Charity Founder Honoured with IFAW Award

Sue Burton, Founder of Remus Horse Sanctuary, received an award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) at the House of Lords, on Tuesday 20 October, honouring her dedication to rescuing and improving the welfare of thousands of horses. TV wildlife presenter Bill Oddie presented the award.

The IFAW awards programme runs in countries all around the world and looks to reward special people who have done something outstanding for animals. Philip Mansbridge, UK Director of IFAW, said: “Sue’s dedication to horse rescue and protection is a great example of animal welfare in action. Her efforts have saved thousands of horses and other animals and she is a true inspiration to others. She is a very deserving winner of IFAW’s Equine Welfare Award.”

Animal lover Sue Burton, from Billericay in Essex, set up Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary in 1983, where it now provides rehabilitation and long-term care for over 200 animals at the 40-acre site near Ingatestone. Sue’s action followed two horrific activities; firstly, the plight of horses on Rainham Marshes, where more than 100 horses were left on the bleak marshland and 13 died in horrific conditions after being cut off by floodwaters. Secondly, the case of Remus, a horse that was stolen and starved for three months in a feud over a £50 debt. Remus was left tied to a lamppost and despite Sue’s valiant efforts to save him; he eventually had to be put down.

Sue says, “There is a huge horse welfare problem in this country and its just getting worse all the time. Back in 1983, I was determined to help other animals in Remus’ memory. Many of the animals we take in at the Sanctuary have suffered physical or mental abuse because of human cruelty or ignorance.”

The Sanctuary aims to help all the horses it can which have been left to die in fields and, if there is no space on-site, she will travel out to keep feeding them. The Sanctuary has also gained a reputation as a specialist centre for the treatment of veteran and blind horses, and has provided homes to two of Britain’s oldest known horses, one of whom – Orchid – died recently aged 50. Sue and her team also offer advice on animal welfare and to owners of elderly horses, and organise a variety of workshops on elderly horse care, health, nutrition and many complementary therapies.

The work of the Sanctuary also extends into the wider community, with ponies taken to visit care homes for the elderly and schools to educate young people about respecting and caring for animals. Remus is an accredited organisation offering work placements to young people and is a Duke of Edinburgh Award training venue. Tours and talks are also provided for disabled, deaf, and blind groups.

Sue ensures she is available 24/7 to respond to calls to help animals in need and is also under constant pressure to fundraise to pay the running costs of the Sanctuary, which are in excess of £400,000 annually. The charity relies totally on public donations.

Despite all of the demands on her time from running the Sanctuary and carrying out hands-on rescue work, Sue continues to campaign for improved horse welfare and has lobbied at Westminster on the issue. She also promotes horse welfare and cruelty issues locally and encourages members of the public to be on the lookout for signs of distress in horses and to report any suspected cruelty or neglect, in Essex and across neighbouring counties. More information on this can be found via the Horse Welfare section of the Remus website.

Following the award, Sue said, “I was very pleased for the whole team to hear I would receive an IFAW award, it represents the work done by everyone here. Our work is often very similar to a hospice, giving animals that have usually suffered greatly, the very best of care, allowing the younger ones to get over their abuse and develop into happy adults, or for the older ones to spend their twilight years doing as they wish while enjoying the highest quality care that we can achieve.

“I don’t think a horse should be put down because it has reached a certain age if it can still thrive; I think we should be giving something back, especially when so many of these horses have suffered in the past. The most satisfying aspect of the work is seeing a horse that at first has completely shut itself down and won’t interact, to suddenly coming to me or playing with other horses in the field. This is how they should be, full of life, and when I see that restored it is very special.”

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

 

Cashing in the Chips for Remus Horse Sanctuary

Supporters of Remus Horse Sanctuary enjoyed spinning the dice at a fun Casino evening organised by Remus trustee, Linda Croton, at The Holiday Inn Brentwood last week and raised just under £3,000 for the charity.

The event was organised to raise much-needed funds for the charity and enjoyed sponsorship from a number of companies including: Ace of Diamonds Fun Casino who provided the tables and fun money, Green Thumb Lawn Treatment and Stockbrook Manor Golf & Country Club in Billericay.  Ravens Bakery in Ingatestone provided the cake and Aura of Ingatestone card and gift shop provided balloons and sashes. Black Square Print Media printed the event programmes. Positive Signs Ltd provided British Sign Language interpreters’ ensuring the event was accessible for deaf people to enjoy.  Raffle prizes included a hamper from Harrods, John Lewis vouchers, a meal for two at Genting Club Westcliff Restaurant at Westcliff-on-Sea, tickets to Windsor Castle donated by The Royal Collection.

The overall winner of the evening was Dena Schwartz, Holistic Animal Therapist from Hertfordshire, who won a 3-night stay at Pebblegate B&B in Sheringham on the North Norfolk Cost kindly donated by Chris and David Parmenter – Chris is the author of the Wally the Worm children’s book sold via the Remus website. Celebrity guest, Basil Fawlty, played by Tim Farmer awarded the prizes throughout the evening.

2015 has been an extremely tough year for Remus.  Founder, Sue Burton, says, “We have noticed an immense decline in donations as people continue to be very careful with their money.”  In fact, it took the charity 197 days to raise just £1,454 for an operation for one of their ponies.  The effect on the Charity is considerable, and this in turn has a huge impact on the Sanctuary and their work.  Furthermore, it comes at a time when the horse welfare crisis is escalating in this country and therefore putting even more pressure on their already depleted funds.

