Speen, a Home For Horses in Buckinghamshire

The History of the Home From WW1 to the Present Day

Sep 30, 2009

The Retirement Home for Horses continues to help animals in need today. From an idea from a Victorian lady, the Home has come a long way, able to help over 100 horses.

Ann Lindo, the Victorian lady who founded the Home could never have dreamt that it would be housed in 120 acres of Buckinghamshire countryside and able to help over 100 horses, ponies and donkies at a time. But its beginnings were very humble.

With the end of the War came the seemingly endless search for ever-bigger premises. Although the number of horse drawn Hackney cabs was greatly reduced, there was still substantial numbers of horse drawn vehicles owned by other tradesman such as milkman and coal merchants in operation. The home was able to provide rest and recuperation for approximately 250 horses a year, but still demands outstripped the facilities available. A ‘new’ Westcroft stables was opened in Borhamwood Hertfordshire. This time set in 25 acres; 75 loose boxes were erected, allowing the ‘home’ to take more animals in need of help.

Sir Fredrick Hobday, Dean of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons described the Home of Rest for Horses as the best premises of its kind in the world. His high praise cemented the relationship still in existence today between the Home and the R.C.V.S. The college supported the home by providing veterinary services for poor owners whose horses had been sent to the home for convalescence.

Once again the strain on stabling was beginning to tell and in 1962 a further 30 acres was leased from an adjacent property to Westcroft stables, allowing up to 80 horses to be in residence at one time.

By the mid 1960s, thanks to the generous support of the public, the Home of Rest for Horses, with the blessing of the Charity Commission, was in the enviable position of being able to bestow grants to other charitable organizations concerned with the welfare of horses. Yet still the Home continued to carry on the work first started by Ann Lindo in its own right.

The rebuilding of London after the 2nd World War meant that by 1968 the Home, once again needed new premises. A search found an ideal freehold property consisting of 130 acres in Speen, deep in the heart of the Buckinghamshire countryside. The lucrative sale of the Borehamwood premises to a building consortium allowed the purchase of Speen Farm to be completed and the erection of 85 loose boxes ensuring the continuation of the Homes’ work at its current home for years to come.

Home of Rest for Horses Moves to Speen

The new Westcroft Stables at Speen Farm, Buckinghamshire were officially opened on July 15th 1975 and continues to offer sanctuary and treatment for cases of hardship and a retirement home for animals that have provided a life time of service, many of whom served in the army and police force.

One of the most famous residents was Sefton, a magnificent black charger who spent the last years of his life in splendid retirement from the Household Cavalry after surviving a horrific bomb attack in Hyde Park, London in 1982. Though seriously injured, Sefton recovered from his injuries; other horses and their riders were not so lucky.

The majority of the modern airy loose boxes are built facing onto a quadrangle. Each box displays a card with the resident's name, its age, and brief details of its former owner and whether the stay is permanent or respite care. Whatever the circumstances the residents are guaranteed a good home with all the love and attention that they could ask for during the duration of their stay.

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