Novelty Dog Show at Remus Horse Sanctuary

Dog lovers across the South East of England are invited to Remus Horse Sanctuary on Sunday 2 July for the Novelty Dog Show taking place at our next Open Day.

Remus host just six Open Days per year and the July and September dates feature a Novelty Dog Show including fun classes such as: Bad Hair Day and Best Sausage Catcher, along with something more meaningful – Dogs with a Disability (blind, deaf or a life-changing illness) and of course, the ever-popular Best in Show. Entry into each class costs just £1.50 and the 1st – 6th winner receives a rosette. Entries will be taken from 1pm, show starts 1.30pm.

Entry to the Open Day is £4 for adults and £2 for children and will take place from 1pm to 5pm. The Sanctuary offers entertainment for the whole family including a kids’ corner, competitions and games, music from local band Midnite Blu, delicious refreshments including sandwiches and homemade cakes, many stalls and a raffle.  Parking is available on-site, with disabled access and dogs are welcome at each Open Day on a lead.

Another regular feature at the Sanctuary are princesses from film and theatre in the children’s area, who will pose for pictures and bouncy castles, new for 2017.

The Sanctuary provides rehabilitation and care for over 200 animals, including horses, ponies, donkeys, cows, goats, sheep and cats. The Open Days are a vital source of fundraising for our charity that, due to its location on greenbelt land, can only open to the public for a limited number of days each year.

Our founder, Sue Burton, says, “We love inviting the public to come and visit the Sanctuary, and the novelty dog shows are always such great fun!  Opening to the public in this way allows us to show off our premises and our animals, giving people a real insight into the amazing work that we do.”

For further information, click here or contact Sue Burton on tel: 01277 356191.

For individuals or businesses wishing to sponsor a class at the event, please email: info@remussanctuary.org.

Identifying and Dealing with Horse Fly Bites this Summer

Flies are an ever-present pest during the summer, and horse fly bites are a particular problem for both horses and their riders.

Horse and Hound Magazine say “Biting flies can pierce the horse’s skin and feed on its blood, while nuisance flies lay secretions in and around the horse’s eye, mouth, nose and other sensitive spots.

“Flies can carry disease and an allergic reaction can result from any fly bite, while all flies cause annoyance and irritation to horses and humans alike – an important consideration when working or competing with horses.”

The article lists the types of flies that cause trouble, such as Horse flies, Black flies, Midges and Stable Flies and how to treat them.

Read the full article here.

If you have any queries about horse welfare, please do get in touch by emailing: info@remussanctuary.org.

Feel The Love

Feel the love this Valentine’s Day with Remus Horse Sanctuary and receive a special Valentine’s badge with all new Sponsorship Orders this month!

Sponsor an animal as a gift for your loved one this Valentine’s and you’ll receive a free valentine’s day badge… at no extra cost.

Our Sponsorship Programme is an extremely vital part of our fundraising efforts – you will be contributing directly to the upkeep of the animals we rescue and re-home, to ensure they live out the rest of their days relaxed, happy, loved and nurtured, free from disease and well-fed.  And, by helping to care for the animals we have already saved, you will also be helping us to go on and save more.

You can sponsor one of our animals for just £25 a year, by ordering online right now.  Alternatively, if you prefer, you can sponsor one of our animals for as little as £2 per month, payable by Standing Order. Just download and complete the form and either post it or scan it back to us by email, with your choice of animal.

You can choose your animal to sponsor, order and pay for your Sponsorship online via our Online Shop or download the form and post to us at: Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary, Little Farm, Buttsbury, Near Ingatestone, Essex, CM4 9NZ.

Please, help us to help them!

Take a look at our Sponsorship Programme today!

Remus Winter Feed Appeal

This winter we are aiming to raise £2,500 with our winter feed appeal, to help feed not only our veterans and permanent residents at Remus Horse Sanctuary, but also those neglected unloved, abandoned animals that are either tethered with no access to food or left wandering and unwanted with no food and no shelter, such as those pictured alongside.

