Bransby Horses, the esteemed Lincolnshire-based rescue charity, has voiced concerns about the rising number of undernourished horses it is taking into care as a result of escalating hay prices. Expressing the charity’s unease, Welfare Manager Rachel Jenkinson highlighted an unusual increase in calls for help, associating the surge in cases with recent droughts that have drastically cut hay output.
An alarming hike in the cost of hay has been recorded, with prices rapidly leaping from £73 per tonne in December 2024 to £131 per tonne. This price rise is a major worry for Bransby Horses, which currently provides a home for over 220 animals and has observed a severe decrease in horse body condition since the drought conditions of the summer of 2025.
Jenkinson articulated her fears about the potential repercussions this winter, remarking, “We are seeing a high increase in horses of a thin, poor body condition that we have not observed for many years.”
The problem is not confined to Lincolnshire. Horse owners throughout the UK, including those residing in Aberdeenshire and East Yorkshire, confront similar difficulties. Many find themselves having to purchase hay for the first time due to insufficient yields from their own lands.
Bransby Horses officials are increasingly apprehensive that ongoing price increases will exacerbate the existing welfare challenges faced by horses in the region. This story emerged from original reporting by www.bbc.com and was modified for The Lincoln Post.
