24/06/2024
Start your week off in the right way with Nia, Netty, Chandler and Chandrani ❤️
We’re the place for people who want to make a difference to the lives of foals, horses and ponies. They deserve our kindness and care.
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🐴Horse and pony rescues
🏡Rehoming rescued horses and ponies
🐎Equine assisted learning
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📧 News and events
🥰Equine welfare campaigns
The Mare and Foal Sanctuary rescues horses and ponies that have been abandoned, neglected or abused. We also ensure that horses and ponies have a sanctuary for life. Most horses and ponies are given care for life through
our network of knowledgeable carers. Those horses and ponies with more complex needs are cared for in our peaceful sanctuaries. Our charity was founded on the principles that horses and ponies, as sentient beings and close companions of humans over the centuries, have a value and a purpose. Our equine centred approach to equine assisted learning enables us to create a sense of sanctuary for people within our sanctuary for horses and ponies. We’re also here to offer no shame advice and help with any horse or pony questions or issues you might have, to help improve the health and welfare of horses and ponies wherever they might be and no matter how well cared for. Registered charity number 1141831
Start your week off in the right way with Nia, Netty, Chandler and Chandrani ❤️
This week we're shining the spotlight on the lovely Poppy ♥️
Poppy is 25 years old and is looking for a new home as a companion pony. She is a gentle, laid-back pony who enjoys the attention of her human and equine companions.
Poppy is being rehomed on our Prime Pastures scheme, where we can contribute towards the cost of her veterinary care.
Find out more at https://bit.ly/3xqJX8g
We’d like to say a massive thank you to all the first-year students at Hartpury who have raised an incredible £946.16 for The Mare and Foal Sanctuary as part of a fundraising skills project.
They’ve been mud-running, baking and selling clothes and cakes since last year for us.
Education is one of the cornerstones of our work and we are pleased to have a strong collaboration with the University, sharing professional insights into the challenges and rewards of working in equine welfare.
https://bit.ly/3z3vv6x
That first day of summer feeling ☀️😍
It’s a big week for our inspirational RSPCA (England & Wales) colleagues marking 200 years of change.
We recognise their mission to give animals a voice and are proud to work in partnership on many welfare and rescue cases.
Together we’ve saved the lives of ponies like Sherbert and Poppy from appalling conditions and brought threatened mares and foals like Nia and Netty to a safe sanctuary.
Many congratulations on 200 years of the RSPCA! 🎉
Ready for some exciting news to kick start your week?💕
The patter of tiny hooves is soon to be heard at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary.
Vets have confirmed that our beautiful Welsh moorland mare Nia is expecting.
Nia and her filly foal Netty were part of a herd of 69 ponies taken from Merthyr Common in a joint agency rescue before Christmas. We think she became pregnant just before the rescue.
The happy arrival is expected in September, and we hope you will stay with us to follow Nia’s progress and maybe watch the birth live.
Read more here: https://bit.ly/45wnLX0
Happy Father's Day to all those that celebrate 💕
Saturday is all about snoozing for Violet 💤
It may be June but here at the Sanctuary we're thinking about October 💕
15 year old October is available for rehoming as project pony. She is a lovely, easy-going mare who would thrive in an active home that will keep her weight managed.
October has started ridden work, and she is good to lunge and take for walks. She is also confident in traffic and has seen various agility items.
For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/3KCiTpD
Planting the Seeds of Knowledge 🌱
Here at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary we are training our team members in plant identification skills. This helps them understand more about the good and the potentially damaging, invasive or poisonous species that grow around our sanctuary sites. The training is being carried out by Megan Dalton, an ecologist from Land and Heritage.
As Volunteers' Week draws to a close, we wanted to say a huge thank you to all of our amazing volunteers for their hard work and dedication.
Thank you for giving up your time to make a real difference to horses, ponies and people.
Our maintenance team have been making and installing bird boxes at our Coombe Park Equestrian and Education Centre. Can you spot some of our recent visitors? 🐦 🦉
Our golden oldie, Calvados, enjoying the late afternoon sunshine ☀️
It's not just horses and ponies here at the Sanctuary ♥️
Thank you to BBC Devon for featuring Max the Mannequin.
