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Frequently Asked Questions - Bransby Horses

Frequently Asked Questions

Browse through the topics below to find answers to our most commonly asked questions. If you can’t find your question below, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team on 01427 788 464 or email mail@bransbyhorses.co.uk.

Bransby Horses is open five days a week Wednesday – Sunday, 10am-4pm. We are closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

It is free to park and enter our site. We are often asked why it is free, and this is because we view ourselves as a place for the entire community to enjoy, regardless of income, and because we want to spread the message of equine welfare to as many people as possible. However, we do ask for donations to support us with our welfare work, rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming equines in need. Donations can be made in the collection boxes on site, at any of our tills, and through the QR codes on the signage around the site. Even a small donation can make a difference, so please do consider donating when you visit. Thank you.

Bransby Horses has a large play park to the rear of the visitor centre and a free welfare learning trail suitable for ages five and upwards all year round. Children are also welcome to interact with the rescue horses around site.

Absolutely. We welcome hundreds of dogs each year and have dog drinking stations around the visitor centre. Dogs are permitted in our shops and around the site. We regret that only service dogs are permitted within the main café, though there is a separate dog-friendly café area and an outside undercover seating area. We respectfully ask that dogs not be left in hot cars and that any mess be cleaned up.
Absolutely. We pride ourselves on being inclusive for all visitors. To view our Accessibility Statement, please see the footer of the charity’s web pages. If you have specific questions, please call our Supporter Relations Team on 01427 788 464 during open hours, Wednesday – Sunday, 10am-4pm.

Smoking is not permitted on our site due to the nature of our welfare work and flammable materials across the site. There is a smoking shelter in the main visitor car park and on the roadside in front of the visitor centre and by the Clifford Marshall building on the main road through the village.

There are approximately 250 horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules on site at any one time. Not all are at the visitor centre or easily viewed, so please do take advantage of our countryside walk to meet as many of them as possible. If you are looking to visit a specific equine or herd, we recommend contacting us on 01427 788 464 first to avoid disappointment.

At Bransby Horses, around 250 equines live across 800 acres of land, meaning they won’t always be accessible to visitors. Only a certain number of equines live in areas that can be visited by the public. The fields at our Visitor Centre also need to be rested at times, so they may lie empty while the land is recovering.  

Bransby Horses has five yards on our site over approximately 800 acres. Some of the yards are currently closed for training our equines. Please do call us to check if you are hoping to visit a specific yard or animal on 01427 788464. We have recently set up a country walk that takes you on a safe route around our site where you can enjoy the countryside and see lots of equines. You can view our site map and download our welcome leaflet from the Visit Us page of our website.

We kindly ask that all visitors do not feed anything to the equines at Bransby Horses. Many of our horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules are on special diets for health reasons; feeding them outside of this diet could make them ill and be potentially fatal.

Unfortunately, grooming sessions are not something we offer at Bransby Horses.   

Unfortunately, you cannot ride any of the equines at Bransby Horses. Ridden equines are trained externally and those on site cannot be ridden due to medical issues.

We are currently unable to host arranged group visits on or off site. If you would like us to contact you should this situation change, please do let us know.
 
Alternatively, we offer opportunities to learn about our work and animals as part of our general visitor experience. To find out what’s on, please visit www.bransbyhorses.co.uk/visit-us

Unfortunately we don’t offer children’s birthday parties. However, we do have activity trails running throughout the year, along with a playpark and an award-winning cafe.

Most of our Sponsorship Stars are visible at the Visitor Centre, simply ask a member of our team where you can find your specific star on the day of your visit. Please note that not all equines are visible at all times, and some are permanently out of sight for visitors.

If you have left something on site, please get in touch with us on 01427 788 464, where a member of our team will help you. This phone line is open Monday – Friday, 9am – 3pm.  

We accept a wide range of second-hand items, which are listed on the Donated Goods page. We kindly ask that all donations be in good condition. 

Absolutely. The café has vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. In the gift shop, we have vegan refreshment options, and most of our products are made from vegan materials too. We are currently working towards improving this further.  

We are proud to hold a 5* hygiene rating, last inspected in October 2024.  

Currently, table bookings can only be made for Afternoon Teas or Christmas Dinners. If you’d like to book either of these, please email cafe@bransbyhorses.co.uk at least 24 hours in advance.  

Yes, we encourage horse owners/carers to contact us if they would like to speak to someone about their horses. We have advice pages here and we can point you in the right direction for support if we cannot help you.

Some of the main welfare issues we come across include, but aren’t limited to:   

  • Overgrown feet   
  • Weight issues; underweight and overweight  
  • Lameness  
  • Injury or illness  
  • Lack of food or water  
  • The environment is not suitable for equines.  

