Winter Feed Donation from Dengie Horse Feeds

Dengie Horse Feeds, in collaboration with Essex Animal Feeds, has generously contributed feed to Remus Horse Sanctuary this winter. Our partnership with Dengie has flourished for over the past 15 years, during which time they have been steadfastly supporting us. Their assistance extends beyond material donations, encompassing valuable nutrition advice and thorough assessments of the horses’ diets.

This particular donation has been made at a time to support our Winter Hay Appeal.

The Dengie Hi-Fi Molasses Free and Alfa-Beet are fed to numerous horses, ponies and donkeys here at Remus, many of which have dietary-related issues such as PPID, EMS or poor dentition. The combination of high fibre feeds provides the horses and ponies with a low sugar and starch ration and can be easily eaten by those animals that struggle to chew.

The two greys pictured are Daisy on the left and Tiffany on the right, along with Minstral and the delightful little fella is Monty – he had 5 teeth out recently – they’re all busy tucking in! The Hi-Fi is a great hay replacer as none of them have good teeth (they’re in their late 30’s now) and the Alfa-Beet helps keep their weight at its optimum – and they love it!

“I have worked with the team at Remus for many years, they were actually one of the first places I visited when I joined the Dengie Nutrition team,” says Tracey Hammond, Nutritionist at Dengie. “For me, beyond helping the horses, I have found it very rewarding supplying Sue and her team with the tools to make decisions on what and how much to feed, which means it’s only the really tricky cases they need to consult me on now”.

When Dengie initially partnered with Remus, the Sanctuary homed a predominantly elderly equine population, many of whom faced dental challenges. Addressing the need for an alternative to hay that was suitable for these individuals was crucial for aiding weight gain and maintaining digestive health. Some horses participated in a Dengie-sponsored study conducted by Writtle College, examining the impact of poor dentition on forage consumption. The study revealed that horses with dental issues consumed two-thirds less food than their counterparts with healthy teeth. Introducing a fully soaked fibre source, Dengie Alfa-Beet, resulted in zero feed refusals, underscoring the importance of providing easily chewable fibre for older horses.

Over time, we saw a rise in younger horses prone to laminitis due to Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS). To accommodate these changes, we revamped our facilities, incorporating well-designed woodchip areas to manage horses with restricted or no access to grass.

“Our most sincere thanks to everyone at Dengie that arranged for delivery of the feed and to Essex Animal Feed for delivering it free of charge,” said Sue Burton, Founder of Remus Horse Sanctuary. “I can’t tell you how helpful that is especially whilst things are so tight. It really has made a huge difference and is so much appreciated by us all, as is all the help and support that we receive from Dengie”.

Amidst the current cost of living crisis, Remus faces heightened demands. Not only are the charity’s operational costs on the rise, but the requests for assistance with horses have also multiplied. Dengie’s contribution of Hi-Fi Molasses Free and Alfa-Beet, both widely consumed by the majority of the horses, has proven invaluable in easing this burden and we thank them for their ongoing support.

Dengie Horse Feeds is officially the UK’s favourite fibre-based horse feed, having topped the 2023 National Equestrian Survey*. The leading producer of fibre-based horse feeds using forages exclusively grown in the UK, Dengie has been growing alfalfa, one of the few ingredients grown specifically for horse nutrition, for over 50 years and continue to develop innovative and exciting feeds that promote health and performance in the horse. Alfalfa is a sustainable and environmentally friendly crop providing a natural habitat for birds, insects and other wildlife. All the crops are fully traceable from seed to feed; their non-GM status and feed management protocols set the standard in fibre feeding in the UK. Dengie offer non-biased qualified nutritional advice on feeding to horse owners and are proud to be awarded HM The Queen’s Royal Warrant.

*BETA National Equestrian Survey 2023 for fibre feed brands purchased in the last 12 months.

Click here if you would like to contribute to our Winter Hay Appeal.

Horse Owners Prefer Pets to Partners!

This probably won’t come as much of a surprise to most horse lovers, but recent research has shown that the majority of animal owners have stronger bonds with their pets than their families!

The recent research was carried out by equine charity Brooke and revealed that more than a quarter of animal lovers would rather stay at home with pets than meet up with family and friends, and three in five people prefer to cuddle with their pet rather than their partner!

