Equine charities are warning that last month’s Labour budget will have huge financial implications and could negatively impact horse care and welfare as the increasing costs they face coupled with less income “do not add up”.
“We are massively concerned about the impact of the Labour budget. Already things were tough, and we are barely keeping our heads above water,” said Sue Burton, founder of Remus Horse Sanctuary in Essex.
“The Chancellor has not considered the impact on small charities that are running on a small income. We have over 150 animals here, all of which have been rescued and all of which still need food, bedding, care and vets’ appointments.
“Due to the economic situation, we are finding many more welfare cases and these all need dealing with as well. More work, more costs and less money in — it just doesn’t add up.”
Both employer national insurance contributions and the minimum wage will increase on 6 April 2025. The rate of employers’ National Insurance Contributions will rise to 15% while the rate at which employers start paying these contributions per employee will fall from £9,100 to £5,000.
There will also be a 77p (6.7%) increase to the national minimum wage from £11.44 to £12.21 per hour for those aged 21 and over.
‘We are barely keeping our heads above water’
Horses and Ponies Protection Association (HAPPA) recently announced that they are increasingly concerned about the rise in calls from owners struggling to look after their horses and the upturn in abandoned equines.
Your Horse reported when the charity took in these two colts, who were removed from a herd in order to end the breeding cycle and help the owner who was struggling to cope with the number of horses she owned.
The number of equines HAPPA seized in 2024 due to their owners being unable to cope increased by 33%, while abandonment cases comprised around 40% of the equines the charity has taken in.
Chief executive Sarah Arthur confirmed that these numbers “seems to be a response to the cost-of-living crisis” and are piling increasing financial pressure on already struggling charities.
“Everyone’s costs are going up therefore we are seeing the knock-on effect in that our costs are rising also, and our donations dropping as people cope with less money in their pockets,” added Sue Burton.
“With yet another increase in minimum pay and a hefty hike in National Insurance we are at our wits end as to how we will raise the money to cover this when our income is spiralling downwards. We can’t pass any costs on as we are not a business.”
Sue added that the charity is planning fundraising events including sales, curry lunches and wreath making workshops in the lead up to Christmas to help raise revenue.
‘Rising costs are a big challenge’
Meanwhile Marianne Steele, CEO at The Donkey Sanctuary in Devon, confirmed that “rising costs, whether they come from the supply chain or through increased employers National Insurance contributions, are a big challenge for all charities and The Donkey Sanctuary is no different.
“We will take time to calculate the impact of the budget, what it will mean for investment and the effect on pay and differentials for our 600 staff,” she continued.
“Whatever those impacts might be, I can reassure our supporters that nothing will divert us from our mission to improve the lives of donkeys every day.”
A spokesperson for Brooke said that while the increase to the minimum wage won’t directly impact the charity, it will be assessing how the increase of national insurance contributions will impact its UK base.
“All our work improving the lives of working horses and donkeys across the world is reliant on the generosity of our supporters,” they said.
“We are grateful that even when feeling the pinch, our loyal supporters still ensure that these animals that need our help so much are never forgotten.
“Budget changes, including those to pensions, are always a concern for charities but we remain hopeful that horses and donkeys will not be impacted.”
Main image © Shutterstock
