There have been a lot of reports in the press in the last 6 months, stating that a growing number of people with older horses have had to have their horses destroyed because they can't afford to keep them and are unable to sell them on. This is a sad situation and I am sure heartbreaking for the owners who have to see their horse put down. Thankfully the majority of horse owners in the UK do keep their horse as it grows old, giving them the life they deserve in their senior years.
Julianne Aston, Founder of the Veteran Horse Welfare Society and the Veteran Horse Society believes that educating horse owners can save a lot of money for the horse owner and potential discomfort for the horse. "We fortunately haven't seen an increase of desperate calls from owners who can't afford to keep their veteran horses. However, we do as ever provide advice on how to care for the veteran horse in a cost effective way" stated Julianne.
Julianne set up the society in 2001 when she sold up her family home in order to set up and fund the centre in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The society now have 20 horses and ponies retired at the centres and work hard to rehome and rehabilitate veteran horses and ponies that come through the centres.
If you own a veteran horse check out this article on Caring for Your Veteran Horse provided by the Veteran Horse Welfare Society.
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