Autumn Newsletter 2008 - Redwings

RedwingsHorse Sanctuary NewsletterAutumn 2008Readabout the‘all new’AdoptionClubAnd help theenvironment atthe same timeRescue, rescue, rescue page 3Marvin has his day in court page 4Scarlet’s Summertime Blues page 6Redwings ‘Transport’ Appeal page 8Red Goes Green - environmental news page 11Redwings ‘New’ Adoption Club pages 14-15The Charity’s purpose is to provide and promote the welfare, care and protection of horses, ponies, donkeys and mules.

2WELCOME TO OUR AUTUMN NEWSLETTERDear SupporterWelcome to our Autumn 2008 Newsletter and even after ouramazing start to the year we continue to be really busy both withsupporters and horses! Thank you all for your patience over thepast months with our new office system to take your orders anddonations and for starting to get used to your new supporternumber – we’d love not to have to use computers but it seems wehave little choice! However, we have been caught sneaking intoour computers in our office tea breaks to log onto our new On-lineAdoptions. I have got Boo and Sydney on my PC and mucking outtheir stables, giving them fresh water and hay seems easier to do‘virtually’ rather than for real – we’ve even found time for a quickgroom and collecting the odd care rosette or two!It’s been rescue, rescue, rescue recently and the horsebox enginesand trailer truck bonnets have been kept warm. Unfortunately, for allof us we need to watch the fuel and mileage but we never intend todo an unnecessary journey and at the end of each rescue we knowwe have done the right thing. Our timely appeal is for ourtransportation needs, it’s one of our ‘specialisms’ and although wedo not run the horsebox equivalent of a Rolls Royce, the costs domount up to keep them on the road and even ready when needed.Re-homing has been productive too, after extensive handling fromthe Rehabilitation team, ponies such as Lindt and Rosswho came to us as incredibly nervous youngsters viaprevious rescues, have been undergoing training tobecome riding/companion ponies!We are also very excited about next year – theSanctuary will reach a mature quarter of a centuryand therefore we will celebrate Redwings’ SilverJubilee. Tony, our in-house designer, has comeup with a special logo and it’s already in print onour 2009 calendars. Helen, one of our keenestin-house photographers, tried transferring someof her pictures into black and white and weloved the look so much that 2009 has a special calendar inaddition to our regular ‘Scenes’ and ‘Adoption’ Calendars.We have unfortunately been forced to increase our postageand packing prices, it has been long overdue but needs must,it’s all in a good cause.Please do read on and take in all of our activities featured in thisnewsletter. Currently, at Hapton we unusually have foals in most ofour special care fields and some of our residents are so small thatthe maintenance crew have had to add an extra row of fence lineto keep them in! One of our special ponies, Chocolate, has been asurrogate Dad and taken to the job very well.Nationally, we were delighted to be invited to take part in a smallworking group on equine welfare whose work was inspired by andpresented to HRH Princess Anne. It was so very useful to share ourequine welfare experiences and needs with other organisations aswell as our friends at the major charities.This Summer Redwings has been out and about at Jimmy’s Farm,the Suffolk and Norfolk Shows, and several other local events. Ournew Education Ponieshave completed theirfirst year and were evenwell behaved when thecannon went off at theNorfolk Show! Theseponies are from theLincolnshire rescue –remember the onewhen we rescued 72horses and ponies inone day!Following our start this year when we were Charity of the Year at theBritish Equestrian Trade Association (BETA), we are delighted to bethe Your Horse Live Charity of the year this Winter. We appreciate allthe support we get from both associations and more importantly,from you, our supporters.Lynn CutressChief ExecutiveThomas the Haptoncat says... Don’tforget to use yourpostcode on anycorrespondenceyou send us. Ithelps us find youmore quickly!Address for all correspondenceRedwings Horse SanctuaryHapton, Norfolk NR15 1SPOur Mission StatementThe Charity’s purpose is to provide andpromote the welfare, care and protectionof horses, ponies, donkeys and mules.Key Contact NumbersGeneral Enquiries 01508 481000info@redwings.co.ukHorse Care and Welfare 01508 481008welfare@redwings.co.ukVisitor Helpline 0870 040 0033Web www.redwings.co.ukThis newsletter costs less than seven pence to print. All the design and photography is undertakenby staff with the help of supporters to keep our costs low.