Listen back using the link below 🎧
He's not here to 'horse' about!
Mannequin Max is a life-size fully articulated equine mannequin used to help train people who rescue horses 🐴
Devon-based Mare and Foal Sanctuary raised funds to buy Max - listen to find out the difference this special mannequin is making 🎧➡️ https://bbc.in/4bMdEiQ
Alli and Lisa are volunteers at our Mare and Foal Sanctuary Bovey Tracey Charity Shop and are a perfect pair when it comes to the weekly bric-a-brac rotation. They merchandise the stock perfectly and the bric-a-brac shelves never look prettier than on a Thursday afternoon when they are both in!
They both say they volunteer because it’s a wonderful way to meet people and socialise. Alli tells us it gives her a wonderful sense of reward, knowing that her time is contributing to the Sanctuary's overall mission to care for and rehabilitate equines in need.
Thanks to Lisa, Alli and all our fantastic volunteers who do such an amazing job at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary.
It's Volunteers' Week and we wanted to tell you more about some of our amazing volunteers.
Barbara helps out at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary’s Brunel shop in Newton Abbot. After retiring from her job as an assistant manager at a care home, she wanted a volunteering role that would keep her mind active. Barbara says she loves spending a few days a week with colleagues and customers and relishes the challenge of finding items that customers want to get hold of.
You can hear more of Barbara’s story in the forthcoming summer edition of out Honeysuckle newsletter.
Happy Sunday from Diangelo, the handsome giant 😍
It's Ovie's turn in the spotlight this week ⭐
Ovie is 5 years old and is looking for a new home as a companion. He is a confident, friendly boy that is good in a herd.
Find out more 👉 https://bit.ly/3VkDipm
It's your last chance to win this hamper full of gifts by playing our weekly lottery ⭐
Not only could you win this hamper but you could also win up to £25,000 in prizes. It's just £1 to play!
Your £1 could help us to rescue horses, provide bedding and feed or administer veterinary care.
Sign-up and play today at: https://bit.ly/4aFAmIj
Terms and conditions apply.
A bank holiday sunset at our Upcott Park Sanctuary ♥️
Whilst out on the road at the Royal Windsor and Devon County Shows, our team played a game where they had to name as many horse related songs as possible.
Now it's your turn...
How many songs can you name with 'horse' in the title? 🎵
It’s a landmark month for us. We’re proud to say we’ve been accredited to Living Wage UK and are committed to investing in our team by paying a Real Living Wage. We’ve joined 14,000 UK organisations who believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.
By investing in our employees, we’re investing in our future. We’re confident this will lead to greater achievements and positive impacts for the communities and equines we serve. The Mare and Foal Sanctuary’s core values are Kindness, Care and Knowledge and we have a range of full and part time job vacancies here: https://bit.ly/4bsIInO
Sanctuary at Home wanted for Telynor 🏠
21 year old Telynor is being rehomed as a companion pony. He has a lovely nature and is always pleased to see you! He’s quiet to handle and good with the farrier and vet. He is happy to be stabled but can also live out 24/7.
Find out more at https://bit.ly/3WOBJkp
It's a windswept Wednesday for Gabriel ❤️
Remember Lola? 😍
She’s one of the Shetlands we rescued from the former Family Nest Therapy centre in Cornwall. She was severely malnourished and our Sanctuary Care team spent more than a year nursing her back to full health.
Lola was rehomed with our wonderful Sanctuary at Home carer, Hazel, in January. We visited them this week and are delighted to see that Lola is very happy and settled with her new family. She gets on well particularly well with her new equine companion ‘Raven’.
Thanks to carers like Hazel, we can rescue more equines in desperate need and care for them at our sanctuary sites. If you’d like to find out more about how you can become a Sanctuary at Home carer please visit: https://bit.ly/3wxZRxh
It’s mid-May and we’ve already started compiling some wonderful pictures for The Mare and Foal Sanctuary’s 2025 calendar.
Professional equine photographer Fiona Crawford from our Content team has been out at sanctuary sites taking some stunning photos.
