Autumn Newsletter 2009 - Redwings

4 Welfare Rescues‘The first time I quietly slippeda small bowl of feed intoKensington’s stable, he simplystood at the back and shook’Marie AngellEquine Assessment OfficerKENSINGTON...BEYONDWORDSShockingly emaciated Kensington was one of a groupof eight horses that have had their lives turned aroundthanks to Redwings’ unique resources and expertise.The group was rescued in partnership with the RSPCA,following assessment by Redwings’ experienced welfarevets, and brought into our quarantine centre from a sitenear London in the careful hands of our horsebox team.We always like to use a theme when naming groups ofnew horses so we decided to use London as the themefor these special arrivals.The three young stallions, an elderly pregnant mare, threefillies and one colt were all desperately thin. StallionKensington was the most underweight, being so skeletalthat even our most experienced staff were aghast whenthey saw him - it seemed beyond belief that he was stillalive. He weighed just 246kg when he arrived (which is theusual weight of a small native pony). The treatment ofseverely emaciated horses like Kensington is a delicatejob, but the Redwings’ team knows just how to supportand nurture a fragile body without doing too much, tooAlmostunrecognisable,Kensington puton about 150kgin four monthswith theknowledgeablesupport ofRedwings’veterinary teamquickly, which could easily have fatal consequences.As well as being severely underweight, there were a rangeof other conditions that our vets and staff needed to treatin the group, ranging from worms and lice to dermatitisand overgrown and deformed hooves. Seven of the eightrescued horses, including Kensington, were alsounhandled and extremely nervous which meant that ourteam had to allow lots of time and use some of our verybest handling staff to ensure that the horses could betreated effectively with as little stress to them as possible.Redwings is exceptional in its provision of the facilities,knowledge and level of care required by complex andserious welfare cases such as this.

Welfare Rescues5Far left: Kensington was almost literally awalking skeleton when he arrived atRedwings in March this yearLeft: Veteran mare Mayfair gave birth tobeautiful filly foal, Victoria, a few weeksafter her rescue. Mum and daughter haveblossomed in our careBelow: All eight rescued horses wereinfested with lice. Piccadilly had rubbedherself raw in places because of the nastyparasitesBottom: Piccadilly and her friends havetransformed into stunning young horses,full of life and fun!A further important consideration for Redwings was thepregnant mare, Mayfair. Judged to be in her twenties,Mayfair was also significantly underweight, but her hugebelly showed that another new arrival could be with usvery soon. Thankfully, at the end of May, Mayfair gavebirth to a beautiful, healthy young filly we called Victoria.Victoria is like any other lively, curious young foal and adelight to be around.‘The remarkable recovery of thisgroup of horses is real testamentto the skill and dedication of theteams here at Redwings’Lynn CutressChief ExecutiveKensington, Trafalgar, Buckingham, Mayfair,Piccadilly, Putney, Pimlico and Finchley are justsome of the many horses who are enjoying life againthis year thanks to Redwings’ special skills andresources: the vets who provided their clinicaltreatment; the horsebox drivers who brought theminto the safety of the sanctuary; the team thatprovided their daily care; the night staff who providedextra feeds and checks out of hours; the handlingteam that is helping these very special horses to puttheir pasts behind them and learn to trust humansonce more. And most importantly, the supporters whomake all this possible by donating what they can toRedwings so that we never have to turn away horsesin need or provide anything less than the best forsuch sad cases like Kensington and his friends.‘In 18 years of activewelfare work for Redwings, Kensingtonis certainly one of the thinnest horsesI have ever dealt with.’Nic de BrauwereHead of Welfare

