HARELAW Equestrian Centre near Longniddry has postponed a planned fundraiser next month due to raise money to help a charity find a cure for “the cancer of the horse world”.
The centre lost seven of its horses to grass sickness in 2014, a disease that affects and is major cause of death in the animal – about 95 per cent of cases of grass sickness in horses are fatal.
Grass sickness damages parts of a horse’s nervous system and can cause paralysis, which is one of its main symptoms.
The cause of the disease is unknown and there is currently no cure.
Seona Cunningham, 35, a helper who has been visiting the stables since she was 11 years old, said: “When I found out that my horse had grass sickness I fell to the ground.
“We are all close to our horses, the kids especially, they were heartbroken when the horses died.
“Most of the kids had lost their favourite ponies.
“They think grass sickness is something to do with pests in the grass or something in the mud but they really don’t know.”
Harelaw’s riders have put on their onesies in May for the past six years and completed a ride around the Gosford Estate, raising money for the Equine Grass Sickness Fund, based in Penicuik.
The charity raises funds to research the disease and improve treatment for the whole of the UK.
Seona said: “The ride started off as a wee thing and it’s just grown arms and legs and got bigger every year.
“Everyone felt that because we lost those seven horses that we should do something.”
Over the past six years, those at Harelaw have raised £20,000 for the Equine Grass Sickness Fund.
Seona said: “I’m surprised we have raised that much.”
However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing restrictions, Harelaw’s planned charity ride has now been cancelled.
Seona said: “It’s been a horrible turn of events, it’s went from fundraising for this amazing cause to now struggling to stay afloat.
“The stables has been forced to close its doors understandably but now no income means no money coming in to feed the horses.”
She added: “We have started a JustGiving page for the stables, purely to raise funds so we can feed our horses, it’s such a horrible time for all.”
Anyone wanting to donate can do so at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/brenda-findlay
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