Hapton - Summerand Winter!It was a typical ‘English Summer’weekend weather-wise, with threateninglooking clouds and a spot or two ofdrizzle to keep our paddocks green. Allthe staff were thrilled to see so manyvisitors, nearly 1,000 of you in all and arecord for Summer at Hapton! With foalsin residence reaching double figures atHapton at the time we decided to do anadditional minibus ride – called the FoalTour – its popularity exceeded allexpectations, so much so that we had todouble up to meet demand, Frances,‘Sunday’s lead tour guide’, can now talkfoal in her sleep, she’s repeated the tourfacts so many times!The re-homing team excelled themselveswith their mini gymkana, with cheers ofdelight coming from the ‘Parklandsvalley’ – Marie and Claire on Piper andShadz (the Red team) were the winnersapparently for those of you who missedthe Sunday afternoon finale! For all of youwho have donated or bought secondhand tack from Parklands (saddles, rugs,all sorts really) thanks for the ‘recycling’and making money for Redwings at thesame time!Most popular pony of the weekend seemedto be our retired adoption Shetland, Ben.Our cream coloured cute chap is currentlydoing quite well in retirement and wasbased in the yard for the weekend so hecould enjoy lots of fuss. He loves seeing hislife-long adoptors as much as they loveseeing him.The most popular food purchases were teaand cake (of course) and ice cream – thankyou too for all the donated carrots andapples for our sanctuary residents. Weappreciate all your support and enjoyedshowing you around!The Winter Weekend is 6-7th Decemberand all are welcome – it’s free and thekettle will be on, shop stacked withChristmas fayre and the horses ruggedup to meet you.Esther’s RescueUpdateIn the last Newsletter we told you the storyof Esther’s Rescue, a large scale rescue inBuckinghamshire involving more than 97horses, ponies and donkeys. In April the3NEWS UPDATEowners appealed to have some of theequines returned to their care and theothers sold at auction. This seemed likely tohappen but thankfully the decision wassuspended and will now be made at aJudicial Review due to take place inOctober. In the meantime all of the equineshave remained in the care of Redwings andthe other charities involved. We are stillunable to talk in any detail about thedonkeys and ponies from the rescue butwe appreciate that our supporters will wantto know how they are doing. We would liketo reassure everyone that those in our careare all very well and appear to be enjoyinglife here with us – including Esther who, asyou can see from the picture, is losing herbaby fluff at last! Our heartfelt thanks go toall of you who helped to support us withdonations and kind words through whatwas a very difficult time for everyone at theSanctuary, and we hope that you cancontinue to keep us in your thoughts overthe coming months.Look at Esther now...7 months after herrescue in JanuarySteph’s storySteph Gray was a Redwings fundraiser from the age of seven. She saw ourveterinary work and went on to study at Cambridge Vet School, graduating with oneof our own vets, Ruth and a friend, Sarah Pellett. Horses were always Steph’s firstlove and she was working in South Africa as a racehorse vet. Tragically, Steph waskilled in a car accident in January 2008. Sarah wanted to commemorate her friend soorganised some fundraising and raised £400 in Steph’s memory for our veterinarydepartment. We were really touched and wish to thank Sarah and colleagues onbehalf of horses in need of our veterinary care and to pay tribute to Steph.

4Welfare Works..WELFAREBack in December 2006,Redwings received a call from amember of the public who wasconcerned about a pony that shesaw daily on her way to work.The pony did not look healthyand the reporter was worried thatthe pony would not cope overWinter. As the pony was just afew miles from Redwings’ AdaCole Rescue Centre, Jo our FieldOfficer for the area, immediatelywent to check things out.The Long (Slow!) Armof the LawBelow, Marvin ‘the magnificent’who is back to good healthunder Redwings’ care.Jo found that the young colt, we thennamed Marvin, was indeed underweightand had wounds on his headand nose. The wounds had beencaused by Marvin’s headcollar, whichwas padlocked to a very heavy chainstaked to the ground. Tethering itself isnot illegal, but if the way in which anequine is tethered causes suffering,then the owner is in breach of animalwelfare laws. Jo’s concern for Marvinprompted her to contact the localRSPCA Inspector and together theyarranged for a vet to assess Marvin’scondition. The vet agreed that Marvinwas suffering as a result of his poorweight, untreated wounds andunsuitable method of tethering.Marvin’s owner was contacted andMarvin was transferred under policesupervision to our Ada Cole RescueCentre for recovery and some muchneeded TLC.Marvin’s owner refused to sign hispony into our care, or admit that hewas guiltyof causingsuffering toMarvin. Thisleft theRSPCA nochoice but to begin legalproceedings against the owner toensure that Marvin did not have to bereturned. Because the new ‘AnimalWelfare Act’ did not come into forceuntil April 2007, Marvin’s owner wasprosecuted under the previous‘Protection of Animals Act’.Being just 18 months old whenrescued, as Marvin regained healthand strength he became a lively,headstrong character! We cannotintegrate stallions with other equinesas they will fight with males and want tobe too friendly with females! For thisreason we were hoping that the casewould be resolved quickly so thatMarvin could be gelded and live amore normal, relaxed life. Frustratingly,one thing after another seemed todelay proceedings, from legaltechnicalities to poorly judges! Wewere all relieved when the hearingfinally came to court in July 2008 andthe judge agreed that Marvin’s ownerwas guilty of causing his ponyunnecessary suffering. Marvin waspassed into Redwings’ permanentownership, and his owner was fined£3,000 and given a three yearconditional discharge. Marvin is nowgelded and enjoying life with friends atlast! As a healthy young chap, wehope that in the not too distant futurehe will be suitable for Redwings’popular Guardianship scheme, but fornow, he is such a sweetie that we justlike having him here with us!