You can check the Government Welfare Code of Practice as guidance for caring for equines, but if you are unsure, please speak to a member of our Welfare Team on 01427 787369 or email welfare@bransbyhorses.co.uk  

As a charity, we must work within the law; our aim is to engage with the owners to improve the lives of equines. Our Field Officers can offer non-judgemental advice and support. We do not have the powers to be able to remove equines, which is why we work closely with other organisations such as the police, RSPCA, and Local Authorities.

To report a welfare concern or for advice & support, please call us on 01427 787 369. This phone line operates Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 4.30pm. You can also email welfare@bransbyhorses.co.uk or fill in our welfare report form. If the Bransby Horses’ line is unavailable, you can contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999. This phone line operates between 8am and 8pm at present.  

When reporting a welfare concern, please include as much information as you can. If possible, include the following:  

  • Nature of the problem / call for concern
  • Number of animals involved
  • Colour and sizes of the animals involved (for identification purposes)
  • Exact Location (postcode if possible, directions – including town name, village, road number, landmarks, access)  
  • Contact number and name if possible (this will be treated in absolute confidence)  

Yes, all your concerns are treated with confidentiality. Our Field Officers may contact you for more information, if required. All concerns will be investigated and may lead to an assessment of the animal(s) in question.   

All the calls received are treated in confidence. We can offer support to the owners by advising and guiding them using a non-judgemental approach to improve the equines’ welfare.

If you are concerned about horses that are being tethered, please visit our Responsible Tethering page for more advice.

If you have abandoned equines on your land, this is called Fly Grazing. You can visit our Fly Grazing advice page for more information.  

Or call the welfare line on 01427 787369, and our Field Officers will support you through the simple steps to follow, for the Control of Horses Act. This includes how to proceed with an abandonment notice.  

If you see an equine suffering, you may feel that you need to act immediately. However, we would advise not to take the equine in, as we do not have the authority to seize said equine. Call us, and we can use the correct equine legislation to help the animal. If you take in an abandoned equine, you are responsible for their care, which may include veterinary expenses depending on their health status.  

If a horse is loose on the road, contact the police on 101. They will try to locate the owners and ensure that the loose horse is secured to prevent accidents occurring on the highway.  

As a welfare and rescue charity, Bransby Horses will prioritise equines who are suffering, have been abandoned, those in immediate danger, and equines whose welfare has been compromised. We work with the RSPCA, Police, and the Local Authority to support equines in need, as we legally cannot remove equines without following the law and legislation.

We are ultimately a welfare charity; therefore, we aim to help horses in need. We do assess every situation individually; therefore, using the welfare line on 01427 787369 to discuss your needs or concerns is very important to us.   

Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to take in every equine; therefore, we try to prioritise equines that have been abandoned, neglected, or have welfare needs. We encourage owners to contact us for advice and guidance, as we may be able to support in other ways.    

If you find yourself in this situation, please don’t hesitate to contact our Welfare Team on 01427 787369 or email welfare@bransbyhorses.co.uk. We will be able to advise and support you through a range of options.

Our Field Officers cover a two-hour radius from Bransby Horses. If you are outside of this area, please do still contact us, as we can offer support by signposting you to another organisation more local to you.  

If you have seen an equine you’re interested in rehoming on our website,  please fill in our online application form and include the name of the equine you’re apply for.

Some of our non-ridden equines are ready to find their perfect partners, but they aren’t on the website just yet. If you can’t see your perfect match but are looking for a companion equine, please still apply.

At the point of applying via the rehoming application, you will need to supply information on who you will be using as your farrier and dentist. We require that any dentist you intend to instruct is registered with the BAEDT (The British Association of Equine Dental Technicians). We also require that any farrier used is registered with the farriers’ council, regardless of whether the equine is barefoot or shod. Please note we do not accept barefoot trimmers as they are not registered on the farriers council. If you do not currently have either of the above, we are more than happy to provide a list of dentists and farriers registered accordingly for you to make use of.  

Due to the volume of applications received daily, you will only hear from us if you have been successful in progressing to the next stage of the Rehoming Process. If we do not have the right match, we will keep applicants’ details on file for potential future matches with the option to opt out at any time, in line with GDPR, by emailing rehoming@bransbyhorses.co.uk. Please refer to our Privacy Notice.  

If you’ve submitted an application but can no longer rehome an equine, please get in touch with our rehoming team at rehoming@bransbyhorses.co.uk. They will make sure your application is removed from the system so you aren’t contacted about a potential match.

The Bransby Horses Rehoming Team matches every equine with the home most suited to their needs. If we do not have the right match, we will keep applicants’ details on file for potential future matches with the option to opt out at any time, in line with GDPR, by emailing rehoming@bransbyhorses.co.uk. Please refer to our Privacy Notice.  

Assessment for companion equines:

  • Applicant assessments for companion equines require two visits to establish the relationship between the equine and the applicant. Collection can take place after two successful visits have taken place.
  • Correct PPE as advised prior to the applicant assessment must be worn or the assessment will not be permitted to go ahead.
  • Applicant assessments are to be a maximum of 60 minutes.

