning signs of colic: Restless or agitated, Eating less or droppings reduced, Abdominal pain, Clinical changes, Tired or lethargic.

Any changes in your horse’s normal behaviour should always be investigated and never ignored; no one knows a horse better than their owner. We have a large number of horses and ponies in our care here at Remus, but we know each of them and their quirks so well that anything unusual is quickly spotted.

Read more about the REACT Now to Beat Colic campaign and sign up at: www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/it-could-help-save-your-horse-owners-urged-to-sign-up-for-colic-awareness-week-726637.

If you would like to make a donation to help with our veterinary bills, you can do so either online via our website, or a partner website, or via post or telephone. Full details can be found on our ‘Donate’ web page.

Co-op Local Community Fund

We’re delighted that Remus Horse Sanctuary has been chosen to benefit from the Co-op Local Community Fund but the Fund closes on Saturday 24 October and we need your help to raise as much money from it as possible.

At a time when funds for community groups and charitable organisations are becoming more difficult to access, we’re incredibly grateful for this opportunity to make a real difference in Buttsbury, near Ingatestone in Essex.

We’re raising funds to improve the condition of our paddocks, to give the animals a better quality of life and enhance the visitor experience.

To help us raise vital funds, we’ll be relying on Co-op members. When a member buys selected products or services from the Co-op they earn a 5% reward for themselves, with a further 1% for local causes like ours.

The Co-op is looking to support organisations that make a difference in their local communities by protecting and improving community spaces, helping people reach their full potential by developing their skills or promoting health and wellbeing.

Co-op members can choose us as their local cause by visiting https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/34263.

We really hope that people will visit the website and donate their 1% to us.

If you’re not a member and would like to support us, you can join at your local store or online at www.coop.co.uk.

When a community comes together we’re able to achieve great things, so we hope you can help promote our project!

Thank you!

Celebrate World Animal Day at Essex Horse Charity

Remus Horse Sanctuary will be opening its gates for only the second time this year on Sunday 4 October to celebrate World Animal Day, coordinated by the Naturewatch Foundation. Visitors, members and supporters are invited to come and meet the 200+ animals and learn about the Sanctuary’s horse welfare programme and the issues that the charity has faced over the past 7 months.

Remus Horse Sanctuary is proud to support this global movement to raise the status of animals by using this special day to raise awareness for horse welfare in this country.

Parking is available on-site, with disabled access, and dogs are welcome on a lead. Refreshments will be available, including afternoon tea by advance booking.

Admission will be charged at £5 per adult and £2 for children and tickets can be purchased online at: www.remussanctuary.org/events/open-day-sanctuary-october/ or via telephone on 01277 356191.

Sue Burton, founder of the Sanctuary said, “We have undertaken numerous risk assessments and are confident that we can open safely in October.

“We want both our visitors and team to feel safe, and be safe, and will be operating a one way system on site with plenty of hand sanitizing stations. The event will be a totally outdoor environment with all buildings closed off and out of use.”

World Animal Day has become a global celebration for all animals and the people who love and respect them. It’s known on every continent and celebrated in different ways in many countries, with no regard to nationality, religion or political ideology.

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.

This Open Day will be a vital source of fundraising for the charity which, like many, had all of its physical fundraising curtailed on 23 March at the start of lockdown.

Ms Burton says, “We are asking people to purchase a ticket online wherever possible to avoid unnecessary administration in our office – which is already under strain. And we are all looking forward to welcoming visitors to this really special place on a day of international celebration.”

For further information, visit www.remussanctuary.org or contact Sue Burton on tel: 01277 356191.

The Battle with Ragwort

As pretty as it looks, Ragwort can give landowners and horse owners alike a real headache. We’ve all heard about it, but how much do you really know about its part in the world?

Ragwort contains toxic compounds, which can cause irreversible liver damage to horses. This can happen if it’s eaten fresh, but also dry in hay or haylage, so it’s important to check any hay you’re feeding, as well as your fields. The plant flowers from May to October and there has been a lot of talk in the news over the last couple of months about just how rampant Ragwort is becoming across the UK.

While we obviously want to keep our fields clear of Ragwort for our horses’ wellbeing, under the Weeds Act of 1959, the occupier of the land is actually legally responsible for clearing it. Visit the government website for the latest guidance on how you can safely help stop Ragwort from spreading: www.gov.uk/guidance/stop-ragwort-and-other-harmful-weeds-from-spreading.

Conservation is extremely important to us at Remus. We occupy 40 acres of Essex countryside and actively develop small areas of land and corridors of conservation to benefit plant life and wild creatures. Did you know the cinnabar caterpillar feeds on Ragwort? It’s actually their favourite food! So while we’re certainly not anti-wildlife, it is important that we follow the right guidance to keep our paddocks and grazing land safe for everyone.