Brooke is using the survey to raise awareness of the plight of working donkeys, horses and mules in Pakistan following the recent floods. Find out more at: www.horseandhound.co.uk.

Closer to home, we have recently launched our Winter Hay Appeal. Please visit our appeal page to find out more.

Happy Valentine’s Day, whether your plans are with your pets or your partners! 😉

Abandoned and Tethered Horses and Ponies Need Help

Sue Burton, Founder of Remus Horse Sanctuary near Ingatestone in Essex, is appealing for urgent assistance to help save the many horses and ponies that will die needlessly this year from starvation. The charity has created an appeal page on Just Giving to help raise £2,500 towards the cost – www.justgiving.com/campaign/WinterFeedAppeal2020.

The New Year generally brings colder weather as we’re already seeing and, as well as giving top class care to the Sanctuary residents, there are many more horses and ponies out there who are not so lucky and that Remus Horse Sanctuary also need to keep an eye on.

However, at this time of year, Remus Horse Sanctuary struggles to respond to all of the reports they receive from members of the public.

Ms Burton commented, “We try and rescue as many animals as we possibly can, but we just cannot physically be everywhere we are needed – and it all comes at a great cost. This situation continues to be a huge crisis in the UK, which many people just don’t realise.”

The horse welfare crisis in the UK has been escalating for many years and the news regularly features horses that are victims of physical and mental abuse.

Remus continue to receive calls daily throughout the year. However, the cold winter months will make any situation worse. With the public’s help, the Charity’s Welfare Watch aims to deliver assistance to horses in crisis in and around Essex and the South East of England.

Keeping an animal fed over winter will give it a chance to thrive into Spring. Forage will also help keep horses and ponies warm, yet a tethered horse may not have access to this. Without the Sanctuary’s help, many animals will die a slow, painful and unnecessary death in the unrelenting cold weather.

“The public can help us by working together. Please take a look at our Welfare Watch and we will continue to do everything we can to avoid many horses and ponies from suffering. The more information you can provide on the form, the better.”

Details of the Remus Welfare Watch can be found online at: www.remussanctuary.org/horse-welfare/welfare-watch.

Additionally, the Sanctuary sustained a lot of damage during Storm Ciara, losing an entire field shelter (pictured) and felt from roofs.

The charity also offers a variety of foodstuffs online which people can buy: donate a bale of hay, bag of animal food, straw bedding etc. A week’s supply of food and hay for a tethered horse will help improve their life and wellbeing for just £25 and help get them through the cold winter months. Visit: www.remussanctuary.org/product-category/animal-treats to find out more or contact Sue Burton on telephone: 01277 356191.

Keeping our horses and ponies safe this winter

The New Year generally brings colder weather and, as well as giving top class care to our Sanctuary residents, there are many more horses and ponies out there who are not so lucky and who we also need to keep an eye on.

The horse welfare crisis in the UK has been escalating for many years and our countrywide Welfare Watch aims to deliver assistance to horses in crisis in and around Essex and the South East of England. At this time of year, we struggle to respond to all of the reports we receive from members of the public; we just cannot physically be everywhere we are needed – and it comes at great cost! Will you donate to our Winter Feed Appeal?

We’ve put together this simple five-step checklist, designed for everyone to refer to before contacting us, so that we can all work together to help more horses and ponies at this time of year. Why not print a copy and save it to hand?

Keep safe yourself. This is the most important thing: first of all, horses can be unpredictable and so you must always put your own safety first, secondly if you don’t know the owner of the land, you could be trespassing.
Make yourself aware of the Five Freedoms (see below) to help you decide the nature of the problem.
Collect information about the horse(s) you are concerned about and fill in our online form. The form will ask you for:
- The nature of the problem in line with the Five Freedoms
- Supporting photographs, if possible, to demonstrate the nature and scale of the problem and so that we can prioritise the visits
- Horse(s) details including how many, gender, breed, colour and age (if known) and also horse(s) owner’s details, if known
- The landowner’s details, if known
- The location of the horses
- Your contact details
If it is an emergency situation, contact the RSPCA immediately on 0300 1234 999.
If it is safe to do so, take the horse(s) some hay and water until further help is sought.