.welfare is at the very heart5of what we believe in!CherryTiny Cherry looks as though she still has a lot of growingto do, but in fact she is already three years old and won’tWELFAREget any bigger! Standing just seven hands high at herwithers, Cherry’s back end is even smaller as she wasborn with deformed hindquarters, meaning that her hipsand hind legs never developed properly and will alwaysbe small and weak.Cherry’s condition doesaffect her life expectancy asshe is likely to developarthritis in her hindquartersat an early age.Cherry was rescued by the RSPCA from an unsuitablehome where she was being used for breeding! Not only isher body not up to the job of being pregnant and givingbirth, but she would almost certainly pass on herdeformity to any foals, possibly in a more severe andpainful form. Although Cherry’s condition doesn’t causeher pain, she needs careful management and monitoringto ensure her hindquarters are kept comfortable and theRSPCA immediately thought of Redwings’ specialknowledge and facilities. Despite her physicalimperfections, Cherry is a delightful little pony and we justlove having her!Foodie by Name, Foodie by Nature!In May this year Redwings was asked once again to assistwith the rescue of a group of ponies on the outskirts ofBirmingham. Having worked with the owner and the RSPCAover the past four years, conditions were still not ideal for theferal equines and they had access to a huge area of richgrazing. Many of the ponies were overweight as a result andtwo of the ponies had developed severe laminitis, which is aserious illness commonly linked to obesity. Although severalpeople, including the owner, a vet and local welfare officershad tried to intervene, the feral nature of the ponies meantthat no one had been able to catch them. Definitely a job forRedwings!With our specialist team and equipment, what hadpreviously proved an impossible task took less than an hourto achieve and the two poorly ponies were soon on ahorsebox and on their way to Redwings for the veterinarytreatment they so desperately needed. We also rescuedanother obese pony who was at serious risk of developinglaminitis. In view of their obvious love of food, we named theponies Pudding, Banoffee and Sorbet!Thankfully, the owner has now moved his remainingequines to a more suitable site and our local Field Officer isregularly checking that they are receiving the carefulmanagement they deserve.Sorbet was obeseand laminitic, butalso pregnant whenshe was rescued.Dieting pregnant orsuckling mares hasto be tackled verycarefully, butthankfully ourveterinary andequine care teamshave all the expertiseneeded and Mumand foal are bothdoing really well!

6 Welfare Works!WELFAREScarlet’sSummertime BluesAbove, Knettishall Heath looks like a real pony haven. Unfortunately it is a haven for midges too, which caused aserious problem for sensitive Scarlet. Left, Scarlet has settled very well into life at Redwings. You can see theareas along her mane, back and tail where she has rubbed herself because of the sweet itch.BeautifulExmoor pony Scarlet hadquite an unusual job before shearrived at Redwings. She was part of asmall herd being used to graze onKnettishall Heath Country Park inSuffolk. Ponies can play a valuablerole in helping preserve grass andheathland by eating some plants whileleaving others to flourish and moreconservation ponies are being usedon nature reserves all over the UK.Groups of ponies that are used forsuch purposes, known as ‘grazinganimal projects’, have to be carefullychosen to ensure that they can copewith life in a very natural, almost wildenvironment, but still be safe forpeople to handle so they can get thecare they need from vets and farriers.As Exmoor ponies, Scarlet and herfriends were more than capable ofenjoying their natural life nibbling atthe grassland while being hardyenough to cope easily with beingoutside in all weathers.As the weather warmed up this yearthough, Scarlet developed a problemwhich affected her ability to cope withlife on Knettishall Heath. She showedsymptoms of a condition called ‘sweetitch’, which is an allergic reaction tobites from midges that causes intenseitching and can lead the sufferer toscratch themselves raw. The sore skincan then become infected and lead toeven more problems. Sweet itchcannot be cured, but a pony can bemanaged to protect them as much aspossible from the midges. Removingthem from areas which attracts midgesis the first step, so the vet looking afterthe ponies at Knettishall Heathsuggested that Scarlet really needed anew, less midge-friendly home.Redwings received a call from theteam who look after Knettishall Heath.They were struggling to find a newhome for Scarlet and wondered if wehad any ideas. Redwings wanted tohelp, but were also concerned aboutwhat plans were in place for any of theequines that may develop problems.Redwings always encourages peopleto plan very carefully for retirement orunseen veterinary needs that anequine may develop during its life.Scarlet arrived at Redwings in Julyand is getting all the treatment sheneeds to keep her sweet itch undercontrol. We are also working closelywith the team responsible for thegrazing ponies at Knettishall Heath tohelp with the care of the group andshow the staff some of the techniqueswe use to handle feral ponies. Thismeans that not only have we helpedone pony in need, but are trying toensure all the Exmoor ponies in thepark, now and in the future, canbenefit from the input of Redwingsexpertise!

