The Horse Trust Launches New Range Of Christmas Cards And 2012 Calendar

Buckinghamshire charity The Horse Trust today launched its new range of Christmas cards and 2012 calendar. The Horse Trust 2012 Calendar The charity, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, cares for around 90 rescued, abandoned and retired working horses, ponies and donkeys at its sanctuary in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire. The charity has launched two new Christmas card designs this year. The first card features a painting by renowned contemporary artist Jeremy Houghton of the Household Cavalry's Life Guards in their winter coats. Houghton has taken part in numerous prestigious exhibitions, including a recent exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London, and has painted two portraits of HM The Queen, which are now in the Royal Collection. From 7 October, an exhibition of Houghton's military and sporting equestrian paintings will be on display at the Cavalry and Guards Club in London. The second card features retired Riding for the Disabled pony Sean standing in a snowy field at The Horse Trust. Sean has been living at The Horse Trust for over 10 years, making him one of the sanctuary's longest standing residents. Both cards are 174mm x 118mm and cost £4 for a pack of 10 (excluding postage*). Unlike charity Christmas cards that are available in shops, all proceeds from the cards go towards helping horses at the sanctuary. According to research published last year, the majority of the charity cards available in shops give less than 10 percent to charity**. The Horse Trust's 2012 Calendar, which is now in a square format, features 12 of the horses living at the sanctuary, including retired Thames Valley and Metropolitan Police horses Titan and Gwain and retired Household Cavalry horse Sevastapol. Titan is the largest police horse in the UK, measuring 18.3hh and weighing over a tonne, and is pictured in the calendar cantering across the sanctuary's fields. Other horses featured in the calendar include Spindles Farm rescue horses Star, Walt and Red, and one of the sanctuaries smallest residents 36 inch Shetland pony Little Thomas. The calendar is 305mm x 305mm and costs £7.99 (excluding postage*). The charity will also be selling a variety of gifts this Christmas, including "Chestnut", a cuddly toy horse. All proceeds from the cards, calendars and gifts go towards helping horses at the sanctuary. "We are very excited about our new look Christmas cards and calendar, and our new range of gifts," said Susan Lewis, Marketing Manager at The Horse Trust. "Every item sold helps us to continue our work with rescue cases and retired working horses that have served their country or community." All items will be displayed on The Horse Trust website (http://www.horsetrust.org.uk) in the Autumn and will be available for sale by contacting 01494 488464 and at the sanctuary itself, which is open 2-4pm from Thursday to Monday until the end of October half-term.

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