Keep fit to reduce laminitis risk
An Australian study has shown that light exercise can help to reduce the risk of laminitis for horses and ponies. It’s a worry we all have at this time of year, but, while we can become obsessed with restricting grazing and getting out the weight tape every week, are we overlooking the need for simple exercise?
Busy holiday schedules and hotter summers can see our horses and ponies left out in the field and not ridden as often as we’d like. This study by the University of Melbourne has shown that even gentle exercise can make a real difference.
They studied two groups of horses; a diet-only group and an exercised-only group. High levels of insulin have been linked to laminitis and the diet-only group showed both lower insulin levels and weight loss at the end of the trial. The exercised-only group didn’t lose weight but had improved insulin sensitivity, which means they needed to produce less insulin to control blood sugar, therefore reducing their laminitis risk.
So keep an eye on your horse’s weight and get out for those evening hacks where you can. If your horse is retired or not ridden, like our residents here at Remus, then some walking in hand could be beneficial.
You can read more about the trial in this Horse & Hound article.
If you’re interested, you can also read our previous blog on the subject here: Laminitis Alert for Horse Owners and/or download this article from Horse Magazine which featured our research work.
Happy hacking!
Raise FREE Funds for us this Easter!
Did you know that you can raise free funds for Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary when you shop for Easter goodies via Give as you Live?
This Easter, whether you’re buying goodies for the kids, food for the perfect Easter Sunday lunch, or a gift for someone eggstra special, you can shop at over 4,200 stores via Give as you Live and raise money for us, at no extra cost to you.
Treat the ones you love this Easter!
Raise FREE funds for us when you book your summer holiday
Did you know that you can raise vital funds for Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary for FREE when you book your summer holiday via Give as you Live?
Whether you are booking a family holiday, a romantic break in the sun or taking the trip of a lifetime, you can book via hundreds of travel retailers and raise money for us, at no extra cost to you. If you haven’t signed up for your Give as you Live account yet, it only takes two minutes and is totally free!
Find the perfect getaway this summer!
Help spread the word and get others raising free donations when they shop online through Give as you Live. Use Twitter and Facebook to tell all your friends today.
Combat your Horse related Fears at Remus Horse Sanctuary
Remus Horse Sanctuary’s much-loved Pony Days for children will be returning in 2019, with the first one taking place during the Easter holidays on Wednesday 10 April. However, a unique Adults-only day has been introduced for 2019 which will be taking place on Sunday 26 May.
Take a look here for all dates and to book your place: https://www.remussanctuary.org/event-category/pony_days/.
The gentle familiarisation offered during the Adult’s day will be perfect for those who have always felt slightly nervous and apprehensive around horses and would like someone to help them overcome their fears. Alternatively, it is perfect for those who have dreamed of owning their own horse or pony but feel they need guidance in the care and responsibility that comes with caring for these wonderful animals.
Children’s dates in previous years have fallen strictly within school holiday periods but, due to demand, further dates have been released for 2019 including many Sundays. Further children’s dates for the year include: Sunday 12 May, Wednesday 29 May, Sunday 9 June, Sunday 14 July, Wednesday 31 July, Wednesday 7 August, Sunday 11 August, Wednesday 21 August, Sunday 15 September and Wednesday 30 October.
Priced at just £45 per person (adults and children are priced the same) and taking place only on selected dates, the Children’s Pony Days are suitable for boys and girls aged 10 years and over and will take place from 11am until approximately 4pm.
Remus Pony Days are a fun and educational day for a child – they will learn how to care for a pony and the responsibilities that come with it.
Each day, attendees will be ‘loaned’ a pony or horse, and taught to make up its feed, how to groom and turn it out into the field, shown how to clean out the animal’s stable and make a nice new bed for him or her to come back into later. There’ll also be lots of tips, information and fun throughout the day. Full supervision is provided throughout the day.
Places are limited to just six people per date and bookings can be made online via the website at www.remussanctuary.org or by contacting the Sanctuary on tel: 01277 356191. Those visiting the Sanctuary for the Pony Days will need to bring a packed lunch and refreshments for the day.
Events and fundraising play a vital part in raising much-needed funds to keep the Sanctuary open and Sue Burton, Founder, says, “We’re always delighted to welcome children and horse lovers to the Sanctuary for our Pony Days. The work we do here is vital and our Pony Days are both great fun and a great way of educating children on animal welfare.
“That said, we’re equally aware that many adults can find these magnificent creatures quite daunting and our Adult’s date is a great way to help overcome those fears or hesitancy and learn that actually they are very gentle and responsive creatures who love human interaction.”
For further information, visit www.remussanctuary.org or contact Sue Burton on tel: 01277 356191.
Pictured top left: Apollo and Clyde who also featured on our 2019 wall calendar under the month of March.