The Five Freedoms

There are many reasons why a horse may be distressed or need assistance. We’ve chosen to align our Welfare Watch with the ‘Five Freedoms’ identified by The Animal Welfare Act 2006, which enshrines the animal owner’s ‘Duty of Care’ in British Law:

Freedom from hunger or thirst – the animal has little or no access to fresh water and/or food.
Freedom from discomfort – the animal does not have somewhere to lie down or gain shelter or is exposed to extreme weather conditions.
Freedom from pain, injury or disease – the animal clearly shows disease, an untreated injury or perhaps severely overgrown hooves.
Freedom to express (most) normal behaviour – the animal is tethered incorrectly and/or does not have sufficient space or proper facilities and living conditions.
Freedom from fear and distress – abandoned animals, those subject to dog attacks, low flying aircraft, or similar, or those suffering from any of the above.

Remember, it is really important that you send us photographs of the horses, ponies or donkeys in need so that we can prioritise our visits and their care.

Download the form here.

Charity Reminds People to Remember Rescued Animals this Christmas

As families and friends sit down to their Christmas feast on Christmas Day and pile on the leftovers on Boxing Day, Remus Horse Sanctuary are asking people everywhere to consider its rescued animals.

Sue Burton, Founder of Remus Horse Sanctuary commented: “Every year we see hundreds of horses and ponies die during the winter months through starvation. This continues to be a huge crisis in the UK. We try and rescue as many animals as we possibly can, but this comes at a substantial cost.”

Remus Horse Sanctuary will not euthanise by age alone and, as our rescued animals get older, the medical bills increase, and they require more time, care, special food, and heat to keep them warm over the winter months.

The charity has created an appeal page on Just Giving to help raise £2,500 towards the cost.

The news regularly features horses that are victims of physical and mental abuse and Remus continue to receive calls daily throughout the year. However, the cold winter months will make any situation worse and the animals at Remus need your help.

Keeping an animal fed over winter will give it a chance to thrive into spring – forage also helps keep horses and ponies warm. Without the Sanctuary’s help, many animals would die a slow, painful and unnecessary death in the unrelenting cold weather.

Sue added: “We’re launching the new winter feed appeal to raise £2,500 to help feed not only the animals in our care at the farm, but also to help aid more rescue operations.”

We also offer a variety of foodstuffs via our online shop where people can buy and donate a bale of hay, bag of animal food, straw bedding and more. A week’s supply of food and hay for a tethered horse will help improve their life and wellbeing for just £25 and help get them through the cold winter months.

Visit: www.remussanctuary.org/product-category/animal-treats to find out more or contact Sue Burton on telephone: 01277 356191.

Donations to the appeal can be made via the website at www.remussanctuary.org/donate or via the Just Giving appeal page at: www.justgiving.com/campaign/WinterFeedAppeal2020.

#GivingTuesday Bonus

As we launch our Winter Feed Appeal today – 27 November – those nice people at Give as you Live are offering a bonus 50p donation to us on #GivingTuesday!

If you’ve still got some festive shopping to do, or shopping in general, why not shop through Give as you Live and raise some money for Remus Horse Sanctuary at the same time. This GivingTuesday Give as you Live is offering an extra 50p bonus donation to charity for every user who makes a transaction via the site on the day.

You can sign up for free here and shop at over 4,200 online retailers including eBay and John Lewis and Partners. With thousands of offers across leading stores, take advantage of the top festive savings whilst doing good and giving back with Give as you Live.

PayPal is matching funding this #GivingTuesday!

As we officially launch our Winter Feed Appeal on Tuesday 27 November #GivingTuesday, we have some amazing news to share from PayPal.

PayPal will be doubling donations received through the PayPal fundraising page and the PayPal App, up to a maximum of £50,000 total matching donations on the day.

Donations through PayPal’s fundraising page and app are received and delivered by PayPal’s charity Giving Fund UK.

Please donate to Remus on Tuesday 27 November for us to receive double the donation via PayPal.

Charity Launches Winter Feed Appeal on #GivingTuesday

It’s a sad fact, but many horses will die this winter without food. Remus Horse Sanctuary has created its 2018 Winter Feed Appeal to help minimise that number. The Appeal will launch officially on #GivingTuesday 27 November when the charity will also be sharing photographs and videos throughout the day demonstrating ‘a day in the life of Remus Horse Sanctuary’, via social media.