If you would like to know more about the special skillsinvolved in transporting horses, ponies, donkeys and7mules, please contact us on 01508 481008 and askfor a copy of our ‘Horses on Wheels’ leafletTRANSPORTFocus On...TransportWhen we think of what it takes to look after horses, we tend to picturegrassy fields, fresh hay, cosy stables and visits from a caring vet. It is easyto forget the role that transportation has in supporting good equinewelfare. Although not every horse spends its weekends being driven toshows and competitions, any equine may need to move home or to betaken to hospital, and sadly, some equines also need to be rescued. Allthese vital activities require specialist transportation, and few people in theUK have more specialist hands-on experience of transporting equines thanour team here at Redwings!A Big AskClimbing inside a small, dark box and being shut in goes against all anequine’s natural instincts. Helping it to overcome its instincts for the first time isa project that needs to be undertaken with patience and understanding.Bullying a fearful horse onto a horsebox simply gives it more, rather than lessto be frightened about next time. At Redwings our team has learnt importantskills which help make every journey a positive experience, even if it is the veryfirst time the horse has been faced with a horsebox.On the Road AgainIf you are ever in a car that gets stuck behind a slow moving horsebox ortrailer, please try not to get cross! Remember that horses travel standing upand have to balance themselves every time the vehicle turns or brakes. Drivinga vehicle with horses on board needs particular expertise and unfortunately,many people driving a horsebox or trailer are not considerate enough of theirfour legged passengers. At Redwings, our drivers understand exactly howstressful travelling can be for any horse and know that by keeping the journeyslow and smooth, stress levels can be greatly reduced.Staying SafeAnyone who transports horses needs to be knowledgeable,experienced…and legal. As well as having the correct driving licence,insurance and breakdown cover, many drivers are now required by law tohold a special transportation certificate. Equally important, all horseboxes andtrailers have to be well serviced and maintained to make sure they areroadworthy at all times. They should also have first aid kits for both horse andhuman passengers on board, as well as food and water supplies, road mapsand at least one fully charged mobile phone!Looking after Redwings’ vehicles is a vitalpart of looking after our horses andsomething we never compromise on.Always allow plenty of time for a horse toload, rushing is certain to make the horsemore anxious and less likely to co-operate.By loading, driving and unloading with thehorse’s welfare always in mind, the stress oftravelling can be greatly reduced.

8REDWINGS APPEALFact - the most equitransportedRedwings“Keep uson theRoad”AppealRedwings’ horseboxes need to be ready and waiting for their next call out – we’ve namedthem our ‘ambulances’. We can draw on our fleet of two HGV horseboxes, three 7.5 tonnehorseboxes and four trailers to attend a major rescue at only a few hours notice!▲ our vehicles are kept clean, disinfected,roadworthy and ready to go. All ourhorseboxes are serviced four times a year.▲ we have a qualified team of staff who areable to make horses as comfortable aspossible on long distance journeys, even ifthey are sick or injured.▲ we are well equipped - we have a set ofpen sections waiting to be loaded up andtaken to the next location where it can beused to round up horses safely and kindly.▲ most importantly we have experience -our welfare rescue team has built up anunrivalled reputation with the RSPCA andPolice in being the organisation to turn towhen seeking partners for a major rescue.We don’t undertake any unnecessary journeysbut hardly a day goes by without us having tocall on our welfare staff to collect a welfarecase or bring a horse to our vet centre. We’refacing ever increasing costs to keep our fleeton the road:▲ the cost of keeping our horseboxes on theroad is going up all the time. Spares, repairsand routine maintenance bills are allincreasing.▲ the cost of running our vehicles is rising too.The spiralling cost of fuel is being felt byeveryone and we are being forced to paymore for essential equine transport.

