AROUND 15 horses and ponies paraded through the New Forest as they made their way to their new home after 50 years.

Sharon Bayliss, who runs the Burley Manor Riding Stables, currently based at the Burley Manor Hotel, led the walk featuring small Shetland ponies up to 20-stone Percheron horses to Brockenhurst.

She said that after the new owners of the hotel took over last year, she was told that she could no longer be based in the grounds of the hotel to run trips and treks around the area.

She said: "We have around 9,000 customers each year, along with their friends and family, and I wonder whether this will affect the businesses of Burley village as well.

"Fortunately a place has come on the market, which is affordable, and the bank will loan the money but it is not confirmed yet."

Sharon said that she has been offered a space at the New Forest Activity Centre which she can use until she finds a permanent base for her business.

"There are now only five or six trekking services in the New Forest left. A few years ago, there were 50 or 60 but they are changing over to livery services. It will become a more exclusive sport.

"You come here every day because you care about the place. I've already re-homed horses and we've got some that have lived at the stables for 20 years and we don't know how they will cope with living somewhere else."

Michaela Lisle, managing director of the Burley Manor Hotel, said: "This summer we are redesigning the grounds and restoring them, as budget allows, to their former Victorian glory and developing a kitchen garden.

"We wish to develop the grounds further to enhance our guests’ experience and increase parking facilities, and this includes use of the old stables site."

She added that staff at the stables six months notice to find commercial premises elsewhere in the New Forest, which they had offered to extend until October, but were informed that the staff would be moving on June 28.