Horse Trust resident, retired Metropolitan Police horse, Oliver. Photo credits: Christine Dunnington Photography Is it too late to say it? Happy New Year! As we look back on an incredible year, we want to say a huge thank you to you – our amazing supporters. Without your generosity, we simply couldn’t provide the care our…
At The Horse Trust, we’re committed to protecting not just the horses in our care but also the environment they call home. From measuring our carbon footprint to preserving the rich biodiversity of our Chilterns sanctuary, we’re taking meaningful steps to ensure a greener future. Read on to discover how we’re embracing sustainability – and…
At The Horse Trust, 2024 marked a turning point as we redoubled our efforts to weave sustainability into every aspect of our work. While our primary mission has always been to provide exceptional care for our beloved herd and advance excellence in equine welfare, we recognise that protecting the environment is just as important –…
At The Horse Trust, we’ve always believed that every horse deserves a safe and loving place to rest, recover, and simply be a horse. Thanks to your kindness, horses like Kahlo, Poppy, and Zara are now thriving here in Buckinghamshire – but there are many more who still need our help. Today, we’re asking you…
We’re delighted to inform you that our latest edition of The Horse Trust magazine is now ready for you to read! This special edition is…
The Horse Trust is delighted to announce a successful and heartwarming collaboration with the Society of Equestrian Artists (SEA), who have raised an incredible £1,500 through their “Secret Postcards” fundraiser – an annual initiative where SEA members donate original postcard-sized artworks to support equine charities across the UK. Each one-of-a-kind piece, created by some of…
Horse Trust rescue residents, Ernie and Sam, grazing in the Chilterns. Photo credits: Natalie, Senior Groom. A ground breaking discovery has been made in the quest to understand and combat Equine Grass Sickness (EGS), a devastating disease that has baffled researchers for over a century. Scientists have identified a neurotoxin, with actions similar to snake…
We want to keep you informed about our response to COVID-19 and the changing government guidelines. Due to the Covid-19 guidance issued by the Government, our sanctuary in Speen is closed to visitors until further notice, in line with national tier and lockdown restrictions. Our fantastic Equine Care Team are still ensuring that our residents still…
We have some very exciting news! This month our lovely chap Domino flies the nest onto a new loan home. This was quite an emotional day for us as Domino has become such a big part of The Horse Trust family. Domino was resscued from a field in Hertfordshire in 2012. He arrived with Jenga…
Frank is just four years old – a young, beautiful Friesian x donkey mule who, until recently, had known nothing but neglect. Found in appalling conditions and suffering from a truly horrific mass, Frank has now been rescued and is at the beginning of his journey to a better life. But to have any chance…
It is with the deepest sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Burniston, at the age of 29. Burniston was a beautiful Irish Draught X standing at 16.2hh and served both in the Defence Animal Training Regiment and then in the Household Division for a whopping 18 years. During her service this beautiful…
It is with the upmost sadness that we have to let you know about the passing of Esmerelda aka Bumble Bee at the tender age of 12. Bumble Bee, as she was affectionately known, a Welsh Section D standing at 15.2hh loyally served for 9 years in the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery (KTRHA). She…
We’re thrilled to announce the return of Neddy Noel, our festive Christmas closing event! Join us on Sunday, 1st December 2024, at our Home of Rest for Horses in Speen to kick off the season together in style. Entry: Parking tickets are now SOLD OUT. All free spaces for Gold Sponsors have now been filled….