nes Redwingsin one day was 72...“Redwings’ rescue and transportationteam is becoming more and more widelyrecognised and respected all over the UK.Everyone who has seen them in action isbowled over by their skill, compassion andprofessionalism. I am never more proud ofthe Charity than when I hear, yet again, ofa seemingly impossible welfare situationwhere our team has managed to step in andrescue horses in desperate need of help.”Lynn Cutress, Redwings’ CEO9REDWINGS APPEALA heartening tale oftransporting horsesSkyline has only been in our care for nine monthsand already she has had two experiences oftravelling with Redwings…Will you help to “keep us onthe road’ by making a donation to ourappeal today? Every donation you makewill go towards meeting our transportcosts for urgent welfare cases andrescues.Please help keep Redwings on the roadby sending your donation today. Simplycomplete the form on the back page andreturn to:Redwings Horse SanctuaryHapton, Norwich NR15 1SPOR call us with your credit/debit carddetails on 01508 481000OR visit our website and make yourdonation on-line. Please go towww.redwings.co.ukTHANK YOU FORHELPING USSkyline is Saved by Redwings’ Rescue TeamWe first met Skyline in October last year when she was runningwild with a large herd of horses on a 200 acre site in London.Skyline was very lame and the team decided that she was inurgent need of rescue. With five other ponies she was roundedup using our mobile pen sections and carefully loaded ontoone of our two HGV horseboxes for the 120 mile journey backto Hapton, Norfolk. Skyline arrived safe and sound eventhough she wasn’t able to use her left foreleg properly.Skyline’s Trip to NewmarketAt our vet centre, we discovered Skyline had severeosteoarthritis in her left foreleg and the joints just above thehoof were causing her pain. Painkillers gave her sometemporary relief but our head vet decided that the onlypermanent solution for her was to have an operation at aspecialist vet practice in Newmarket. After the operation webrought Skyline back to Hapton in one of our 7.5 tonnehorseboxes. Her leg was covered in plaster and we had totake great care to make sure that she was as comfortable aspossible on the journey home and that none of the work ofher operation was undone.Skyline Delivers her Own PackageIt’s early days but Skyline is using her bad leg more and more.All the care and attention we took whilst transporting her ispaying off too because while we were diagnosing and treatingher lameness we noticed that she was in foal! Little Mini wasborn early in July and both mother and foal are doing very well.Pictured above - a rewarding moment... Skyline and Mini stretchtheir legs and enjoy the sunshine for the first time.

10Log on to www.redwings.co.uk forAlternatively telephone ourVISITING REDWINGSVisit us all yearWith two of our visitor centres now open all year round and the third open right to the end ofOctober, there are still plenty of opportunities to come and find out more about our work foryourselves – our lovely residents can’t wait to meet you! And don’t forget entry is FREE!Ada ColeRescue Centrenear Harlow in Essex has morethan 50 residents to meet and onespecial feature of this centre isbeing able to watch our re-homingteam in action as they train horsesand ponies ready to go out intoGuardian homes. The centre isCaldecottVisitor Centrenear Great Yarmouth in Norfolkdoesn’t close for the Winter untilOctober 26th, so there is still plentyof time to come along and supportus! This Quality Assured VisitorAttraction is home to more than 80horses, ponies, donkeys and mulesand makes a great family day out.There is an excellent café, gift shopand education centre on site as wellas tractor rides, ‘walks and talks’and demos going on every day too.OxhillRescue Centrenear Banbury in Warwickshire isopen all year round (exceptChristmas Day, Boxing Day andNew Year’s Day). We are very proudof this Quality Assured VisitorAttraction where there are moreopen every day of the year (exceptChristmas Day, Boxing Day andNew Year’s Day) and we are nowserving light refreshments includingdelicious cakes and hot and colddrinks to keep you going.Here’s what some of our visitorshad to say:“Excellent place. Very friendly andwelcoming. Everyone obviously worksvery hard especially those behind thescenes! We'll be back”Steve and Caroline from Horshamin Sussex“A precious place. Keep it going!”Rob and Kim from AmericaBut don’t just take our word for it, here’sa sample from our Visitors’ Book!“Excellent. Great staff. Clean. Welllooked-after animals. An excellent visitworth the drive.”Karen from Scotland.“What a wonderful tranquil place forthese lovely horses. Keep up the goodwork.”Mr & Mrs Poyser from Leicester“I loved seeing Icky, can't wait to comeback. Thank you.”Phoebe from Lowestoftthan 60 horses, ponies anddonkeys to meet. The friendly teamregularly offers horse handlingdemonstrations and talks toenhance your visit and witheverything from huge Shires to tinyMini Shetlands in residence you areguaranteed to find a favourite!Here’s what some of our recent visitorshave had to say:“So glad that there are people in theworld like you, that care.”Caris from Perth in Western Australia“Lovely family day out, fantastic workyou do. Loved it!!!!”L. Robbins from Coventry“The primary school children reallyenjoyed it. A great day out. Well done!”Jodie from Stratford-upon-AvonHapton Festive Open Weekend - Hapton Head Office in Norfolk - 6th and 7th December