Make sure you are signed up to our supporter mailings to receive yours, along with updates of what’s happening at the Sanctuary through the year: https://bit.ly/3yqx5zf
Roll the dice and take a chance on Jumanji 🎲 🐴
Jumanji is looking for a home as a companion or ridden project pony. She is a sweet natured mare and is quiet to handle and good to catch.
She has not been ridden for a while, so would need an experienced family to bring her back into work. Could this be you?
https://bit.ly/3QQ12Pn
It's 5pm...Netty is ready to gallop into the weekend 🐎 ❤️
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Training debut for ‘Max’ the horse mannequin… The first equine rescue training session using ‘Max’ our crowdfunded horse mannequin has taken place. Watch to see how Max got on. #Horse #Pony #Charity #HorseRescue #Equine #EquineRescue
The team are back on the road this week and will be at the Devon County Show from 16th - 18th May 🚗 🐴 Find us at stand 276!
Like you, we know keeping our horses and ponies at a healthy weight is important for their overall health. A weigh tape can be a useful tool in monitoring your equine’s weight and health. This video explains how to use a weigh tape effectively on your horse. For more advice and resources visit: https://bit.ly/3y3nSfM
A quick update from our fantastic team at the Royal Windsor Horse Show... If you're visiting the show this weekend, find us at stand A200! ⭐
We were delighted to be visited by our patron, Angela Rippon, last week. Angela visited our Yelverton Sanctuary and was impressed with the patience, passion and dedication of our staff and was also interested to hear more about our valuable work in equine welfare and Equine Assisted Services. We are very grateful for her continued support! Here's a short video of Angela's visit...
Cine Schools worked with the pupils at Latchmere Primary School to create a short film about the Sanctuary and we wanted to share a snippet of their amazing work. The film was then screened at The Town House in Kingston in a wonderful space for 200 filmmakers and their families. A big thanks to all involved for creating such a wonderful film! #filmforall
The tale of two ponies who needed a safe home for Christmas 🐴🎄 Robin and Daisy were suffering in deep mud. They desperately needed a safe, warm and dry home. Due to the depth of the mud surrounding them, they were unable to move around freely or lie down to sleep. This is how their story unfolded... Please support our Christmas appeal to help more ponies like Robin and Daisy: https://bit.ly/3Ry2QgF
We're pleased to announce the names of our Welsh mare and foal....Nia and Netty ❤️ Thank you to everyone who submitted a name. We received over 500 suggestions. The winning names were submitted by Karen from East Sussex and Lucy from Tavistock. Syra Bowden, Head of Equine Welfare says: ‘We were overwhelmed by the huge response to our naming competition and delighted to have so many wonderful names to choose from. The welfare team members who rescued our new mare and foal were given the final vote. We felt the name “Netty” was perfect for our beautiful filly foal because it means “favoured one”. We decided to give her dam the name “Nia”, which is the Welsh form of “Naimh” meaning “resolve” and “brilliance”. It’s a name that really suits her. 'Both ponies are settling in well, enjoying the peaceful environment at our sanctuary and Netty had her very first encounter with a dusting of snow last week, which she took into her stride well.’ https://bit.ly/3R5lVFv
Princess and all at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary wish our wonderful patron Angela Rippon many congratulations! Angela, we’ve loved following your BBC Strictly Come Dancing journey and are so proud of all that you achieved. We hope you’ll visit us for a Foxtrot around the arena soon! See our tribute film to Angela: https://bit.ly/3QIDbQV Come and visit our film star ponies at the next open day: https://bit.ly/40Klll8
A behind the scenes look at Geronimo practicing for his star appearance in our recent film 'Good Luck Angela' 💃 Rescue pony Geronimo has only one eye and has been taking part in clicker training in our indoor arena to improve his confidence. The training also provides some great mental stimulation at the same time. Dance moves are his newest skill! You can watch the full film here: https://bit.ly/3SH7LNj