The Horse Trust is heartbroken to announce that our little fighter Bronwen, who we rescued with her filly foal Seren last year from the streets of Swansea, has passed away. Standing at just 10hh, when she came to us she was in an absolutely appalling state. She was so deathly thin she only had a…
Join us this Halloween for two days of spooky fun at the Home of Rest for Horses on Wednesday 30th and Thursday 31st October! We’ll be open for an extra day during the school holidays, with loads of Halloween-themed activities for all the family to enjoy. Here’s what’s happening: Themed Crafts – Get creative and…
We’re still riding by Harry Hall. Harry Hall has been helping equestrians for over 130 years. Through thick and thin they’ve been there,…
[maxbutton id=”22″ url=”https://horsetrust.org.uk/help-our-heroes/” text=”Help Our Heroes” ] Have you ever paused to wonder what becomes of our many noble equine veterans after a lifetime of loyal public service? The fact is that heroic horses that have served in the police and military receive no government support once they can no longer work and never have…
[maxbutton id=”22″ url=”https://horsetrust.org.uk/springappeal/” text=”Donate to Appeal” ] The Horse Trust recently took into our lifelong care two beautiful miniature Shetlands, Sven and Olaf, along with seven other horses and ponies. We are appealing for your help as we support them on the next stage of their recovery journey. Sven and Olaf were owned by a…
A big Thank you for joining in our online show and well done to all participants of the HHH 2020 Horse and Dog Shows! We had so many wonderful entries and we loved going through them all. Each place will receive a special rosette! If you haven’t already can ALL that were placed please email info@horsetrust.org.uk with…
We are so excited to announce that the show will go on! Horses, Hounds and Heroes 2020 – HHH2020 – will become virtual! On the 28th June 2020 we will be running HHH online. There will be a fantastic fun packed day of equine extravaganzas! For starters, we will be running a virtual Horse Show,…
Photo credits: British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) We are incredibly proud of The Horse Trust’s Research & Policy Director, Jan Rogers, for winning the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Equine Welfare Award at this year’s prestigious awards ceremony during BEVA Congress earlier this month. This well-deserved recognition is a testament to her groundbreaking work on…
Rescue pony Jenga continues to thrive in his new home. It is now hard to imagine him as the same sick and lifeless foal that arrived. He is now 7 years old and stands at 14.2hh. And we’re pleased to say that he recently won his first horse agility competition! Jenga was rescued from a…
The Horse Trust is a member of the National Equine Welfare Council, our Head of Field Skills is an active member of their council and we wholeheartedly endorse their recent statement on rescues. Over the years, your reports of concern to us and other charities regarding horses in need of help have led to hundreds…
We are proud and delighted to announce a working partnership with The War Horse Memorial, Purple Poppy Appeal. The announcement comes ahead of the first National Animal Day on August 23, which will honour the service of animals in war and provide a lasting legacy for animals in need. They have created National Animal Day…
18.2hh grey Shire horse retires to The Horse Trust at the age of 18, after a long and very noble 12 years in service in the The Royal Parks. Heath, formally known as Heathfield Forrester, is a special horse. Because of his colour, stature and kind nature, Heath was always the poster boy during his…
In a moment of heartfelt farewells as well as exciting new beginnings, twelve extraordinary horses have retired to The Horse Trust’s Home of Rest for Horses after years of dedicated service and distinguished careers. Nine came from the Household Cavalry, two from the police (Lancashire and Metropolitan Mounted Branches), and one from the Light Cavalry….
Nine Horses and Ponies continue the next stage of their Recovery Journey at The Horse Trust following a sentencing for Cruelty at Cornwall Horse Therapy Centre. Sarah Baker, Darren Laker and James Baker were sentenced at Truro Crown Court yesterday (29 February) in a case brought by the RSPCA, regarding animal welfare offences relating to…
If you’ve signed-up to receive the The Horse Trust newsletter, then keep an eye out for our latest issue! The Horse Trust Winter 2020 Newsletter will be arriving with you soon, and is packed full of fabulous stories and photos of our amazing residents. Our newsletter is sent out twice a year and is completely…
When 12-year-old Grace was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018, she faced her illness with remarkable courage and determination. Grace loved to ride and was a regular visitor to The Horse Trust. Despite the challenges, Grace continued to ride horses, a passion that brought her immense joy throughout her life. Her story is one of…
Photo credits: Steven, Equine Care Officer For 138 years, The Horse Trust has stood alongside horses and their soldiers through some of history’s most profound and challenging moments. During this time, we’ve had the privilege to witness and honour extraordinary courage, love, and sacrifice. This Remembrance Weekend, we pay tribute to all who gave everything…
