Foxall Animal Services rent stables at Woodside Farm in Merseyside where they have taken care of their own and other boarded horses for eight years.
But they are now faced with finding a new home for 45 horses after the farmer, who rents the land from the Knowsley Estate, decided to close the farm.
Founder Alicia Ball, 24, said the reason for the closure remains unknown but that it was “devastating” news.
She said: “What is really worrying me is the welfare of the animals, because there are so many horses in one stretch of area and there’s no land.
“It makes us worry that the horses are going to be cramped into certain spaces or there’s not going to be enough land, there’s going to be more horses per acreage and then that can have a really negative impact on their welfare.”
A proposal was submitted towards the estate for the lease on Woodside, but the search for a new home has been difficult for the team and with only until January, the future for those horses remains uncertain.
Ball said this was having a impact on the owners of the horses who board at the stables.
She said: “This is like a happy space for everybody, it’s a nice mental space so the anxiety that its brought on, and how people have reacted to it, it’s been quite a difficult time especially coming up to this time of year.”
She added: “I remember being here with my ponies, and it was great to grow up in a farm and just have that connection as well with the people growing up with them and seeing people’s children.
“I’ve got two children myself, it’s amazing that they’ve been able to grow their first years of life in a farm, same as what I did, so it’s been so positive and to lose the potential of new memories its quite heart breaking.”
They provide full livery of business and had hoped to expand their operations to promote the equestrian reputation of the North West.
They want to develop an educational-based equestrian and agriculture centre, a space for children, adults and the community to learn to connect with farming and rural life.
She said: “We want to bring the educational side in and we think it would be a shame for a farm like this to close, obviously we’re not too sure what their plans are but that’s why we wanted to sort of create an educational hub which would benefit absolutely everybody.”
They hope this will give them the opportunity to work with schools, colleges and universities without the high cost of long-distance travel.
LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) has been supporting this idea, and Foxall believe that this is the moment to make a positive change.
Ball’s partner, Ryan Fox, helps run and support the farm in the evenings.
He said: “It was a mix of emotions really, we always believe everything happens for a reason, one door closes and another opens, but at the end of the day it’s sad because we started over here and it’s a shame because it’s such a beautiful place.”
Featured Image: Diana Quintal
