Isle of Rhum Highland Pony (Photo by ZR)

Brownbread Horse Rescue Centre Open Day

Brownbread Horse Rescue Centre are holding their annual September Open Day this Sunday – a chance for you to have a fun day out and help the Centre with their fund raising. HOT’s Zelly Restorick drove out to Ashburnham to have a chat with husband and wife team, Tony and Dinty, who have been running the Centre since 1972.

Rescued pony (Photo by ZR)

Tony explained to me that he’d married a woman who loved horses – and early on in their marriage, they were given an old mare to look after. Word seemed to get around that they took on horses in need of care – and from there, the Rescue Centre evolved. Today, they have sixty six horses, twenty of which are on loan or fostered to outside owners, although the horse always belongs to Brownbread, in case the fostering doesn’t work out.

Tony stressed that he and Dinty only take on horses that are emergency cases, although they regularly receive calls from people who just don’t want their horse or pony anymore or cannot afford to pay for their care.

Foal of rescued mare (Photo by ZR)

Walking round with Tony, I met a number of different horses and ponies, who’d been given a home: Delilah, a twenty year old mare who Dinty has to watch every couple of hours during the night, in case she gets stuck lying down in the barn, unable to get up again [in which case, a special sling is used to raise her off the ground]; a rescued mare and the foal she gave birth to at the Centre; Wendy, an ex polo pony, who is the only one at the Centre who can be ridden; Honey, who suffers from laminitis and has the run of the place, putting herself to bed in her stall when she wants to rest. There were also some very unusual non-rescue Isle of Rhum Highland ponies, very sturdy with an eye-catching liver chestnut colouring and flaxen mane and tail (see top photo).

Rescued mare (Photo by ZR)

The horses are herd animals and spend their days out in the fields. At Ashburnham, Tony and Dinty have 50 acres of land, plus 10 acres that is owned by the charity and 20–30 acres that are generously lent to them by land owners. The Centre is run with with the help of volunteers and one part-time paid groom, plus volunteer field officers in Hampshire, Kent and Sussex, who check out the emergency cases – and full-time care by Dinty and Tony.

The Open Day will offer something for everyone: archery, classic cars, horse displays including para-equestrian rider, Emily Laws on her horse Drizzle, pony rides, plant and produce stalls, Morris dancers, Iceni Belly Dancers, BBQ, tea and cakes, tack and riding gear, bouncy castle and children’s play area. ‘Lord’ Brett MacLean of Hastings will be on hand to open the day and do some judging of the dog shows.

Rescue horse tucking into some Little Mill Bakery bread

Some of the horses are sponsored and some people offer regular donations, but Dinty and Tony are still in need of funds, as their vet bills alone come to £10,000 – £15,000pa. The Little Mill Bakery helps out by donating their old bread twice a week, which provides 40% of the horses’  diet.

Feel like getting involved? Tony and Dinty are in need of volunteers – especially for the Open Day this Sunday – but  also year round. As a volunteer on site, you would learn the ropes beginning with mucking out, watering, stuffing hay nets, sweeping the yard and collecting manure and gradually, as you and the horses get used to each other, you’d be able to feed the horses and lead them out to graze.

Your support – as a volunteer at the Open Day or helping out at the Centre, or as a sponsor, offering a donation or bric-a-brac for sale – would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

Rescued mare with her foal, born at the Centre (Photo by ZR)

You can find out more about the Brownbread Rescue Centre here.

Brownbread Horse Rescue Centre
Open Day

Sunday 14 September 10.30am–4pm         £3 entrance fee (Under 10s free)             

Brownbread Street
Ashburnham,
nr Battle  TN33 9NX                                  

Off road parking free

Tel 01424 892381                                                                                                         Email: tony-brownbread@tesco.net

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