You can contribute to our appeal here and help save lives!

The Importance of Winter Feed

With 40+ veterans at Remus alone, we decided early in November to step up and start a winter campaign to help with their feeding bill. Every single donation no matter how large or small will be of huge benefit not only to them but to the starving animals that no-one cares for.  Keeping these animals safe, warm, well fed and with the special dietary care they need is at a considerable cost. Keeping an animal fed over winter will give it a chance to thrive into Spring.  Forage also helps a horse keep warm. Without your help, many animals will die a slow, painful and unnecessary death.

We believe that ‘old horse’ should not equal ‘thin horse’ and all of our horses are weighed weekly on a weighbridge to ensure that we can monitor their weight. They have high fibre and high caloric food if we require them to gain weight, and those with poor dentition have this in a sloppy porridge consistency.  Old age is not an illness and horses can cope very well with being old. However, its important to recognise that it does take a lot of work to keep on top of the needs of the older horse and as they live longer, naturally the problems increase.

We’ve said it before, the Sanctuary is full and we literally cannot take any more animals in right now and, as we are entirely self-funded, without your support here is just no way that we can continue. Everything costs money and the onset of the cold weather makes it even more tough as feed and heating bills increase. Please donate to our Winter Feed Appeal here.

Any donations, large or small, are welcomed and all will impact on our fundraising total and help feed animals in need.

We believe, that with your help, we can make a difference.

DONATE HERE with Just Giving.

You can also donate up to £10 by text. Just text FEED36 £10 to 70070 to donate to Remus with JustTextGiving. Please note that text donations can only be for £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10. However a donor can donate up to three times per day. £10 is the maximum donation amount for all mobile operators. 

Winter Feed Appeal Will Save Lives

Remus Horse Sanctuary has launched a new appeal to help raise £2,500 to feed their veterans and permanent residents at the Sanctuary, and those neglected unloved, abandoned animals that are either tethered with no access to food or left wandering and unwanted with no food and no shelter.

Donations can be made via the JustGiving appeal page online at: https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/rmhs/winterfeedappeal, via the Charity website at: https://www.remussanctuary.org/donate/ or by texting FEED36 £10 to 70070 to donate to Remus with JustTextGiving. Please note that text donations can only be for £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10. However, a donor can donate up to three times per day. £10 is the maximum donation amount for all mobile operators.

At present, there is well in excess of 7,000 horses at risk in the UK and the welfare crisis in this country continues to escalate – when the mares foal, the problem doubles and so on each year.  The news features victims of physical and mental abuse regularly, because of ignorance or malicious intent, and the Charity receives calls daily. Keeping an animal fed over winter will give it a chance to thrive into Spring.  Forage also helps a horse keep warm. Without the Sanctuary’s help, many animals will die a slow, painful and unnecessary death.

Sue Burton, Founder, says: “We need to get food and water out to abandoned horses quickly and, with over 40 veterans ourselves, we decided to step up and start a winter campaign early to help with the feeding bill. Every single donation no matter how large or small will be of huge benefit not only to them but to the starving animals that no-one cares for.”

The Sanctuary provides homes for over 200 animals and a veteran is an animal aged 20 years plus – like Malibu pictured. Remus Horse Sanctuary has been fortunate to home not one but two of the oldest horses in the world – Shane and Orchid. Sadly, these two gorgeous creatures eventually passed on, but Malibu is now its eldest veteran, now 39 years of age. “Malibu came to us from a riding school and very arthritic. She suffers from narcolepsy and has become good friends with Guinness our veteran shire of 28 years”, says Sue.

Keeping these animals safe, warm, well fed and with the special dietary care they need is at a considerable cost. Sue explains, “We believe that ‘old horse’ should not equal ‘thin horse’ and all of our horses are weighed on a weighbridge weekly to ensure that we can monitor their weight. They have high fibre and high caloric food, if we require them to gain weight and those with poor dentition have this in a sloppy porridge consistency.  Old age is not an illness and horses can cope very well with being old. It does take a lot of work to keep on top of the needs of the older horse and as they live longer the problems increase.”