💃 This week our patron Angela Rippon and her dance partner Kai Widdrington are heading to Blackpool to dance in the iconic Tower Ballroom. But what is their dance this week...? ⭐The American Smooth!⭐ We wanted to learn a little more about the dance to see what Angela and Kai would be learning this week, and what technical challenges lay ahead. 👉 The American Smooth is a ballroom dance style that consists of four dances: the Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot and Viennese Waltz. 👉 It has tremendous freedom in artistry and choreography that allows the dancers to create their own unique look and style. 👉 Jazz, Ballet, Free-Form, Contemporary...almost any dance form can influence Smooth choreography. 👉 While there is no rule about how much closed versus open material is required, a top couple should show a good mix of both. Dancing to 'Tea for Two' by Ella Fitzgerald, we cannot wait to see both Angela and Kai having fun in Blackpool. Good luck in training this week, everyone at the sanctuary is so proud of you both! #voteangela
💃What a paso doble! Our patron Angela Rippon has come back fighting this week. With an incredible routine and a score of 32, let’s show our support for her and Kai by voting. They deserve to go to Blackpool!! 🪩Vote Angela and Kai when the lines open 🪩
Strictly fever has swept The Mare and Foal Sanctuary in preparation for our patron, Angela Rippon, to shine again this weekend…. Everyone is horse with excitement and ready to prance as Angela takes to the floor with her professional partner Kai. Good luck Angela! “Good Luck Angela” stars the human and equine team at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary's Coombe Park Equestrian and Education Centre, Totnes. Filmed and produced voluntarily and free of charge by Powerhouse Videos. To find out more about the work of The Mare and Foal Sanctuary, please see our website: www.mareandfoal.org BBC Strictly Come Dancing #StrictlyComeDancing2023 BBC Spotlight #AngelaRippon
This week’s Strictly Come Dancing challenge sees our patron Angela Rippon and her partner Kai Widdrington dance to ‘Hung up’ by Madonna. But what dance will they be learning? The classic Spanish dance…the Paso doble 💃 A little about the history of the dance… Paso doble (meaning double step in Spanish) is a fast-paced Spanish military march used by infantry troops. Its speed allowed troops to give 120 steps per minute (double the average of a regular unit, hence its name). The dance can be like the one-step, except for the speed and number of steps given. What technics will Kai be teaching Angela this week… 👉 The dancers must remain one in front of the other, and always keep their bodies parallel to each other, lining slightly to the left 👉 They must give one step per tempo The left hand of the male and the right hand of the female must remain united almost permanently 👉 Nearly all motions and figures are accepted, which allows space for creativity The pair appeared on It Takes Two last night and were full of smiles and enthusiasm for their Paso, mentioning we may even see some flamenco moves. If it’s anything like their Argentine tango, we are in for a real treat. All the team at the Mare and Foal Sanctuary are wishing you luck for this week. You will both be fantastic! ⭐Go Angela and Kai!⭐
The Waltz is this week's dance for our patron Angela Rippon and her dance partner Kai, who will be dancing to 'Fascination' by Nat King BBC Strictly Come Dancing. But what do we know about the Waltz, and how much of a challenge will this be for Angela and Kai this week? 👉The Waltz, (from German word walzen meaning “to revolve”), is a highly popular ballroom dance evolved from the Ländler in the 18th century. 👉 Characterised by a step, slide, and step in 3/4 time, the waltz, with its turning, embracing couples, at first shocked polite society. It became the ballroom dance of the 19th century, and maintained its popularity in the 20th. 👉 Its variations include the rapid, whirling Viennese waltz and the gliding, dipping Boston. 👉 Composers of famous waltzes include Frédéric Chopin, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Johann Strauss. Sounds like we could be in for a real treat this week, with such a classical dance to the wonderful Nat King Cole. Good luck for the rest of this week Angela and Kai, from all the team at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary.
🎃It’s Halloween week… did our patron Angela Rippon CBE crack the case? Playing Jessica Fletcher from ‘Murder She Wrote’ and dancing the Charleston to the theme tune, it looked like Angela and her dance partner Kai could solve any crime as a team. What a joyful dance and a massive score of 33! Well done!!! 👏👏👏 🪩Vote for Angela🪩
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