AT the age of 75, most people probably think it is time to put their feet up and relax. But for Olive Lomas, there are around 200 very good reasons to continue going to work every day.

Olive runs the Only Foals and Horses sanctuary and is committed to the care of more than 170 horses and ponies, five donkeys, and a selection of Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, goats, sheep, fowl, rabbits and guinea pigs.

She first became involved in 1987, after the death of her husband, and helped to start the Animal Welfare Liaison Network for people who wanted to raise awareness of animal cruelty. But even she had no idea this pastime would lead to running what is effectively a full-time business.

Olive's menagerie, housed in two main sites, plus additional fields, was rescued for a variety of reasons and from all over the country.

But keeping them is expensive and times are hard for the charity, which is one of the biggest of its kind in the country. The actual sanctuary was set up in 1991 after the first ten horses and ponies were bought from a horse auction in Wales for the princely sum of £1,200. The money had come from animal lovers who made donations on the understanding that they were only to be used in desperate cases.

Sadly, there were plenty of those. Soon afterwards, word got around and calls started to flood in for other creatures badly in need of a home.

A number of the animals had been mistreated -- some were mares that were used continuously to breed from and others were destined for the knacker's yard after a long working life because they were too expensive to retire properly.

As a result, the sanctuary went from being based in a small rented stables in Burnley to being spread over two sites in Oswaldtwistle and Altham.

Olive, who lives at the main 26-acre site in Redshell Lane, Oswaldtwistle, said: "Ideally, we now need to raise £5,000 every week to cover all the overheads and pay for the individual animal care.

"Sometimes, it sounds as though we are always asking for more money, but we have a lifelong commitment to these animals and we rely entirely on public support through various sources.

"We always need new ideas to keep people involved as the animals here have found security for the first time in their lives and that has to continue." For the last ten years, money from donations, animal adoptions, fund-raising events, income from charity shops in Accrington, Burnley and Blackburn, plus a market stall, has helped the charity to scrape by. But after last winter, the sanctuary had to say enough is enough and close the doors to any new animals.

Each horse and pony can cost up to £20 each week in food, vet bills and blacksmith fees, without taking into account loan repayments on the £200,000 Oswaldtwistle site, the rent for three shops and rent on the second site at Altham.

Then there are staff wages for the dozen part-time workers, although Olive admits they are poorly paid for the work they put in. Additional practical help comes from a team of volunteers who work mainly at the weekends and during the evenings.

Olive said: "It is a constant worry where the money is going to come from, but we do have a lot of supporters on our mailing list who we can call on when times are really hard."

As winter approaches this year, the sanctuary faces the additional annual costs of stabling for the animals who are usually outside, as well as a number of repairs to the buildings.

But one thing Olive is certain of -- she will never give up.

"Basically, we have to work from day to day. We don't want to, but unfortunately that is how we are and, for the sake of the horses and other animals, we have to continue."