Sue says the Sanctuary is full at present and cannot take in any more animals, “As we’re entirely self-funded, without the support of the public there is no way that we can continue. Everything costs money and the onset of the cold weather makes it even more tough as feed and heating bills increase.”

For further information, please browse the website or contact Sue Burton on tel: 01277 356191.

Remus Winter Feed Appeal

Welcome to our winter feed appeal. This winter we are aiming to raise £2,500 to help feed not only our veterans and permanent residents at Remus Horse Sanctuary, but also those neglected unloved, abandoned animals that are either tethered with no access to food or left wandering and unwanted with no food and no shelter.

The Importance of Winter Feed

With over 40 veterans at Remus alone, which is basically an animal 20 years+ we decided to step up and start a winter campaign early to help with their feeding bill. Every single donation no matter how large or small will be of huge benefit not only to them but to the starving animals that no-one cares for.  Keeping these animals safe, warm, well fed and with the special dietary care they need is at a considerable cost. Keeping an animal fed over winter will give it a chance to thrive into Spring.  Forage also helps a horse keep warm. Without your help, many animals will die a slow, painful and unnecessary death.

We believe that ‘old horse’ should not equal ‘thin horse’ and all of our horses are weighed on a weighbridge weekly to ensure that we can monitor their weight. They have high fibre and high caloric food, if we require them to gain weight and those with poor dentition have this in a sloppy porridge consistency.  Old age is not an illness and horses can cope very well with being old. It does take a lot of work to keep on top of the needs of the older horse and as they live longer the problems increase.

We’ve said it before, the Sanctuary is full and we literally cannot take any more animals in right now and, as we are entirely self-funded, without the support of the public there is no way that we can continue. Everything costs money and the onset of the cold weather makes it even more tough as feed and heating bills increase. Please donate to our Winter Feed Appeal here.

Meet Malibu

Meet Malibu, pictured alongside, our oldest animal at the Sanctuary – aged 39 years.

Remus has been fortunate to home not one but two of the oldest horses in the world – Shane and Orchid. Sadly, these two gorgeous creatures eventually passed on, but Malibu is now our eldest veteran. Malibu came to us from a riding school and very arthritic. She suffers from narcolepsy and has become good friends with Guinness our veteran shire of 28 years – also pictured.

Any donations, large or small, are welcomed and all will impact on our fundraising total and help feed animals in need.

We believe, that with your help, we can make a difference.

DONATE HERE

You can also donate up to £10 by text. Just text FEED36 £10 to 70070 to donate to Remus with JustTextGiving. Please note that text donations can only be for £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10. However a donor can donate up to three times per day. £10 is the maximum donation amount for all mobile operators. 

Farewell To Some Dear Friends

We have lost a few of our much loved animal friends over the summer and it has been extremely sad to see them go.  We are dreading the winter ahead with the bad weather and the financial worries, and are particularly concerned about the welfare situation generally which, whilst it is at an unprecedented high, we have been seeing skinny horses for the last few months, foresee a much bigger problem this year. It’s important that we can act quickly to help them and get food and water to them. We are setting up our Winter Feed Appeal as just feeding them can help keep them alive until the better weather kicks in and they stand a chance of thriving again until the next winter…

Whilst the Sanctuary was set up following the plight of the Rainham Marsh horses, we only took on land because we took in Pickles and his mum Misty and, from having the land, we then got the next horse Caesar and that was the beginning of Remus Sanctuary!

Misty had carried her foal, Pickles, on Rainham Marshes during the terrible floods where many horse got cut off and died in 1983. Sadly she was kicked in the head by another horse and sustained a fractured skull causing massive maxillary swellings She was then tethered at Hacton Lane recreation ground where despite the fractured skull and being tethered she gave birth to little Pickles. We were only contacted by the Council when Pickles starting being a nuisance to passers by on the recreation ground. We were also contacted by a young girl, Catherine Terry, who was concerned about Misty. Catherine remains a member to this day.