Stay alert this Spring
It’s March, which means the first day of Spring is nearly upon us! It’s a lovely time for horse owners with lighter evenings and less mud, but it’s also a time to be vigilant. Yes, there’s the dreaded laminitis we all worry about, but the start of Spring is also when people tend to start getting their gardens ready for the warmer weather.
There was a news story in Horse & Hound recently about grass cuttings being dumped in a field with horses. Cut grass can do a lot of damage to a horse; it can make them colic, which could lead to all sorts of complications. Members of the public don’t necessarily realise how grass cuttings, vegetables or anything else they assume horses can eat, can actually harm them.
Our Horse Welfare Watch here at Remus helps us to encourage people not to turn a blind eye and report any horses that they are concerned about. Horses can, unfortunately, be exposed to what is not good for them, but we can work together to help raise awareness of the dangers and stay alert.
Read the whole news article here.
For information on our Horse Welfare Watch, visit our website here.
Raise FREE Funds for us this Mothers Day
Did you know that you can raise free funds for Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary when you shop for Mother’s Day gifts via Give as you Live?
This Mother’s Day, Whether it’s flowers and sweet treats, memory-making experience days or luxurious beauty indulgence, please shop via Give as you Live and raise money for us, at no extra cost to you.
Find the perfect gift for Mum this Mother’s Day!
Another Useful Tool from Give as you Live
Give as you Live’s Donation Reminder is ready for you to install so you never miss an opportunity to raise free funds for us!
Available for internet browsers including Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Edge the Donation Reminder allows you to easily access all your favourite stores and even prompts onsite reminders as you search the web so you never forget to raise for Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary.
Don’t miss out on raising FREE donations!
Not signed up to Give as you Live yet?
Don’t miss out on raising free donations for us with this amazing facility. Sign up for free today, shop at over 4,200 stores online or in-store and generate free funds for our charity!
Help spread the word and get others raising free donations when they shop online through Give as you Live. Use Twitter and Facebook to tell all your friends today.
Horse Sanctuary Signs up for New Fundraising Platform
Remus Horse Sanctuary has recently signed up to a new fundraising platform called Golden Giving. The change comes following the merger of the platform previously known as ‘Make A Donation’ with Golden Giving.
Golden Giving is a not-for-profit charity giving platform that empowers charities and their supporters to do amazing things. Golden Giving provides essential tools to raise funds, connect and engage with supporters. Golden Giving is the most feature-rich web platform, enabling greater supporter engagement and funds generation, and provides its service at cost, compared with profit making platforms, such as Just Giving, Local Giving, Givey and Charity Checkout.
Golden Giving is run by a group of technology professionals and industry partners, with the mission to enable the best online funds generation and supporter engagement outcomes for charities and their supporters. Golden Giving has a measurable social impact and says, “they help create a stronger society and enhance the prosperity of local communities”.
After 7 years, Make A Donation had been considering how best to move forward in a world of never-ending technological changes. They explored a number of routes to develop the changes required but, in the end, realised that there was more strength in numbers and therefore decided to merge with Golden Giving.
Sue Burton, Founder of Remus Horse Sanctuary comments, “As a charity, we are always looking at new platforms to help with our fundraising activities and Golden Giving offers many solutions including online tickets, raffles, contactless donations and memberships just to name a few.
“We particularly like their ethos of #EthicalGiving and we’re still finding out the many ways in which Golden Giving can help us!”
You can donate via Golden Giving here, or for further information, visit www.remussanctuary.org or contact Sue Burton on tel: 01277 356191.
Go on, give us a smile!
Does your horse or pony love a good fuss?
We take enrichment very seriously at Remus – it’s all about enhancing an animal’s physical, social and mental environment. One way we do this is through holistic therapies, such as Aromatherapy, Shiatsu, Reiki and Bach flower remedies, which all of the horses love.
But there is also a much simpler way to enrich our horses’ lives, without the need for training or specialists… grooming! A recent study in France has found that horses prefer gentle stroking and attention, compared to a standard, all over groom. The researchers found that they enjoy it so much it actually makes them ‘smile’. The facial expressions they produce are thought to be a ‘more sensitive’ reflection of how they are feeling than their behaviour is.
We spend time with our horses every day by stroking, talking and just interacting with them on a one-to-one basis. Gentle grooming is great for circulation and relaxation – and they just love it.
You can ready more about the study in this article from Horse & Hound.
Raise FREE funds for us this Valentine’s Day
Did you know that you can free funds for Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary when you shop for Valentine’s Day gifts via Give as you Live?
From flowers to fragrances, when buying the perfect gift for your loved one, please shop via Give as you Live at over 4,200 online stores and raise money for us, at no extra cost to you.
Be our Valentine!
Help spread the word and get others raising free donations when they shop online through Give as you Live. Use Twitter and Facebook to tell all your friends today.
Other Appeal
