H&H speaks to the major equine welfare charities for a picture of the national herd as the year comes to a close
CHARITY rehoming figures have dropped in 2023, as owners continue to feel the effects of the cost of living.
Although inflation has eased since last year, families still face high food, fuel and energy bills.
A survey run by the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) last winter showed that one in five of more than 8,000 owners surveyed were having to consider difficult decisions, such as sale, sharing or euthanasia of horses, owing to rising costs (news, 13 July).
Redwings chief executive Lynn Cutress told H&H with the increased cost of living the charity “anticipated an increased number of calls for help”.
“However we haven’t seen the influx of welfare cases we were expecting since then and that seems to be the consensus across the sector – it’s a waiting game and the NEWC survey will be rerun this winter to keep an eye on the state of play as winter progresses,” she said.
By December Redwings had taken in 104 equines this year, and rehomed 101.
“While this was less than our record 147 homes found in 2022, this is still a vital way that Redwings can continue to manage our capacity, so we are able to continue our life-saving front-line welfare work,” said Ms Cutress.
The RSPCA took in 444 equines in 2023, up 15% on 2022.
“This year we rehomed 82 horses, which is a drop of more than 50% on last year, which is a trend across the rehoming sector as the cost of living takes its toll,” the charity’s equine specialist Mark Kennedy told H&H.
World Horse Welfare had 301 admissions across its four centres, including foals born at the charity from pregnant mares taken in.
“This i