We immediately took on both horses and sadly Misty was put to sleep the same day to save her further suffering. We kept Pickles at a livery yard prior to renting somewhere privately to keep him. Pickles was the first horse our founder Sue ever had the care of and he taught her so much! He kicked her and split a muscle in her leg and reared all over her every time she went into his field. Sensibly she would have given up on horses!

Pickles always had the most enormous character and when he was 7 years old he went to a home in Mountnessing with Sue and Neil Tredgett. He had a great life with them and we are so grateful to the Tredgett family for caring for him for over 25 years. Sue said recently that when her husband Neil died Pickles gave her the reason to get up every day. She fought with him through terrible bouts of laminitis and a few years ago he underwent surgery to have his entire penile area removed. Thank you Sue for all the love and care that you gave him. Pickles was a great horse and will always be remembered by so many people and certainly by us at Remus.

Tiny Tim came to us in the early 90s when he was found running down the A12 and taken in by a window making factory who contacted the Police and were devastated when the Police impounded Tim at a slaughter yard where he watched other horses being slaughtered in front of him. Eventually we had to buy him from the Police to secure his safety!

He was in a foster home for many years before coming back to us a few years ago. He was such a sweet little pony and has been a joy to look after.

Just a week ago we had to say goodbye to Bella donkey who had been with us for some years. She was in last stage liver failure. She was a dear little soul and had originally come out of Spindles Farm, so one can only guess at the suffering she will have endured over the years, but she had some lovely final years at Remus and this is what we are about – giving these animals some quality time in their final years.

It is devastating when we lose our beloved animals, they become friends to us all and I know you will be as sad as us when reading the stories above. And sadly, their desperate tales prove the importance of our work and need to continue. Please help us by becoming a member, sponsoring an animal and sharing what we do with your friends and family.

 

How Can I Help?

Our team of volunteers are vital to the work of Remus Horse Sanctuary. They help to raise money, care for animals, welcome visitors, highlight our work and even help maintain the premises. Our volunteers go the extra mile and ensure that all of our animals, large or small, live a long and loving life with nothing asked of them.

If you would like to support the Sanctuary by volunteering, please complete an Application Form and send it to the Sanctuary or contact the office to discuss volunteering on tel: 01277 356191.

​Here are just some of the things you can do to help us:

Fundraisers wanted to organise events, street collections and raffle ticket sales.

Event Volunteers are essential to ensure our events run smoothly throughout the year. Can you help us to promote the event through leafleting and distributing posters? Perhaps you could help out at our Open Days and other events, run specific projects, sort bric-a-brac, maintain merchandise stocks and pricing. (You can also visit our Fundraising page to find out how you could organise your own event.)

Volunteer Coordinator needed to help develop and oversee our volunteer programme including recruitment, selection, training, allocation of duties, setting up of and maintaining a social calendar.

PA or Secretary wanted to assist in busy office, managing diary, note taking, handling paperwork to a high standard. We also need people to help stuff envelopes at least twice a year.

Enrichment Volunteers wanted to help provide enrichment to the animals including socialisation, toys, games and observation.

Gardener wanted to care for the Sanctuary garden, such as mowing the lawn, keeping the troughs planted and watered.

Conservation Officer to oversee the upkeep of the Sanctuary conservation areas including the hedgerow, ponds, maintaining wildlife area, keeping a list of birds and wildlife seen and erection of bat boxes. Many BTO red and endangered birds have been seen on site.

Graphic Designer to assist with posters for our events, online graphics and the occasional leaflet. Will be fully briefed by our Marketing Expert and should be able to work remotely.

IT or Computer Expert wanted to maintain office computers and laptops ensuring backing-up and maintenance.

