The rising cost of caring for horses is putting more owners under financial pressure, with an animal welfare charity reporting an increase in horses being given up.
The Blue Cross in Burford, Oxfordshire, says the situation has been made more difficult this year by the dry weather, leading to hay shortages and more expensive food prices.
The site is currently taking in 20 to 30 horses a month, and the charity across the UK saying it has seen a “160% surge in relinquished horses in recent years”.
Admissions coordinator Freya Long says: “There’s no grass, very little hay. I’ve started getting an increase in requests and I can only imagine it’ll get higher with the cost of living.”
The charity says the costs for owners can extend well beyond feed, with veterinary care, vaccinations, worming and farrier visits all essential to a horse’s welfare.
Horse centre manger Vicki Alford adds: “It all adds up. We are finding, unfortunately, that people are contacting us because they can’t financially look after their horses anymore.”