In the UK, a charity that houses unwanted horses says it is being inundated with calls from equestrians who can no longer
afford to keep their horses. The Horse Trust has received 640 requests to retire horses in the past month. Mark Worthington
reports:

Far from the city, an empty paddock and nothing but memories. After 15 years Shelagh Ball was forced to say goodbye to her beloved horse. This is what happens
when the downturn starts to bite.

SHELAGH BALL:The reason I've had to give up Fred is economics. Solely and purely economics. And the effect it's had on me is devastating. I mean I… just heartbreaking. I love that horse and if I could afford to keep him, I would for the rest of his life. But I can't.

Shelagh isn't alone. Horse charities say record numbers are struggling to pay the bills. First came huge rises in costs - the price of feed doubled. Now there is less money around to pay for it all,
and that's hitting businesses too. Garron Baines had already given up one horse through sickness. Now he's shutting down his horse-trekking company, meaning six more need new homes.

GARRON BAINES:The horse business, or the horse leisure riding has fallen off the cliff in the last few weeks as people have looked at their household budgets and decided that it's too expensive to go horse-riding.
And at the same time costs have been mounting significantly over the last year.

It all means more work for those who care for unwanted animals. But charities fear this is only the beginning and that donations may begin to dry up just as huge numbers of horses need their help.