Photographer to take good quality images suitable for advertising, PR and print work, and website. To document what happens at the Sanctuary, how the animals progress and equally the cute and cuddly shots to help with our fundraising. Video would be a bonus!

Drivers wanted to collect and drop off items in the local area.

Maintenance Person to help oversee the upkeep of fixtures and fittings with some bigger projects, such as concreting. Additionally, people required to help clean and paint the stables and buildings before winter.

Groundsman wanted to help oversee the land ensuring weed control and fencing kept in good repair.

Please note that due to the demand from youngsters to help at the Sanctuary we have a very long waiting list and it can be quite a lengthy process to get children onto the Young Volunteer Scheme.

Hoofs, Paws and Claws Crossed at Remus Horse Sanctuary

The animals and staff alike at Remus Horse Sanctuary in Essex are crossing everything that the weather before and during their next Open Day on Sunday 7 August will be fine and dry, unlike the three previous dates.

Unfortunately, the charity has had to cancel its three previous Open Days due to either very wet weather beforehand or devastating flooding, as was the case in July. Losing such prominent dates in the fundraising event calendar has been financially crippling for the Sanctuary who rely on the Summer events to boost their finances ready for the Winter.

Sue confirmed, “To lose half of our major Summer fundraising events is a very hard blow indeed. These events are essential to us in order to replenish our depleted coffers to help fund the Sanctuary through the rest of the Summer and most essentially the Winter season.”

On Sunday 7 August, the gates at the Sanctuary will open to the public for the first time this year from 1pm to 5pm. Visitors will be able to meet all 200 animals – including the new born and rescued foals from 2014 and 2015 – enjoy refreshments, musical entertainment from Midnite Blu and, for the children, there will be lots of activities and games. Admission for adults is £4, children £2 and dogs are more than welcome if kept on a lead.

Due to the Sanctuary’s location, which is on green belt land, it can only open to the public six times a year, and has already lost out on May, June and July. The Open Days, which are the Sanctuary’s primary source of fundraising, along with membership sales and animal sponsorship, help contribute to the annual running costs of £440,000.

Sue Burton, the Sanctuary’s founder says, “Our Open Days are a great way of introducing the public to the escalating plight of horse welfare, currently in crisis in the UK, and for them to learn more about animal husbandry.” Sue went on to say that not everyone mistreats an animal through malice, but that sometimes it is through sheer lack of awareness or education, “the Open Days are a fun way of introducing young and old to animal welfare and we’re all looking forward to opening our doors for the first time in 2016!”.

For further information, browse the website – www.remussanctuary.org – or contact Sue Burton on tel: 01277 356191.

And the animals went in two by two…

And the animals went in two by two… alongside is Amber and Blossom slowly making their way to shelter following the horrific flooding experienced at the Sanctuary recently.

For those unfamiliar with the Sanctuary, there are no lakes within the grounds (or at least not normally!).

On Thursday 23 June, all three roads into Buttsbury were flooded and the road direct to the Sanctuary was 5ft deep! Our muck heap collector lorry got stuck in it! The staff all had to walk across fields to get in. The cows shelter was under water and the cows and some of the ponies needed to be moved to the back fields for safety. One of our volunteers was up to his chest in the flood water on the road and nearly floated away!

Five days on and the road into us was still flooded and the water on the fields lasted for a further three days. In addition to our own problems, a large fish was left flapping in a field and was rescued and returned to the river by Charlotte, and Alex, whilst taking one of the horses out heard screaming and rescued a woman who had fallen into the ford!

This is an extreme situation. Once again we will have to cancel the Open Day, now for the third time in a row. The last time we saw it this bad was in 2012. We are so proud of our staff who walk in and out before and after work and continue to care for the animals and still smile.

We need to get ourselves back on our feet and we can only do that with your help. Please contribute to our Cry For Help Appeal today! We will also be holding a Summer Sale at Stock Village Hall on Saturday 2nd to help raise funds following the floods and cancellations. Full details here. If you can’t donate, please visit us on Saturday and vice versa!

Thank you!