Linda Croton said, “I wanted to do something different for the Sanctuary and it really was a fantastic night! On behalf of Remus, I would like to thank everyone involved in helping us raise much needed funds for the Sanctuary and also for making it such an enjoyable evening for all our guests.”

Worlds Oldest Horse Dies At Age Fifty

Sadly, at 2pm on Thursday 8 October, Sue Burton and the staff at Remus Horse Sanctuary said their final goodbyes to Orchid, believed to be the oldest horse in the world.

On Wednesday 7 October, Orchid was colicking and receiving round the clock care. She had a comfortable night but was colicking again on the Thursday morning.  She continued to colic and we had no option but to prevent her suffering, and the difficult decision was made to put her to sleep.

Orchid celebrated her 50th birthday in January 2015 and certainly knew her own mind. Staff reported that, “every morning she would bang on her stable door for her breakfast and not stop until she got what she wanted. As an occasional treat raspberries were a particular favourite as she could suck on them!”  Her original owners were not aware of her compromised dentition and her need for extra care.  Orchid arrived at Remus Horse Sanctuary in June 2014. Prior to this, she was used as a brood mare but was discarded when her usefulness ended.  She had been badly beaten, kicked and starved of food and water.  Her spirit was broken and she was ready to die.  Remus Horse Sanctuary gave her love and hope and a reason to live.

Sue Burton, Founder of the Sanctuary, said, “This was a devastating decision, Orchid was a beautiful girl but we have to do what is right for the animals, not ourselves.  With the care she received here, she put on weight, gained strength and her health improved massively within weeks of arriving at the Sanctuary. Her time here was a happy one, it was easy to see, especially with her new friend Guinness, and we’ve got lots of memories and some lovely photos.”

Sue went on to explain, “To turn an animal around from neglect or abuse, requires a lot of time, care and money. We don’t put an animal to sleep just because it’s old.   We believe every animal has a right to good health, happiness and love.  Its what we do at the Sanctuary, our raison d’etre, but to continue these works, we need a serious injection of cash, 2015 has been a really tough year for us.”

For further information, contact Sue Burton on tel: 01277 356191. To make a donation, please click here.

 

 

Novelty Dog Show at Horse and Donkey Sanctuary in Essex

Dog lovers across the South East of England are invited to Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary on Sunday 6 September for its Novelty Dog Show taking place at the penultimate Open Day of the 2015 season.

Remus host just six Open Days per year and the July and September dates feature a Novelty Dog Show including fun classes such as: Best Dog Hero – for those that have made a real difference to their owner’s lives – Cutest Puppy 6-12 Months, Best 6 Legs, Most Appealing Eyes, Best Tail Wagger 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, judging commences at 2pm.

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 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 on a lead.

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 the charity that, due to its location on greenbelt land, can only open to the public for a limited number of days each year.

Founder of the Sanctuary, 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, contact Sue Burton on tel: 01277 356191.  For companies wishing to sponsor a class or take a stall at the event, please email: promotions@remussanctuary.org.

Remus Veggie Cook Book 2015 sponsored by Essex Mums

This is a new fundraising initiative for Remus Horse Sanctuary and we need your help please!

Our all new vegetarian cook book will be available for sale later this year, making the perfect Christmas gift!  We would like you to submit your favourite tasty, healthy vegetarian recipe to feature in this unique cook book alongside your name and picture – or perhaps a picture of your child or pet, if you prefer!

You’ll see an example of a recipe page to the left.  Recipes can be categorised by starter (or snack), main course or dessert, whichever you prefer.  And you can submit up to 3 different recipes – though preferably in different categories please!

All you need to do at this stage is to donate 50p per recipe page (or pages) to a maximum of £1.50, although you can of course make a further donation if you wish.  Once we have received your donation we will send you all of the necessary information to proceed.  If you have internet access, we would ask you to submit your recipe and upload your image online.  If you do not have internet connection we can provide you with a recipe sheet.

The deadline for recipes is 30 September 2015.  Once we have everyone’s recipe we will be sending them off to be printed.

**Remember to include your contact details so that we can send you the necessary information  to submit your recipe**

Please make your donation HERE.

 

 

Would you like to be in with a chance of winning £500 towards a dog friendly holiday?

The Kennel Club and Dog Friendly are on the hunt for the UK’s most dog friendly businesses, and we are inviting YOU to participate!

Encourage your friends, family, clients, and fellow dog lovers to nominate and vote for us – Remus Horse Sanctuary under the category of ‘Days Out’. Everyone who makes a nomination or votes will be entered into a free prize draw to win £500 towards a dog-friendly holiday, with runner up prizes of ten pairs of tickets to Crufts and Discover Dogs! You will also get a free one year membership, worth £5.99, to the Dog Friendly database so that you can find dog friendly venues throughout the UK.

The winners in all categories will be determined by public vote. In addition to the category awards, a Special Recognition prize will be awarded to a place or business that the Kennel Club identifies as pulling out all the stops for its canine customers.

The awards will be presented at Eukanuba Discover Dogs on the 17th-18th October 2015 at ExCeL, London. The Awards look to honour those businesses that are offering innovative services to attract dog owners into their premises. So, if you think we pull out all the stops for you and your dog, simply nominate us in the Be Dog Friendly Awards 2015!

To nominate and vote for us, please visit the Be Dog Friendly Awards website at www.bedogfriendlyawards.com – just search for Remus Horse Sanctuary and vote for us under the category of ‘Days Out’.

The competition closes on 18th September 2015, so make sure you spread the word about being dog friendly!

Why not tweet or upload a picture of your dog enjoying a dog friendly day out with the hashtag #bedogfriendly and make sure you share with us on Facebook and Twitter @RemusHorse.