2011 Home of Rest for Horses Updated
From Lacey Green History
This report is mentioned in Social Snapshots 2001-2022 inc.
Several articles were printed in Hallmark about the Home of Rest for Horses created at Speen Farm in 1971. Click the following for more :-
Home of Rest for Horses by Walter Stein.
1982 Horses killed in I.R.A. Bombing. Copy of letter in The Horses Trust magazine
1984 Sefton comes to Lacey Green (biography)
1986 Celebrating the Centenary of the First Home of Rest for Horses. by Miles Marshall
Research by Joan West
In 2011 the following article was published in the Horses Trust Newsletter, when the Home of Rest for Horses at Speen Farm was rebuilt.
40 YEARS ON by Peter Larson REBUILDING THE TRUST in SPEEN
The Horse Trust, the world’s oldest horse charity, has a mission to improve the lives of every horse, pony and donkey in Britain. The Trust's Homes of Rest were established in 1886 to care for the working horses of London. We continue to care for today’s working horses.
FORTY YEARS OLD AT SPEEN FARM
After 40 plus years at Speen Farm, our Home of Rest was dilapidated. It wasn’t about aesthetics. The condition of the buildings were such that the costs of maintenance and repair were uneconomic and our facilities were no longer up to the job. Our horses needed and deserved better. Our visitors wanted more. It was a daunting situation, but one we had to address.
APPEAL TO REBUILD
In 2012 we started planning the rebuild to a standard where we could continue to demonstrate best practice in equine care and provide decent facilities for our visitors. Rebuilding meant closing our gates to visitors and for a charity like. For the Horses Trust that relies wholly on public donations, that was difficult. In October 2012 we launched our biggest ever appeal to supporters and asked for their help to rebuild The Trust. The Home of Rest remained closed for 8 months.
PRINCESS ANNE & WAR HORSE
On a gloriously sunny Wednesday 5th June 2013, invited guests and “Joey” from the National Theatres production of “War Horse”, gathered to see The Princess Royal perform the official reopening.
BEFORE
Before rebuilding we lacked the most basic of facilities to provide veterinary treatment. The very nature of our herd: horses retired after years of hard work in public service and horses, ponies and donkeys rescued from terrible situations means that vet visits, regular check-ups and specialist treatment is an everyday event.
AFTER
In rebuilding we had the opportunity to create new facilities for the housing, treatment and rehabilitation of our herd. Just like people, the horses have got taller over the years and our ex-military and police horses are some of the tallest horses in the country. Now their stables are big enough. Some of the donkeys and ponies are happier living together, so we have double sized stables so they can live as a group.
SAFER
We had no safe space or the equipment for our vets to assess or treat our horses. It meant dangerous work in all weathers for the vet and in some cases (for horses don’t like vet visits!) distress. We now have facilities to care for some of Britain’s most deserving horses. These include: -
1. A walk in walk out treatment clinic for our vets to assess and treat our herd safely;
2. A basic laboratory and pharmacy to carry out tests on site, speeding up diagnosis and treatment;
3. An intensive care unit to help with post-operative recovery and around the clock monitoring;
4. A sand school for rehabilitation and therapeutic exercising.
FACILITIES FOR VISITORS
The second part of rebuilding the Trust provided better facilities for our supporters and visitors. They are our lifeblood, The Horses Trust relies 100% on public donations. Visitors can relax in the elegant Black Beauty tea room, or visit our museum and exhibit of the history of the working horse in Britain. You can also hire Sefton's Barn, a restored 18th century barn with modern facilities.
OPENING HOURS
The Home of Rest welcomes visitors Thursday to Sunday and most bank holiday Mondays. Well behaved dogs are welcome. Entry fee is £5 per vehicle (concessions available). We are closed December and January.