Sue Burton, Founder of Remus Horse Sanctuary commented: “Thousands of foals will have been born this summer only to die during the winter. This is a huge crisis and where we can we will get food and water to these horses to get them through the worst of the winter until the grass grows in the spring, but this comes at a substantial cost.”

Keeping an animal fed over winter will give it a chance to thrive into spring and forage also helps a horse keep warm. Without the Sanctuary’s help, many animals will die a slow, painful and unnecessary death.

Further information can be found on the JustGiving appeal page where donations can be made online. They can also be made via the website or by texting FEED36 £10 to 70070 to donate to Remus with JustTextGiving.*

Daisy – pictured safe, warm and fed at Remus Horse Sanctuary – is one of eight horses that the charity rescued earlier this year. Two of those horses were left out in the summer heatwave with no food, water or shelter; two horses were kept in a cage, again with no food or water; and four stallions had been kept in closed dirty stables for two years.

At present, there are more than 7,000 horses at risk in the UK and the welfare crisis in this country continues to escalate year on year with little or no progress – when the mares foal, the problem doubles and so on and so forth each year.

Sue added: “We’re launching the new winter feed appeal to help raise £2,500 to feed the many neglected, unloved and abandoned horses that are either tethered by their necks on waste ground or just left wandering and unwanted with no food, water or shelter, whatever the weather.”

Additionally, Remus offer plenty of foodstuffs via its online shop where people can buy a bale of hay, bag of animal food, straw bedding and more. A week’s supply of food and hay for a tethered horse will help improve their life and wellbeing for just £25 and help get them through the cold winter months.

Visit our online shop to find out more or contact Sue Burton on telephone: 01277 356191.

* Please note that text donations can only be £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.

#YouMadeItHappen

#YouMadeItHappen is a social media campaign created by NCVO (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations) who champion the voluntary sector and volunteering because they’re essential for a better society.

It is taking place on Monday 19 November.

The NCVO recognise that what people want to hear about from charities, is the difference their support has made, so we’ve put together just a few lines of ways in which you help us!

When little Dante was dumped at our gates in 2015, we were able to give him the medical attention, food, time, care and love that he needed for him to grow into a strong and healthy adult.
When a gust of wind in 2016, demolished one of our much-needed field shelters for our animals, you helped us replace it.
When we rescued 2 horses from Kent that had been in a field for 14 weeks with no food, water or attention, your support helped us to do so. Sadly we lost Lady as she was just too sick and too malnourished, but Blax is thriving.
When we needed to rescue 8 horses this summer that were all sick and malnourished, including 4 stallions that had been kept in closed dirty stables for two years, you helped us.
When we rescued the two blind and pregnant mares Holly and Grace, who then gave birth to Bracken and Jess, your support enabled us not only to do so, but to give them the attention they needed to thrive into young and healthy adults and to provide a special, protective area for Holly and Grace to spend time outside safely.
When Tony Goat came to us with half his jaw hanging off, you enabled us to fix him!
When Pippa and Minstral needed specialist eye operations, you helped us raise the funds to pay for their medical care.

These are just a few of the ways in which you help Remus every day – in fact we could not continue to do what we do without you! We get no grants and can only stay afloat by fundraising and the support offered to us by volunteers.

This year we celebrated our 35th Anniversary #YouMadeItHappen!

If you would like to find out more about volunteering for Remus, visit the web page here and, if you’re not already doing so, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter too.

You might also like to take a look at our Winter Feed Appeal for 2018.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Food for Thought

Many of the horses and ponies that find their way to us here at Remus arrive underweight and hungry. One of the ‘five freedoms’ that we choose to align our Horse Welfare Watch with is, of course, freedom from hunger or thirst. With us, these horses and ponies are free to live a safe, happy life and regularly enjoy a bucket of their favourite dinner!

We all know the way to our horses’ hearts is through their stomachs, but sometimes it’s tricky to know what we should be feeding, how much and how often. With winter more or less upon us, you may have started to reassess your horse’s diet in preparation for the colder weather. This article from Horse & Hound looks at how to feed your horse what he needs, while keeping an eye on what you’re spending.

You may also like to take a look at our winter feed appeal, which will help us to feed the horses and ponies that have no one to care for them.