Staff at Bransby Horses had to move 70 horses in two hours, after the Environment Agency (EA) warned the charity some of its land was going to be flooded.
As was the case in 2019, and under an agreement between Bransby and the EA, the latter advised that drain valves at the former be closed. This means thousands of homes in and around Lincoln are protected from flooding, after recent heavy rainfall, but that the water poured on to the charity’s land instead, a foot deep.
“Bransby Horses received a two-hour warning from the Environment Agency this morning (20 October) to say they may need to direct water onto the Till Washlands to prevent further flooding in Lincoln,” a spokesman for the charity said.
“While the warning gave them a chance to act and remove any animals from affected fields, the full extent of damage to the charity’s vital pastures will not be known for a number of days.”
Bransby had to move about 70 horses from the area, which a spokesman told H&H is known as the ark, where new arrivals are quarantined.
The spokesman added that the charity’s winter grazing has been flooded, and it is not known what impact this will have. The Bransby visitor centre has been closed for the next 48 hours and all non-essential staff sent home.
“Due to the unprecedented levels of rain there is significant surface water flooding at either end of the village and so the decision to close our visitor centre has been made,” said Bransby’s Sally Banton. “All our equines are safe and we are monitoring the flooding status from our control centre in the village.”
You might also be interested in:
Bransby Horses in ‘crisis’ following life-changing floods
Director of equine welfare Emma Carter said the charity is facing “extreme times” and needs all the support it can
We are all responsible for fixing ‘broken system’ that allows horses to suffer *H&H Plus*
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.