There is a helpful Q&A all about Ragwort on the Horse & Country website: https://horseandcountry.tv/en-us/ragwort-horse-owner-know/.

Live Family Fun Day at Essex Horse Charity

Remus Horse Sanctuary will be opening its gates for the first time this year on Sunday 6 September, after months of hardship through lack of volunteer staff and fundraising, as a result of the pandemic and lockdown measures. Visitors, members and supporters are invited to come and meet the 200+ animals including Bracken, pictured top left, and learn about the Sanctuary’s horse welfare programme and the issues that the charity has faced over the past 6 months.

The Sanctuary will be open from 1pm to 5pm and pre-booking is essential as Remus will only be selling a limited number of tickets for this event to ensure visitors’ safety and maintain social distancing. Parking is available on-site, with disabled access, and dogs are welcome on a lead. Admission will be charged at £4 per adult and £2 for children and tickets can be purchased online at: www.remussanctuary.org/events/open-day-sanctuary-september or via the telephone on 01277 356191.

Sue Burton, founder of the Sanctuary said, “We have undertaken numerous risk assessments and are confident that we can open safely in September.

“We want our visitors and the Remus team to feel safe and be safe, so we have applied caution and will only open the areas that we feel are safe to do so. The site will be a totally outdoor environment with all buildings closed off and out of use.”

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.

This Open Day will be a vital source of fundraising for the charity which, like many, had all of its physical fundraising curtailed on 23 March at the start of lockdown.

Ms Burton says, “We are asking people to purchase a ticket online wherever possible to avoid unnecessary administration in our office – which is already under strain. And we are all looking forward to opening our gates again and welcoming visitors to this really special place.”

For further information, visit www.remussanctuary.org or contact Sue Burton on tel: 01277 356191.

Does your horse get his beauty sleep?

The Dalai Lama once said: “Sleep is the best meditation.” We all know how important it is to get a good night’s sleep. Sleep relieves stress, restores our physical health and prepares us to take on the day ahead! Many of us also know all too well what a bad night’s sleep can do to us!

Have you ever thought about your horse’s sleep patterns? You might have noticed that he tends to sleep standing up, or that he likes a good lie down because he’s always covered in straw or shavings the next morning!

Horses experience slow wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, but to achieve REM sleep they must lie down. REM sleep is very important and evidence shows that horses unable to achieve REM sleep can suffer from sleep deprivation.

Researchers at Nottingham Trent University are currently looking into sleep patterns of various groups of horses. Just like humans, changes in sleep patterns can indicate changes in health. So, by raising awareness among owners of what is normal for their horses, the hope is that early warnings of ill health can be acted upon.

You can read the full story with a link to the current research here.

You will be able to visit the Sanctuary and meet all of our animals for the first time this year on Sunday 6 September. However pre-booked tickets are essential. Find out more here.

Good News for AmazonSmile

Good news! AmazonSmile is now available in the Amazon Shopping app on iPhones and Android phones.

AmazonSmile customers can now support Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary in the Amazon shopping app on iPhones and Android phones! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations:

Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’
Tap ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process

If you do not have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app, update your app. Click here for instructions.

Thank you for your support!

Buy a Bale of Hay to Support Charity

In late March, Sue Burton, Founder of Remus Horse Sanctuary was told to close the horse welfare charity and stop all fundraising – one of her worst nightmares! As a result, the ‘Buy a Bale of Hay’ appeal has been set up online to help raise funds to continue to care for and feed the animals at the Sanctuary.

£5 will help us buy one bale of hay, £10 will help buy two bales of hay, £15 will help the charity buy three bales of hay, whilst £20 will ensure one animal receives hay every day for a week. As one can imagine, the volume of food required to feed the charity’s 200+ animals is by far its biggest expense and challenge.

Ms Burton commented: “Thankfully our animals, for the most part, remain oblivious to everything going on around them. But we have been reliant on a handful of people to look after everything – and believe me, its hard work! Fundraising and events are crucial to our survival and there have been many days when I’ve wondered if we would even see it through to the autumn!”

After the winter months the charity is always desperate for its fundraising and events to start, to bring in much needed funds to feed the animals and pay the bills that have been mounting up over the winter period. The heatwave in spring meant that the normal grass supplies in the paddock were sparse, whilst the subsequent downpours have flooded the fields.

Due to the very stringent and necessary requirements about re-opening from the Government, Local Authority and National Farm Attractions Network, it is the charity’s intention to host a further virtual Open Day on Sunday 2 August but to welcome the public and host a live event again on Sunday 6 September – the first one this year.

Ms Burton said, “We have thought long and hard about opening to the public and we are very mindful that if we do we have to keep ourselves safe – if we go down with the virus then the animals wont be cared for. Also, a lot of our stall holders and volunteers are older, so we need to keep them as safe as possible and, of course, its very important that we keep our supporters safe too.

