On Sunday 4th August, Bransby Horses held an exclusive tour for the local community on their land at Barlings. Having had the site, near Langworth, for nearly a year now, the charity wanted to catch up with the locals and show them work done over the last 12 months. The tour included updates on how the land has been developed so far, nature news and also involved answering questions about future plans for the site.
The tour was hosted by the charity CEO, Jo Snell, Land Management Consultant, Charles Bradfield, and Assistant Estates Manager, Paul Williams. 18 local residents attended including couples, families and even a family dog!
Jo Snell, the CEO, who invited the local community along said:
“We hoped we would get a good turnout for this and set up a stall with lots of information but we weren’t sure how many people would come along. At 1pm, this crowd of people emerged from the bottom of the driveway; it was so good to see so many smiling faces. We had a lovely walk and answered lots of great questions. We feel very welcome here and can’t wait to get to know our neighbours more over the next few years!”
The land at Barlings was bought by Bransby Horses in July last year to safeguard the future of the charity and offer more opportunities for their equines to experience different environments but also to create further funding streams to help the charity continue their work. The land at Bransby Horses is used to its full capacity and has been for a number of years, so this land is already desperately needed.
Just a few of the questions from the afternoon:
Q1. Will you be building barns here?
We have no current plans for barns or buildings but there may be a need in the future. We need to make sure the infrastructure is properly planned before deciding to install anything. We want to ensure we are doing things right and we promise to keep the local community informed of our ideas and plans.
Q2. When will horses and donkeys arrive?
It is too soon to bring any equines here but we hope to be able to bring some here in the next two years. Please remember that we are already bringing young horses here for training sessions and these equines can be sensitive (please do not approach them, for your own safety).
Q3. You have mentioned there is a lot of ecological monitoring and habitat protection/creation here, do you work with wildlife and nature charities and organisations?
We do already have a local ecology expert on board who has almost twenty years of experience of the wildlife here and we are now recruiting for volunteers to help with habitat management work and species monitoring too. If you are interested or know someone who is, please ask them to visit our website. If we need additional specialist input, then we may seek to involve other wildlife or nature charities.
Q4. Have you thought about offering wild swimming in the lake?
We’re afraid this isn’t possible, due to health and safety. This activity isn’t currently part of our plans.
Q5. Will this site be just like your site at Bransby?
No, this will not be a site open to visitors. It is going to be a place where we can develop certain aspects of the charity’s work, in a new environment. This will include riding training to prepare equines for rehoming in the future.
Q6. Did you sell any land off for the housing development mentioned in the news recently?
No, this land in question never belonged to us. We have no plans to build houses on our land at Barlings.
Q7. Do you think you will have a café or shop for local people here in the future?
There are no plans for this at the moment, as this land is not intended for visitors. Local people will still be able to enjoy footpaths across or around the land and we will ensure the walk is an enjoyable route.