more information about our visitor centres,Visitor Helpline on 0870 040 003311SUPPORTING REDWINGSRed goes greenAt Redwings we have been makingevery effort to increase oursustainability. We have made changes to our AdoptionClub, have introduced a ‘Green Horseshoes’ initiative atour visitor centres, and have even set up an EnvironmentGroup that meets regularly to discuss ways the charitycan become even greener.There are a number of ways you can be greener andstill support Redwings too. Read on for details...Recycle and fundraise forRedwings at the same timeRedwings’ recycling partner Re:cycle Your Mobilehas merged with Redeem Plc. However, our successfulrecycling scheme continues as before:■ you can still recycle your old mobile and most printercartridges using a Redwings’ recycling envelope.■ if you haven't got a Redwings recycling envelope or ifyou have several items to send at once you can useyour own envelope and attach this address:Redwings Recycling AppealFreepost RRXH-HUCY-BCZSFALKIRKFK2 9BRit’s a FREEPOST address so you don't need a stampIf you need more envelopes or if you have 15 or morerecyclable items to donate and would like to arrange afree collection, please call 08451 302010 or emailinfo@recyclingappeal.com. Please quote RedwingsRecycling Appeal.Every used phone you send in creates a donation( )of around £2.50 to our welfare work – thank you!Redwings OnlineIf you haven’t logged on yet, the Redwings’ website atwww.redwings.co.uk has a whole host of features tohelp you stay up to date with all the latest from theSanctuary.As well as weekly news updates on the home page, youcan also explore the in-depth Welfare section, with arange of Redwings’ rescue stories, retirement andloaning advice, news from the wider equine industry andeven the complete set of Redwings Welfare Leaflets todownload for free.One of the latest features is an improved way to DonateNow, meaning you can now donate to us at the click of abutton via the secure WorldPay system. Look out for theDonate Now button on the home page.For our younger supporters, there is now a dedicatedsite just for youngsters, which can be found atwww.youngredwings.co.uk. It features a selection ofFab Fundraisers, a host of pictures and poems sent in byour young supporters, the chance to ‘Meet the Residents’and even a feature where you can “Ask Red” your horseyquestions.Our extensive online Gift Catalogue has a fantasticrange of clothing, cuddly toys, food products andhomewares, and if you are in the market for somethingrather bigger and more expensive to keep, take a look atour Guardianship Scheme pages to see the horses inour care that are currently looking for homes!The end for Snail Mail?We know lots of you love to get your regular newsletterthrough the post, and that’s just fine, as we love writingit! However, if you prefer to keep up-to-date withRedwings in a more eco-friendly way, you can chooseto sign up to our e-Mailing list. All we need is youremail address and you can choose to get all ourinformation via the World Wide Web from now on.Simply email info@redwings.co.uk to let us knowand we will make it happen!And finally….Take a look at pages 14 and 15 to find out all aboutsome exciting changes to our Adoption Club and howyou can support us in a very green way indeed...Ada Cole and Oxhill Festive Events to be announced - watch the web for details

12FUNDRAISINGTo request a Will pack orrecycle your mobile envelopesimply contact RedwingsOnce again, Redwings says a big thank you toeveryone whose events and fundraising ideashave helped fund our work providing for thewelfare, care and protection of horses, ponies,donkeys and mules across the UK. Here are afew ways our supporters have been helping usin recent months...Frequent FundraisersMr and Mrs McHenry from Essex have organisedseveral supermarket and shop collections aroundthe Clacton area for Redwings and raisedhundreds of pounds for us this year. Our gratefulthanks go to both of you once again.Singing FundraisersPupils at Hadleigh High School in Suffolk sung theirhearts out at their school production of ‘The Sound ofMusic’ and raised the fantastic sum of £114.63. Welldone to all the students and thank you to everyone whocontributed.Silent FundraisersNicola McDermott and Kate Ward, keenpony owners from Cleveland, managed asponsored silence for three hours at theirlocal stables and raised the magnificentsum of £96.50. What a great effort!Busy Fundraisers1st Iver Brownies in Buckinghamshirecollected £63.23 from saving smallchange in their horse ambulance boxes.Well done and thank youBrownies.Festival FundraisersSandra Durose and friends joined in the fancy dress parade at theirlocal Stone Festival in Staffordshire. They used a ‘red’ theme, takenfrom Redwings’ name and took part in memory of one of their riders’horses, Major, who very sadly passed away the night before thefestival. In the last few months they have sold pin-badges andorganised a sponsored ride to raise a total of £325.20 thisyear. Thank you to Sandra, all her friends and fellow riders.Anniversary FundraisersNigel and Janet Sycamore from Suffolk donated £250 toRedwings from their 25th wedding anniversary celebrations afterthey asked their guests to make donations in lieu of presents.Janet has been a horse lover for years and has ridden sincethe age of six; recently she has taken up the art of driving. Thepicture shows Janet and Nigel setting off to renew their vowsaccompanied by two of their beloved miniature Shetlands,Syd and Solly. A big thank you to Janet and Nigel.If you areplanning afundraisingevent or would likesome information aboutraising valuable funds forRedwings, please callLinda on 01508 481000.