“It is important to us that we follow the guidelines and do things to the letter, so we will be making some changes to the way that the Open Days are run during September and October.”

To find out more about the appeal and to donate, please visit the JustGiving website here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/buyabaleofhay.

For further information, visit www.remussanctuary.org or contact Sue Burton on tel: 01277 356191.

Sun care for horses

The heatwave may be over for now, but the hot weather we experienced last month led to a lot of problems in many animals, according to vets. We didn’t escape here at Remus either, with two ponies going down with colic and one with a chest infection. Thankfully, they are all now doing well.

Issues such as laminitis, heat stroke and fly irritation are all things horse owners worry about during the warmer weather. Perhaps one we don’t think about as much as we should is sunburn. You only have to check the weather forecast to see UV level warnings and a reminder to put on the suncream, but sunburn is a real risk to our horses too. Just like us, they have varying tolerances to UV rays, meaning some will burn quicker than others.

If you have a grey horse with light coloured skin they will have less melanin pigment, which is what helps to absorb the UV light, and therefore be more susceptible to burning. Muzzle areas are most commonly affected, but don’t forget other hairless areas such as the pastern joints, and potentially parts of the crest or dock where hair has been rubbed away.

Sunburn is not the only concern. Photosensitisation is an abnormal reaction of the skin to sunlight and can cause further internal problems, so sun protection is really important for our horses.

You can find out more about sunburn and photosensitisation in this article from Your Horse: www.yourhorse.co.uk/advice/vet-advice/articles/managing-sunburn-and-photosensitisation.

There are a number of ways you can help us care for our horses here at Remus:

Sponsor an animal for just £2 a month or £25 a year
Buy Feed
Make a donation

Microvolunteering for Remus

Would you like to help Remus Horse Sanctuary but don’t think you have the time – you can, if you become a microvolunteer!

Have you got a minute to microvolunteer for Remus?

We totally understand that everyone leads very busy lives nowadays, what with work and family commitments, so it can be really hard to find time for volunteering for the things you care about. But as a microvolunteer you can help us as little or as much as you like!

What is a microvolunteer?

The idea behind microvolunteering is that lots of us do a little bit and it adds up to something that makes a big difference. You’ve probably already taken part in microvolunteering without even realising it – maybe you’ve signed an online petition or retweeted a charity’s message. However, microvolunteering doesn’t just happen in the virtual world, remember when you walked a friend’s dog for them because they were sick, or helped an elderly neighbour with their shopping? All of these things are forms of microvolunteering.

Whether it’s a couple of minutes, an hour or so, or even a weekend, there are lots of ways to help Remus Horse Sanctuary. Here’s a few ideas below, but take a look at our Microvolunteering web page to find out more.

Meet one of our microvolunteers

Linda Anthony started volunteering for us in 2019. Here’s her story…

Why does microvolunteering appeal to you?

Coming to the end of my office-based career I started putting plans in place for an active retirement. Micro-volunteering for several different charities gives me the variety that one never experiences in a normal day job. Micro-volunteering leaves me in control of when and what work I do.

What made you decide to offer a few hours of your time to Remus Horse Sanctuary?

There are many charities out there helping vulnerable, elderly and disabled people but not so many charities offering the same help to vulnerable, elderly and disabled horses. Being an animal lover myself it seemed a perfect fit.

What was it about the opportunity that appealed to you?

When you micro-volunteer you are pretty much your own boss and can schedule when and how much work you want to do. I enjoy the work I am doing for Remus Horse Sanctuary and most weeks put in more than a couple of hours, but that’s my choice.

What benefits do you get from volunteering?

The buzz I get when I am successful in raising funds for Remus Horse Sanctuary is far greater than any job satisfaction I received in a very long career. Also volunteering for Remus Horse Sanctuary has given me the opportunity, at my age, to learn a new skill to keep the old grey matter in tiptop working order. But on top of all that I have met some wonderful dedicated people.

What would you say to anyone thinking of offering their time to help Remus Horse Sanctuary?

If you have time on your hands, don’t waste it in front of the TV. Find a cause you are passionate about and get involved. You’ll be amazed what you can achieve by donating a couple of hours micro-volunteering.

To find out more about microvolunteering with Remus and ideas for 2 minutes, 5 minutes or 2 hours of your time, please take a look at our web page.

Shout about it!

Every time you do something to help us, it makes life that little bit better for our animals. So let’s hear about it! Post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and don’t forget to tag us in as @RemusHorse on Twitter or @RemusHorseSanctuary on Facebook and Instagram. Use the hashtag #LoveRemus and we can repost your photos, selfies and posts to raise even more awareness for Remus Horse Sanctuary.

Thank you for your valued support!