An appeal by the team at Bransby Horses, following a difficult year which saw nearly half of their land under water, has led to TopSpec donating a brand new weighbridge to the charity.
In January the rescue and welfare team had to move 42 horses and ponies to the new Barlings site at Langworth as part of the crisis management plan in response to the flooding. Another 16 horses and ponies followed in February.
Barlings, which was acquired by the charity in 2018, was still under development which meant the pressure was on to quickly prepare for the arrival of the horses and ponies that urgently needed transferring.
A vital piece of equipment
Portable weighbridges allow for accurate weight monitoring which is essential for planning feed regimes, monitoring health and also to ensure correct dosage of medication.
The team were delighted when TopSpec stepped in and offered to provide this vital piece of equipment for the new site.
“It means the world to us”
Stef Leversedge, assistant farm manager at the Bransby Horses’ Barlings site said: “After the flooding in November 2019, we urgently needed to use this additional site we purchased in 2018, as a temporary home for some of our horses and ponies.
“At the moment, we have about 60 at Barlings and whilst we have some of what we need to offer the same quality of care we do at our main Bransby Horses site, there are still a few things which we are looking for.
“When TopSpec donated a weighbridge to us, we were blown away by this generous gift. We would have had to have paid thousands of pounds for this, but they were so kind to offer it to us without cost, saving the charity a significant amount of money.
“This weighbridge means we can effectively monitor the weight of our horses, manage diets correctly, ensure medication dosage is correct and that wormers are being administered right. A huge thank you to TopSpec for this gift; it means the world to us!”
TopSpec nutrition director, Nicola Tyler added: “When we heard about the difficult time Bransby Horses had faced due to the adverse weather we were happy to step in and provide the weighbridge.
“The information gained for each horse and pony when they are weighed is vital for working out a correct feed regime for them to keep them in the best of health whatever their age or condition.”
Bransby Horses has been using TopSpec feed for a number of years and work closely with the company’s team of vets and nutritionists, especially when a rescued horse has challenging dietary needs. The correct nutrition is crucial for recovery.
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