call 01508 481010or visit www.redwings.co.ukWhere There’s a Will There’s a Way,We depend on your GenerosityRedwings depends entirely on the generosity of all its supporters to fund its vitalrescue and welfare work. Every year we receive a number of gifts from kindsupporters who decide to leave a legacy to Redwings to assist our work far intothe future.Lynn Cutress, Redwings’ Chief Executive, said “Legacies are an invaluable source offunding to us and sometimes a generous bequest or several bequests together willprovide enough funds to get an entire project off the ground.”13FUNDRAISINGWill Scarlett outside his field shelter“We are hoping that we may be able to use legacy money to get two schemes underway at our Ada Cole Rescue Centrein Essex. We’d like to start work on a new isolation unit at the centre to provide a block of stables we can use to treatinfectious illnesses in safety. We also need some new shelters out on the paddocks. The cost of these two buildingprojects amounts to tens of thousands of pounds and we can’t begin until we know we have enough money.”“We are hoping to use two very kind bequests to fund these schemes. We are indebted to supporterswho leave money to Redwings in their Wills; it is because of their generosity that we are able to seeentire projects like these through from beginning to end.”If you would like a copy of our informative ‘Where there’s a will there’s a way’ booklet or you’dsimply like to discuss your Will or any bequest with our Legacy Officer, please call Sheila Millaron 01508 481030.Dylan on the Road...Meet Dylan, the star of our Winter drawWe rescued Dylan from bleak commonland in South Wales andbrought him with a group of ponies to our veterinary centre in Norfolkwhere he was treated for a condition called‘locking stifles’ which had made it very difficultfor him to move around and find food.Redwings never makes an unnecessary journey butruns a fleet of horseboxes and trailers for urgentrescues and welfare cases - just like Dylan.Redwings relies entirely on your generosity tofind the funds for essential equine transport.Every time you buy a Redwings’ PrizeDraw ticket you are helping us tomeet the travel costs that come withour vital welfare and rescue work.Pictured top is Dylan when he moved toour Oxhill Rescue Centre and above,other Welsh ponies being loaded aspart of the same rescue.Above, Dylan on the current drawtickets enclosed in this mailing.Spring Draw 2008 resultsThank you to everyone who took part in thedraw and helped us to help horses in need.Winners of our Spring Draw on Friday 23rd May2008 were:Mrs Hardwick of Stalybridge won our first prize of £5,000Mrs Blackburn of St Albans won second prize of £1,000Mrs Whiteaker of Bedfordshire won third prize of £50030 more supporters won fourth prizes of £20 RedwingsGift VouchersNote: Please help keep our administration costs down by letting usknow if you do not require us to send you tickets in the future, or if weare writing to someone under 16 years of age, as minors cannotpurchase tickets.Our Winter Draw takes place onFriday 23 January 2009

14REDWINGS ADOPTION CLUBWELCOME TO THEREDWINGSAdoption ClubA BRAVE NEW WORLD!With our 25th anniversary fast approaching, plus increasing pressure tobecome more sustainable, we decided it was high time that we took afresh look at our Adoption Scheme….We were aware when we started that this would be a tricky task. Afterall, the Redwings’ adoption scheme is one of the longest-running in thecountry, and we are still constantly inundated with people telling us thatthey have adopted a horse or pony from Redwings at some point in theirlives…the most common name being lovely Caldecott resident Rusty pictured below!We are proud to say that the project was carried out by our own in-house team, which meant it cost usnothing (apart from a lot of hard work and creativity!), and the most important thing was to make sure thatthe new Adoption Club remains rewarding for our existing loyal adopters whilst also appealing to thosewho are new to the scheme.Hence, the new Adoption ‘Nosebag’ was designed to be moreenvironmentally friendly, making it more sustainable and lessexpensive to print, so that even more of every donation could gostraight towards the care of the horses and ponies that thescheme supports. Plus, with yet more content and a new A5photo (following comments from supporters that the previousversion would not fit in a standard frame!), the new pack is evenbetter value for money.Meanwhile the Online version replaces the need for paper altogether,instead giving access to a web page featuring blogs and updates fromthe horse or pony and even an interactive feature enabling adopters to feel they are really caring for theiradopted friend. This too has been inspired by comments from those supporters who prefer to supportus in a ‘paperless’ fashion and with its many unique and very exciting elements we believe it is thefirst of its kind!We have not increased the price of our Scheme for many years despite a great deal ofinflation, and after all these changes we did feel that a small price increase was necessary.It now costs £12.50 a year to take out either a Standard or an Online Adoption, which is notmuch more than £1 a month and still represents incredible value for money. If you are anexisting adopter you can even continue to adopt your friend for the same price asbefore.