Today we say a heartfelt farewell to our darling Fred. Born in 1992, Fred lived a long and happy life. He joined us here at The Horse Trust in 2017 and, in the years that followed, stole the hearts of his carers, sponsors, and supporters alike. Fred was a gentle and affectionate pony. He arrived…
The Horse Trust is heart-broken to announce the passing of our oldest resident, Uncle George, at the age of 43. After many years at Battersea Children’s zoo, George came to us with Briar the donkey back in 2004. George has become an institution over the years and became known as Uncle George back in 2012…
We are deeply grateful to the Society of Equestrian Artists for selecting The Horse Trust as the beneficiary of their secret postcard sale this year. Every penny raised from the sale of these beautiful, original artworks will directly support the horses, ponies, and donkeys in our care. The Society’s talented artists have created a collection…
We are thrilled to announce our Sponsor Horse Meet & Greet dates for the Summer Holidays! Get ready for an unforgettable experience as our beloved sponsor horses make special holiday appearances. These magnificent horses, who wouldn’t usually come in during visitor days, will be grazing in Sefton’s Paddock alongside one of their companions for exclusive…
From this month we will be starting a Spotlight on…. feature which will highlight a variety of our superstar residents and what they got up to in their working life! This month it is the turn of the stunning Charisma. This incredibly beautiful 16.1hh, 23 year old black mare retired to The Horse Trust in…
Today’s spotlight is dedicated to our lovely Trojan I (Now we have two!). Trojan first came to The Horse Trust in January 2013 from the Essex Police Mounted Section, after it was sadly disbanded in 2012. Trojan served four years with Police Essex undertaking daily policing duties. He even served at premiership football matches and assisted…
The Horse Trust is proud to be joining forces with some of the UK’s largest equine welfare organisations, in supporting Strangles Awareness Week 2021. Taking place on 3-9 May, this national week of action aims to promote better biosecurity and widespread awareness of Strangles. Strangles is one of the most common equine diseases in horses…
Strangles is a serious equine disease, endemic in the UK horse population. With our interests in equine health and wellbeing, it won’t be a surprise to hear we are proud collaborators of Strangles Awareness Week (SAW) taking place 6th–12th May 2024. The focus for SAW this year is empowering horse owners to take proactive measures…
Discover, Connect, and Celebrate Summer with Us! As the summer holidays begin, we’re excited to invite you to enjoy a season full of discovery, connection and of course, horses! From Wednesday 23rd July to Sunday 7th September, our gates will be open Wednesday to Sunday, 1–4pm, giving you even more opportunities to visit, reconnect with…
Take Our Valentine’s Quiz – Find Your Sponsorship Soulmate Find your perfect match with our Valentine’s Quiz! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and our beloved sponsor residents have so much love to give. This year we thought it would be fun to create a Valentine’s quiz to find out which of our loveable…
The Weigh To Win (#weightowin) team was thrilled to take its training programme on the road at the kind invitation of GB PRE. The #weightowin scheme aims to help people, particularly within the showing community, understand the importance of maintaining horses at a healthy body weight. This is essential because, in some breeds and types,…
Join The Horse Trust for the first in our new Clinical Animal Behaviour webinar series! Are you working towards becoming a registered equine Clinical Animal Behaviourist? Would you like to learn more about how registered Clinical Animal Behaviourists deal with equine behaviour cases? Are you interested in equine behaviour and approaches used to manage…
[maxbutton id=”18″ url=”https://horsetrust.org.uk/make-a-donation/” text=”Help us recover from Storm Henk” ] Due to Storm Henk, there was significant damage caused to our site yesterday evening. Thankfully, no horses (or people) were harmed, but we are now facing very costly and labour-heavy repairs. The hardest hit areas were unfortunately in fields with horses in them. Our Shetland…
The Horse Trust is delighted to announce the successful return of Vida to the Household Cavalry. Images of the injured grey cavalry horse galloping through London captured hearts worldwide. After five months of respite, Vida has made remarkable progress and is now back with The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR). Vida’s journey began in April…
Welcome Bob and Jutland. First up, everyone meet Bob! This handsome chap is retiring from English Heritage after 7 years of service. English Heritage is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. Bob was based at Audley End House and Gardens, a Victorian country home in Essex. Whilst at English Heritage,…
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Jeanette Allen
Chief Executive Officer
Jeanette is a chartered director who began her career in the commercial sector, setting up and running her own successful recruitment business. After the sale of the business she moved to the charity sector as a fundraiser for the NSPCC and later Bart’s Hospital before becoming the CEO of the MedicAlert Foundation.
