By Amanda Winstone, Epona Trust Sponsor.
In 2021 In-Common featured an article about Carol Boulton, the proprietor of Russells Equestrian Centre along with her daughter Verity Tidmarsh.
The article describes Carol’s amazing calmness with horse and rider and the unique experience it is to visit Russells, the tranquil and calm feeling when you enter the stable yard. Russells has been supporting our community for 50 years, focussing on supporting physical and mental well-being, focusing on children and adults requiring additional support, they also rescue and rehabilitate horses and ponies through The Epona Trust and have saved countless horses and ponies who would not have made it without Carol and Verity stepping in.
Spending time at Russells is not just about learning to ride, everyone is encouraged to care for the horses, learn how to support traumatised animals that arrive damaged both physically and mentally, we support them to recover, we support each other and learn a lot about ourselves along the way.
However, this gem on the edge of Southampton is under threat by Eastleigh Borough Council who contacted them just before Christmas to give notice of ending their lease for summer grazing of 7 acres located at Itchen Valley Country Park. This grazing was provided over ten years ago by the council after they lost a further 40 acres to building development and this critical 7 acres has been leased by Russells every summer since then.
This grazing is crucial for their license, and to lose this could mean losing their livelihood, but worse still they could lose their beloved horses and ponies.
They learned that an alpaca farm was replacing their ponies in the field. Christmas didn’t happen at Russells, they desperately tried to contact the council to discuss the implications but were met with silence. Not so silent were the workers who moved onto the beautiful grazing meadow over Christmas and hammered in post after post constructing alpaca pens, and then the alpacas moved in, with still no communication from the council.
The council claim they are supporting Russells to find alternatives, but there are few options in this area, there are 420 acres of land at Itchen Valley Country Park, with other areas suitable for alpacas, but Eastleigh Borough Council has taken the 7 acres essential for the horses and ponies of Russells, there are few if any alternatives.
It is not right that the council can jeopardize a local business who operate for the benefit of so many in the community. I believe it is unethical to put an alternative business from outside the community above the wellbeing of rescue animals and a business that has been the hub of the community for 50 years, and it is not right that the council appears to have made this decision behind closed doors.
The community are rallying and there are almost 3000 signatures on their petition, these numbers and the heartfelt comments received speak volumes as to the positive impact Russells has had on individuals and families for decades.
I urge you to sign, share and contact Eastleigh Borough Council to object to this despicable decision: the petition is here.
Note from the editor:
We contacted Eastleigh Borough Council and received the following response:
Russells Equestrian – Eastleigh Borough Council statement
“The Council has entered into a new licence agreement to allow the grazing and walking of around 30 alpacas on the 7.5-acre Lower Russell Fields site at Itchen Valley Country Park. This will provide grazing and the opportunity for children and adults to walk alpacas at the park. As well as having biodiversity and health and well-being benefits, it will generate income towards the upkeep of the park. There are no plans to build shops on the site.
The previous seasonal grazing licence for Russells Equestrian has been issued for many years on a month-to-month basis between May and October, with no commitment in the legal agreement to continue this year-on-year. We wrote to Russells Equestrian in December giving them five months’ notice that we would not be renewing the licence this coming May, and the Council is continuing to work with Russells Equestrian to look for alternative grazing.”