Assessment for ridden equines:

  • The process of ridden applicant assessments will be explained to the applicant in detail prior to the assessment taking place.
  • Applicant assessments for ridden equines require three visits followed by a fourth for collection.
  • Correct PPE as advised prior to the applicant assessment, must be worn or the assessment will not be permitted to go ahead.
  • Applicant assessments are to be a maximum of 1 hour 30 minutes, the equine will be on the yard ready to be tacked up when you arrive.

The equine being collected will be placed in a stable in advance of the Fosterer arriving on site. We ask that no more than two people collect the equine. A member of the Bransby Horses team will load the equine and once they’re ready, the fosterer can leave the site with their new equine. 

All of our equines are given a health check before they are placed into the Perfect Partner scheme. We ask for a fostering fee on application completion, which goes towards the associated costs.  

Mandatory Fostering Fees:  

  • Ridden – £175  
  • Driven – £175  
  • Project – £130  
  • Companion with Potential – £130  
  • Companion – £100  

Absolutely. All ridden and companion equines can be rehomed anywhere across mainland UK.  

A premises check carried out on a property with barbed wire will not pass for safety reasons. We would request that any barbed wire used as fencing be removed, replaced, or fenced in front of so that equines can’t access the barbed wire. Once secured, Bransby Horses would carry out a second premises check on the property and continue with the process. 

This varies and is dependent on the number of animals already on the land, as well as the animals’ size and needs. We recommend you have an acre per equine with access to restricted grazing if necessary.  

The age limit is 22 years old unless there are extenuating circumstances and a suitable match is available.

The weight limit is advised to ensure the rider’s weight is suitable for the horse’s capability and build.

After successfully going through the rehoming process and your new equine has moved to their new home, you will receive a phone call after two weeks to check in and make sure your new friend has settled in well. After this, visits will take place at six-monthly intervals initially, and then annually, at the discretion of Bransby Horses. This is to ensure that the correct care is being provided, to ensure the equine is happy and settled in their new homes, and to provide any ongoing support which may be needed.  

If you’ve purchased a Sponsorship Star, you can expect to receive your pack within 14 days. If you haven’t received it within this time, or if you need your pack sooner, please get in touch with our Supporter Relations team on 01427 788 464 or email admin@bransbyhorses.co.uk  

If you’ve purchased a Friends of Bransby Horses membership, you can expect your pack to arrive in 7-10 days. However, during our busy periods surrounding Bransby Life and Christmas, delivery times can vary. Please give our Supporter Relations team a call on 01427 788 464 or email admin@bransbyhorses.co.uk if you are concerned about the status of your membership pack.

If you have purchased an order online, over the phone, or by responding to Bransby Life, it will take around 7-10 days after it’s been processed for your order to be delivered. These times can vary during busy periods surrounding Bransby Life and Christmas, so please get in touch with us on 01427 788 464 or email admin@bransbyhorses.co.uk if your order hasn’t arrived within two weeks.   

There are so many ways you can help to make a difference.  

  • Donating good quality items for our donated goods and tack selling platforms such as rugs, tack, ornaments, jewellery, stamps, games, toys, books, etc. These can be dropped off at the visitor centre during opening hours.
  • Sell lottery tickets for us. Please phone us on 01427 788 464 to find out more.
  • Donate to Bransby Horses. You can do this on site when you visit, by calling us on 01427 788464, or donating online. 
  • Fundraise for us. There are so many ways to have fun and help equines at the same time. Email fundraising@bransbyhorses.co.uk or call us on 01427 788 464.
  • Make purchases from our gift shop, café, donated goods & tack shop, and our online shop. All profits from these platforms go towards helping equines in need.
  • If you have the space and the knowledge, please consider rehoming a deserving equine from us. Find out more on our rehoming page.
  • Purchase from our Amazon Wishlist or from our eBay shop
  • Learn about our work and spread the word for us by reading up on our website, joining us on one of our social media platforms by sharing our posts, or visiting us in person.

Absolutely. We love receiving stamp donations from our supporters. Please visit our Donating Stamps page for more information on how to send your used stamps to us.  

Unfortunately, we are unable to collect donated goods from our supporters. Donated goods can be dropped off at our Visitor Centre or posted to us.

For general enquiries, our phone lines are open Monday – Friday, 9am to 3pm on 01427 788 464. You can also send us an email at any time using mail@bransbyhorses.co.uk, but please note this inbox is only monitored between the same hours. 

For Welfare concerns, please email welfare@bransbyhorses.co.uk or call 01427 787 369 – our lines are open 8.30am – 4.30pm.  

Unfortunately, we are unable to take on volunteers and those looking for work experience. Please keep checking our Work With Us page for any future updates.  

We are always grateful for clean, safe donated goods. We can either sell them the donated goods shop or raise funds by selling them on eBay. You can drop off donations at the Visitor Centre.