Jeanette became the CEO of The Horse Trust in 2010 where she has undertaken a strategic review of the Trust’s charitable aims and objectives and also implemented a major re-development project at the charity’s base, the Home of Rest for Horses, in Buckinghamshire.
Carolyn Madgwick
Director of Legislation & Enforcement
Carolyn joined The Horse Trust in 2016 having spent 27 years as a Senior Trading Standards Officer leading a team of officers specialising in the enforcement of animal health and welfare legislation. At The Horse Trust, Carolyn maintains her level of expertise in legislation, develops training materials and provides training and advice on legislation for many audiences including the Emergency Services, Local Authorities, Vets and other equine charities. She is the current Chair of the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC), the British Horse Council representative on the RCVS Riding Establishments Sub-Committee and represents the Trust on many other committees and in meetings with Government Officials.
Charlotte Launder
Director of Training
Charlotte has more than 20 years’ experience working with horses and has been at The Horse Trust since 2012. Prior to this Charlotte worked as a lecturer at an agricultural college during her PGCE teaching students in Further and Higher Education. As the Director of Training, she coordinates internal and external training courses. This includes training the Equine Care Team internally and externally, training Emergency Responders, Welfare Professionals, Farriers, and other professionals. Charlotte also manages the retraining of horses at The Horse Trust using behaviour modification techniques and is working towards becoming a Clinical Animal Behaviourist to support this.
Claire Lett
Director of Finance & Administration
Claire has been a qualified accountant for over 20 years. Having joined The Horse Trust in 2001, Claire is the Director of Finance and Administration where she deals with everything financial up to and including full statutory accounts. As part of the senior management team she has also been involved in all aspects of modernising the charity and setting and achieving its strategic goals. Claire was a dedicated rider and horse owner for many years and feels passionately about all animals.
Jan Rogers
Director of Research and Policy
Jan is a psychology graduate who before joining The Horse Trust spent 15 years with British Equestrian, the UK governing body for horse sports, running programmes to identify future talent in young performance horses. Jan came to The Horse Trust in 2017 to look after research grants and policy for the horse world. This two-part role involves sharing the knowledge learned from funded projects as well as understanding regulations and the political environment in the horse world, so that the research we fund is relevant and directly applicable to the wellbeing of horses.
David Andrews
Estate Manager
David is one of the longest standing members of The Horse Trust team. After working as a chef for a period of time, he joined The Horse Trust in 1998 as an estate worker. David is now the Estate Manager, and takes care of all maintenance of our 280 acre estate including ensuring that the fields in which our horses, ponies and donkeys live are well maintained, that they are secure and provides our residents with the best possible environment.
Gemma Pearson
Director of Equine Behaviour
Gemma combines her time between research and outreach as Director of Equine Behaviour at The Horse Trust and running a referral clinic for clinical equine behaviour cases where she is based at the University of Edinburgh. She is also an accredited racecourse veterinary surgeon and enjoys working at Musselburgh racecourse.
After working in ambulatory practice Gemma moved to the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies where she completed a rotating residency programme in the equine hospital, completing her Cert AVP (EM), alongside an MScR investigating horse veterinarian interactions.
Subsequently she completed her CCAB (certified clinical animal behaviourist) and her PhD thesis ‘Stress in equids undergoing veterinary care and the development of interventions that positively influence the horses’ experience’. As well as continuing with her own research she supervises several students at PhD, MSc and undergraduate level.
Gemma is frequently invited to lecture internationally, as a recognised expert in this field and an excellent communicator. One of the most successful projects was filming a series of short YouTube videos with the British Equine Veterinary Association aiming to reduce injury rates when dealing with difficult horses under the ‘Don’t break your vet’ campaign.
