16 February 2026

Redwings announce consultation impacting two visitor centres

Redwings Horse Sanctuary has today announced the beginning of a consultation process regarding the potential closure of two of its visitor centres, Redwings Mountains in Forfar, Angus, and Redwings Oxhill in Warwickshire, due to rising costs.

The proposals impact 39 roles across the two centres, and the consultation process is expected to take at least a month.

Redwings Oxhill has been operating as a visitor centre for almost twenty years and Redwings Mountains became part of the Redwings family following a merger in 2015.

Redwings is one of the largest equine welfare charities in the UK with more than 1000 rescued horses, ponies and donkeys in its sanctuary care and over 700 more living out in Guardian homes. The charity began in Norfolk, where it has its head office, several large sanctuary sites and two visitor centres, with another near Harlow in Essex.

During the consultation period, Redwings has taken the decision to temporarily close its Oxhill and Mountains centres to visitors out of respect for the staff involved. The remaining visitor centres in Essex and Norfolk are operating as usual.

If the proposals go ahead then more than 100 rescued horses and donkeys could need to be relocated to the charity’s Norfolk sites, and this includes the resident Adoption Stars. Anyone who supports Redwings by sponsoring a horse or donkey at one of these centres will receive further information about this in due course.

Charity Chief Executive Lynn Cutress said: “At Redwings we have been rescuing horses for 40 years, and thanks to the generosity of our supporters and the hard work of our team of staff and volunteers, we have been able to give our rescued horses, ponies, donkeys and mules across the UK a safe place to live, providing essential veterinary treatment, rehabilitation and lifelong care.

“We want to be able to continue our vital mission well into the future; being there for the horses currently in our care and for neglected horses when they need us most.

“Our loyal supporters have been and continue to be incredibly generous, but with rising costs that are beyond our control, it is essential that we act now to ensure that we are using their donations most effectively and are investing in activities which will have the greatest impact for the horses in our care and the welfare of those beyond our paddock fences.

“We are now in our fourth year of needing to spend from our financial reserves to balance the budget and continue to provide excellent care for our horses, but it is simply not sustainable to do so any longer. We need to immediately reduce our operating costs, and these sites have been selected for consideration due to their high running costs.

“Rest assured we have not made these proposals lightly, this is an incredibly sad and painful time for us and not something I ever wanted to see during my time at Redwings, but it is essential that we explore every avenue to ensure we can safeguard the wellbeing and future of the 1000+ horses in our care.”

Updates will be carried on our website.