Charity teams up with feed company to help herd of underweight horses

World Horse Welfare and Baileys Horse feeds have joined forces to help a herd of emaciated Thoroughbreds recover after their rescue.

 Last year, World Horse Welfare (WHW) rescued seven Thoroughbred mares from a site in Devon, where they were abandoned after their owner faced eviction from the property. The mares were all underweight and, upon their arrival at WHW headquarters in Norfolk, the decision was made to turn them out in a large paddock with plenty of grass. This would allow them to settle in and begin to improve their weight with ad lib forage.

When taking in a rescued horse, feeding’s always a key consideration. Correct nourishment’s imperative to a horses’ health and it can impact aspects of recovery, such as hoof health and wound healing. Knowing this, WHW teamed up with Baileys Horse Feeds to create a feeding plan for the herd of mares to help them to put on weight.

Sue Hodgkins, Hall Farm Centre Manager said: “These Thoroughbred mares are a fantastic example of how hard feeds can be used alongside good quality forage, such as grass and hay, to help horses who need to gain weight in a healthy and sustainable way. They really enjoy their feeds, and feed time offers a wonderful opportunity for the grooms to bond with the horses and start to get them used to being handled”.

Baileys provides feed for all 300 equines at WHW’s four rescue and rehoming centres around the country. Graham Rice, Business Development Manager for Baileys said: “We’re proud to support WHW and their teams rehabilitate all kinds of horses and are really looking forward to seeing how these Thoroughbreds progress”.