As the Veterinary Liaison Officer for the International Society for Equitation Science, Gemma is passionate about improving interactions between horses and people, specifically regarding the application of learning theory. In her spare time she has competed up to advanced level endurance on a homebred horse as well as enjoying competing in affiliated dressage and eventing. Currently she is retraining a Thoroughbred recently retired from racing.
Gemma is a qualified veterinary surgeon with over 15 years’ experience with behaviour cases. Gemma is now a qualified Equine Clinical Animal Behaviourist and is the Veterinary Liaison Officer for the International Society for Equitation Science, where she has been involved with several working parties to improve the welfare of horses around the world. Currently, Gemma is undertaking a PhD investigating the stress response of horses undergoing veterinary treatment, with the plan to develop low stress handling techniques.
Jim green
Director of Operations for BARTA
Jim co-founded the British Animal Rescue and Trauma Association (BARTA) in 2012 and together with Professor Josh Slater, promoted the growing initiative alongside their regular careers. BARTA was established with a clear vision to support first responders in the resolution of emergency situations involving animals, with informed, safe and welfare driven plans. In 2019, BARTA became a subsidiary of The Horse Trust and this partnership enabled Jim to continue the journey as full time Director of BARTA. Jim continues to respond operationally to animal incidents through his on-call role as an Animal Rescue Specialist with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Liane Preshaw
Quality of Life and Research Director
In her role, Liane supports the team by researching new developments in how we care for, manage and train horses, so that we can continue to update and improve our practices, and therefore improve the welfare of the horses in our care. Liane also develops training resources for trainee clinical animal behaviourists and assists the team in dealing with behaviour cases. Liane has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Clinical Animal Behaviour, an MPhil in assessing horse welfare, and an MSc and BSc in Equine Science. She is an ABTC registered Accredited Animal Behaviourist and has achieved pre-certification as a Clinical Animal Behaviourist, which means she has met the knowledge criteria for this role. Liane continues to develop her clinical skills and is working towards becoming an ABTC registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist. She is also a BHS Accredited Professional Coach.
Nicola Housby-Skeggs
Veterinary Director
Nicky graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2007 and joined The Royal Army Veterinary Corps. She served for 10 years: firstly, with Military Working Dogs preparing them and their handlers for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. Later she served as the veterinary officer for The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment with some of The Horse Trust’s most loved residents including the late Falstaff and Captain Greatgun. She now works as the Veterinary Director for The Horse Trust providing both the onsite veterinary provision, internal and external training and providing part of the RVC final year rotations.
Russell Pickin
Director of Equine Care
Before joining The Horse Trust, Russell completed thirty-four years’ service with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). He specialised in public order work as an instructor at the Public Order Training Centre and then the Mounted Branch. As a Mounted Branch Inspector, Russell commanded mounted units on countless public order, large incidents and ceremonial events across London and finished his career riding on and commanding the mounted units at Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. He was the Chairman for the National Mounted Training Advisory Group and also the MPS’s Chief Equitation Officer responsible for buying and training police horses and the training of the MPS’s mounted officers. During this role he developed a good working partnership with The Horse Trust where he is now the Director of Equine Care and heads a team of grooms and volunteers that look after our 130 horses.
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Jessica Tallman
Director of Fundraising & Communications
Jessica has been at the heart of The Horse Trust’s fundraising and communications since 2020, working tirelessly to secure the vital support that keeps our sanctuary running. From planning major events and writing grant proposals to championing our work in the media, no two days are ever the same!
Growing up in Kentucky, Jessica was surrounded by animals and always had a passion for their wellbeing. Now, she works shoulder to shoulder with our team of experts, helping give back to the horses who have given so much to us.
With six years in the charity fundraising sector, including roles at Coeliac UK, and previous experience in the corporate sector, Jessica brings a wealth of knowledge in development and growth. She also holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Arts, History, and Business from the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Aberdeen.
Jessica is a driving force behind our fundraising success, ensuring we can continue providing the best possible care to every horse, pony, and donkey at our Home of Rest for Horses and beyond.
Projects up to £20k.
Initiate novel research that will impact on equine wellbeing by generating pilot data, validating methodologies or PhD Student Studentship application.
For projects designed to answer specific questions that will have a direct or immediate impact on horse wellbeing.
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