RECORD numbers of visitors coming to see retired horses and donkeys at a rest home in Lacey Green are in danger of turning the animals orange, according to managers.
The Home of Rest for Horses, which owns the Westcroft Stables in the village, are encouraging people to make a donation rather than buying bags of carrots at the supermarket.
Susan Lewis, marketing manager, said: "They come armed with carrots eager to feed the horses but the volume of carrots and the generosity of the visitors is unbalancing the animals' feeding regime.
"Now we are asking them to deposit all the carrots in a specially marked feed bin, from where they will be distributed among all the horses at feeding time even those which don't come into the yard.
"This will ensure that each horse has a balanced diet and maintains good health."
Donations would go towards bags of feed for the horses.
The home has more than 100 retired working horses, ponies and donkeys and aims to raise awareness of the importance of responsible horse ownership.
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