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Support service launched for horse owners
Field officers from the charity are able to making in-person visits to offer support and advice.
Charity hopes new service will prevent serious welfare cases developing.

World Horse Welfare has launched a new support service to make it easier for owners struggling to care for their horses to ask for help.

The service, Help for Horse Owners, will provide advice and support to owners who are finding it difficult to look after their horse due to issues such as financial challenges, ill health, or a change in personal circumstances.

A support call can be requested to talk through issues and possible solutions, or a field officer can make in-person visits to assess the situation and provide practical advice.

There is also a resources hub available to signpost people to other organisations that can offer help with the issues that owners may be facing.

The charity hopes that by providing early support, it can help keep animals and owners together and prevent serious welfare issues from arising.

As well as owners being able to contact the service when they feel they need help, friends, family, and people providing care for horses will also be able to contact the charity to ask for help for someone.

Sam Chubbock, head of UK support at World Horse Welfare, said: “Horse owners and their families often approach us for help when their circumstances have changed, meaning they are struggling to provide the necessary care. However, we also understand how difficult it can be to ask for help - which is why we have developed our Help for Horse Owners support service.

“Our focus is on trying to keep families and their animals together when this is the best option for them in the longer term. We do this in a variety of ways, including helping horse owners to change their management practices or signposting them to other areas of support they might not know about.”

Image © World Horse Welfare

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

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News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.