15REDWINGS ADOPTION CLUBCLUBWe really hope you like the changes wehave made to the Adoption Club. If youlike it, we hope you might consider tellingyour friends. If you are not so sure, wehope that you will tell us! Email us atinfo@redwings.co.uk or telephone us on01508 481010 to share your thoughts.Exampleshows Choccy...so how does it workSo how does it work? It’s very simple really so don’t worry ifyou are already familiar with the old scheme we had as theprinciple is still the same.REDWINGS NOSEBAG ADOPTIONOnce you’ve chosen your favourite horse, pony, donkey or mule you willreceive a year’s adoption worth £12.50 which includes an A5 photograph,adoption certificate, adoption story and information about the centrewhere it lives, all in a special presentation ‘Nosebag’.Redwings staff celebrate thefirst ‘new’ adoption sold at ourCaldecott Visitor CentreDuring the following year, just before your chosen equine celebrates itsbirthday, you will receive a special birthday story and picture update, PLUSyou will also receive two newsletters a year and special mailings when they occur.WE ASK FOR A MINIMUM OF JUST £12.50 PER ADOPTION!REDWINGS ONLINE ADOPTIONEven more exciting is that you can now take out an ‘online adoption’,a paperless version which is environmentally friendly and more cost effectivefor Redwings. PLUS there are some exciting ‘extras’ when you usethe online facility... to find out more simply visitwww.redwings.co.uk/adoptionclub where our step-by-stepguide takes you through the ‘electronic adoption’ process.Finally, don’t forget you can also visit your adoption whenit has its ‘Fun Day’ to celebrate its birthday. Please see ourwebsite for details.www.redwings.co.uk

PLEASE COMPLETE AND SEND BACK THE WHOLE OF THIS PAGEAPPEAL, DONATIONS, DRAW TICKETS AND LEGACY BOOKLETI would like to donate £ to the Redwings ‘Keep us on the Road’ Appeal 2008I would like to make a general donation of £ towards the work of Redwings Horse SanctuaryI enclose Draw Tickets to the value of £I would like a copy of the Redwings ‘Guide to Making a Will’ booklet (please tick)ADOPTION CLUB ORDER FORMSTANDING ORDERI would like to adopt (please tick ONE horse, pony or donkey only per adoption)Ada Cole Boo Choccy Dolly Finnegan HarryKaty Louie Misfit RhadlonCaldecott Darcey Denise Icky Muffin OliverRusty Sampson Sydney Tufty VictorOxhill Dylan Felicity Wensley WillI enclose £ for my Nosebag Adoption(min £12.50) (add £2.00 if sending abroad), or, tick}preferenceI enclose £ for my Online Adoption(min £12.50)(If applicable) I am giving this adoption as a gift for(Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms) ForenameSurnameAddressPostcodePlease send the first adoption picture and report to me(tick preference). Recipient’s Date of Birth (if under 16)to the recipientDate you require adoption to arrive byas aBirthday Christmas other present (tick preference).Please include the message (max 5 words). FromFor more information about our Adoption Scheme, Adoption in a Box andour selection of Adoption Gifts visit our website at www.redwings.co.ukHELP US TO RECLAIM 28p FOR EVERY £1’s WORTH OF DONATIONS OR ADOPTIONSUK TAXPAYERS - MAXIMISE YOUR DONATIONPlease tick here and ensure we have your home addressdetails as shown. Thank you.I would like Redwings to treat all donations I have made since 6 April 2002 andall donations I make from the date of this declaration as Gift Aid Donations.I enclose cheque/PO for £payable to Redwings Horse Sanctuary,or, Debit £ to my account.Card No:PAYMENT DETAILS (to be completed in all cases)Security Code: (last 3 numbers on back of card) Issue No: (if applicable)Card Valid From:Signature:Telephone No:m m y y Card Expiry Date: m m y yDate:It saves us money if we don’t send you a receipt. If you do need one tick here☎A CAF Card or CAF Cheque may be used to make adonation but not to pay for gifts.CREDIT CARD ADOPTIONS/ORDERS BY PHONE(01508) 4810108AM - 5PMMONDAY TOFRIDAYAlternatively for gift orders complete the order form in the gift cataloguePlease return your completed form to:Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Hapton, Norwich NR15 1SPTel 01508 481000 8am - 5pm Monday to Fridaywww.redwings.co.ukPlease complete the details below if you choose to pay for youradoption or donation by standing order.Bank NameBank AddressPostcodePay Redwings Horse Sanctuary, A/C No.£ on the day of 2008 and then on the same day eachYear* / Quarter* / Month* until further notice. (*delete as applicable)Name (Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms)AddressMy/Our account No.Sort CodeSignatureRedwings Supporter No.1You must pay an amount of UK income tax and/or capital gains tax at least equalto the tax that Redwings reclaims on your donations in the tax year.2If in the future your circumstances change and you no longer pay tax on your incomeand/or capital gains equal to the tax the charity reclaims, please notify Redwings.3You can cancel this declaration at any time by notifying Redwings.Please quote your NEW personal Supporter Number on allcorrespondence and advise us as soon as possible if any of thedetails shown above are incorrect. Redwings is registered underthe Data Protection Act and will not share your details with thirdparty organisations.PostcodePostcodeDateNameHomeAddressSupporterNumber✂IMPORTANT Please cut along dashed line and return the whole page with your paymentThis material is recyclable and bio-degradable and meetsISO9706 requirements for permanence of paper.R446/AHP/7.08/185k