We know that learning to care for and ride horses really does change young people's lives. Our city centre location is key to enabling young people living in deprived urban areas the opportunity to access horses. However, our location does create challenges in terms of creating the best possible life for our horses and ponies and means that we have to work extra hard to support their physical and mental wellbeing.

Rubber stable mats provide a non-slip surface for both horses and humans. They reduce the amount of bedding required - ideal as we only have a small muck heap area and have to pay for muck removal - so keep costs down. They provide cushioning to hooves and to joints; protecting our older horses prone to arthritis and to our laminitis-prone ponies.

Our current mats have been down for over 10 years and are no longer fit for purpose. They smell - this creates an unpleasant environment for both horses and humans - and have lifted up in places creating a trip hazard. Urine no longer drains away effectively and is pooling. This created dampness under hoof which can lead to hoof infections. We urgently need to replace these mats to create a safer, healthier and more pleasant environment.