# Urgent Appeal - Horse Sanctuary facing closure



## lastangel

URGENT APPEAL FOR HELP HORSE SANCTUARY FACING CLOSURE - PLEASE HELP!

THE HORSE REFUGE, Dobell Farm, Moons Green, Wittersham, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 7PR.
01797 270555 or 07956 229683
Welcome to the Horse Refuge

The Horse Refuge needs urgent financial help to avoid closure. Where possible horses have been re-homed, but our remaining 40 permanent residents have suffered the most terrible abuse and will bear the scars for life. They are happy now, but have been too traumatised to remove them from their safe environment here and would become incredibly stressed and dangerous if this was to happen. Their fate would be terrible. We never give up on a horse and provide the 24 hour care that many of them need.

Our future plans are good, but we just need to get through the next two months. Pease, please help us to keep going and give these wonderful animals a chance and a secure future. Come and visit, or telephone for more information. Donations please, however small, to the above address.
With very many thanks, Sara Ross

Online donations via paypal or card can be made on The Horse Refuge website. Please click link to visit the home page, where donation buttons can be found. Welcome to the Horse Refuge

The picture attached shows Sara with Duke, one of The Horse Refuge's residents and the UK's biggest horse! Duke stands at 19.3hh!









Daily Mail Article, 24th March 09 '......Duke lives in a stable which had to be custom-built to fit all four hooves, and his blankets have to be made to measure. And he munches through £80 of food a week. The one-ton giant has already claimed the title of Britain's tallest. horse.

At five years old he is still growing, however - and may one day take the world record from Radar, a Canadian shire who is around an inch taller.

Earlier this week the Daily Mail featured Chilli, a nine-year-old Friesian who at 6ft6in is believed to be the country's tallest bullock.

Luckily for those who take care of Duke, he is as gentle as a lamb.

Carer Sara Ross said: "He's a big baby at heart and is frightened of lots of things, which is unusual because he's such a huge horse and shires are generally very laid back.

"The first time he heard a mobile phone, he freaked. He also doesn't like the rain and will come running back to his stable when it's raining. He also hates snow."

She added: "We rescued him about 18 months ago when his owner suddenly died and since then he's grown and grown.

"He's the biggest horse I've ever seen and I've seen quite a few horses over the years. He's an absolute giant."

The amount of food he eats is four times that of a normal horse, said Mrs Ross.

"He can really pack it away. In the summer he has two small feeds and then eats grass in the field.

"In winter, he has two large feeds and "ad-lib" hay - which generally means around one-and-a-half bales a day. If he didn't come in at night he'd eat all the grass in the field."

Despite his size, Duke gets on well with his more diminutive stablemates and has a particularly soft spot for a Shetland pony called Jasper.

The average height of a shire horse is 17.2 hands. The British record of 19.2 hands was held by a shire called Cracker until his death last year.'


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## Tim_A

We give all charities, refuges etc. a free-for life listing on the Horse and Pony Directory (Horses for Sale, Ponies for Sale, Horseboxes for Sale ) which may help exposure?

If anyone else knows of any charitable organisations, they're free to join too.

Every little help so to speak


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## tonette

He is BEAUTIFUL! hope you get enough to keep going..... I have been ill again, but once I am back up and running I will get in touch and look at doing some sort of walk or ride to raise money with my friends


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## lastangel

Thanks hun  This sanctuary is run by a friend of mine, I hope she can keep going too! Hope you feel better soon!
xx


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## Animals548

well I hope you can get some money!! I really love animals!!!! I really hope you can get some donations!!! Sorry but I'm saving up for a Leopard Gecko!!! But I love horses!! Good luck


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## toddy

I live just round the corner from this address and have never even heard of this rescue.
Maybe better advertising needs to be done to highlight what they do as despite being in the horsey circuit round kent I do not know of these people.
I have asked a few other horsey people and they do not know of them either.
Advertising and open days really are the way to get donations and with that big fellow there you have a perfect way of drawing people in.


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## Blitz

I would think most of the horses would be better off rehomed. I support charities that rehabilitate and rehome horses not ones that keep them with limited facilities for all their lives.


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## lastangel

toddy said:


> I live just round the corner from this address and have never even heard of this rescue.
> Maybe better advertising needs to be done to highlight what they do as despite being in the horsey circuit round kent I do not know of these people.
> I have asked a few other horsey people and they do not know of them either.
> Advertising and open days really are the way to get donations and with that big fellow there you have a perfect way of drawing people in.


Hi there
Thank you for your comment. You have a very good point! As I mentioned, this centre is run by a friend of mine, but not someone I have known for a long time, just a fellow rescuer who asked for my help, and I agree with you that more time needs to be spent on advertising and spreading the word about the horse refuge. Hopefully, that will happen, but it is a terrible shame that things got to this point.


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## lastangel

Blitz said:


> I would think most of the horses would be better off rehomed. I support charities that rehabilitate and rehome horses not ones that keep them with limited facilities for all their lives.


Hi there
I think the reason for this is, as I understand it, is that some of the horses have been so traumatised they are not able to rehome them. But then that leads to the question of what is best for their future...what I mean is some charities have a few permanent residents and that's understandable, but yes, horses do need to be rehomed in order to free up space and resources for more rescues. What worries me the most is the fact that if this sanctuary closes, what will happen to the horses?!


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## toddy

It is difficult as I do not know the place so hard to comment but I do feel some smaller rescues get in horses and then don't rehome when some could be in loving homes with one to one care.
All horses deserve a second chance and I find it hard to believe that there are such zseverely traumatised horses that they can't be turned around by love and proper care.
The big horse in the article certainly could be rehomed but I do feel he is just being kept for the novelty factor.


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## Leena

Have to say that is one gorgeous horse!! I really hope this horse rescue will get the help it deserves!

Leena


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## Tim_A

Hi there,

As for advertising... I agree and am currently working with Sara to address that.

I've started a Facebook group for Duke, am writing a few articles and am producing a few short documentary videos to increase exposure. I'll also be updating the website for them with the latest news etc.

The Horse and Pony Directory are Sponsoring Duke now, so I would hope to increase exposure of the sanctuary considerably


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## welshie

That horse is huge! No wonder it cost £80 a week to keep.


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## runningdeer

I think differently. The horse rescue sanctuary is doing a fab job and would you want to decide who gets Britains biggest horse. Could you guarantee that the next place Duke goes to isn't for the novelty factor. If Duke is there permanently he'll be a local celebrity and he'll get the place noticed therefore keeping the place open and allowing these people the opportunity to do this valued work of rescueing unwanted or neglegted horses.


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