Charity calling for donations after dry summer leads to hay shortage
The Red Horse Foundation say hay prices have skyrocketed
A charity in Stroud is calling for donations after an extremely dry summer has left them struggling to find enough hay to keep their horses fed.
The Red Horse Foundation say their savings have taken quite a hit after the prices of hay almost doubled due to the shortage.
They say small bales of hay used to cost around £4.50 -£5 and are now at prices of £8 and rising.
Many yards across the county are in the same position and have already eaten into their winter supply leaving them worried about the long-term effects.
Sarah Jenkinson, yard manager at Red Horse Foundation told Greatest Hits Radio some businesses are already struggling: “People are going to have to maybe look at what that means for them and whether it is sustainable to keep going.
“Yards are already struggling to make the business financially viable anyway so an extra increase in costs is going to be quite scary.”
She added: “We’ve had one of the driest summers in a long time which has meant the yield in the fields for the hay and the haylage has been down over 50%
“So what that’s meant is that horse owners have had to start giving their winters supply of hay early.”
Red Horse Foundation say running a small charity is getting harder and harder and hope people can help them help others.