6 WelfareEsther’s Rescue -Amersham CaseContinuesthe six foals (including donkey Timothy) that have beenborn since, and two horses with handling needs that sooncame to join us from The Horse Trust.We have now added to that number even further, as thisJuly we welcomed 17 more horses and ponies from theoriginal rescue who had been boarding at a yard for theRSPCA. We are also expecting a third intake of 12 morehorses as this Newsletter reaches you, which meansRedwings will be caring for over half the 97 Amershamhorses removed from Spindle Farm in January 2008.Again it is Redwings’ unique veterinary and handlingteams and facilities that allow us to help new arrivals likeWelsh ponies Morris and Norris, and horses Zippy,George and Bungle who all have exceptionallychallenging physical and behavioural needs.Timothy and Esther (above and left)Following the now notorious‘Esther’s Rescue’ involving theremoval of 97 horses, poniesand donkeys from SpindleFarm in Buckinghamshire after30 dead equines were foundat the site, on 9th May thisyear, horse trader Jamie Gray was found guilty on11 charges of causing unnecessary suffering and failing tomeet the welfare needs of his horses. He was sentencedto 24 weeks in prison and was given a lifetime ban onkeeping, trading in and transporting equines. He was alsoordered to pay £400,000 in costs.His son was also found guilty on 11 counts - ordered tocomplete an 18-month supervision order and banned fromkeeping horses for ten years. Gray’s wife and twodaughters were each found guilty on two charges; theyreceived community service orders and were banned fromkeeping equines for ten years.However, the story does not end there as all five lodgedan appeal against their convictions and sentences. Thesentences have therefore been suspended until theappeal hearing which now has a provisional date of 4thJanuary 2010.All 21 of the horses, ponies and donkeys that Redwingstook in from the rescue are still safe in our care, along withAll we can do now is wait for the outcome of the appealhearing, and we are just grateful in the meantime that weare still able to care for all these rescued horses andponies and we are very proud of the transformation inthem during their time with us. We would also like tothank you all for your amazing support and patienceduring the case – we couldn’t have done it without you!Prestigious Postfor Redwings’Head of WelfareRedwings’ vet of 18 years andHead of our dedicated Welfare Team, Nicolas deBrauwere, has been elected as chairman of theNational Equine Welfare Council (NEWC). Redwingshas been a member of the Council since 2000, andwas voted onto the management board in 2002. Nichas represented Redwings on the NEWC managementboard since 2004 and he has worked incredibly hardto juggle the extra commitments this positioninvolves along with the already mammoth workloadthat Redwings’ Head of Welfare has to deal with!Redwings is extremely proud that Nic’s tremendouscontribution to equine welfare in the UK has beendeservedly recognised in this way. His chairmanshipinevitably brings even more work across his deskhowever, and it will be very much a team effort atRedwings to support him now that he is wearingtwo such significant welfare hats at the same time!

Horse Care7Focus On...Stallions!Stallions are the stuff of legend; symbols of strength, bravery and highspirits in myths all over the world. The reality of stallion behaviour andmanagement is more down to earth than you might imagine, but doesrequire specific knowledge, skills and facilities to ensure that bothhorses and humans stay safe. Thankfully, Redwings has just those skillsand resources and we are regularly called on to provide rescue andrehabilitation for these very special horses.A stallion will happily live with his mares andoffspring in a feral herd like this one in Cornwall.Members of the herd will often demonstrate tothe stallion that he is accepted as the boss!The Stallion Job DescriptionIn the wild, stallions have a particular list of jobs. They work hard to protecttheir herd from predators; breed with their mares; fend off the attention ofother stallions and maintain their position as head of their herd. In naturalcircumstances, stallions are not aggressive, only defensive if the need arises.But if a stallion or his mares are threatened, he is likely to use all his strengthand determination to protect himself and his herd.Stallions at RedwingsRedwings does not keep stallions as stallions. Our vets usually castratestallions soon after their arrival so that they can live happily with other horseswithout trying to mate or compete with other males! Being a stallion is a highpressure job and they can be anxious, sensitive animals; but within a fewweeks a newly gelded horse should start to relax and take life more easily.Older stallions can be more challenging because, although they are nolonger fertile, they may still think and behave like a stallion. At Redwings wetherefore provide older stallions with a few close companions on a quietpaddock once they have been castrated. Caring for stallions requires specialskills - some Redwings’ staff are very experienced at handling stallions andknow just how to behave around them. In fact, some Redwings’ staff tell us itis often easier to work with a stallion than a moody mare!These handsome chaps, Leicester and Romeo,were rescued as older stallions. Although theyare now castrated, they are kept in their happybachelor group with no mares allowed!Waiting for a New Lease of LifeMany of Redwings’ rescued horses board with us on behalf of anotherorganisation, such as the RSPCA, while legal action is being taken. If astallion is boarding with us, we can usually only castrate him once the caseis resolved and he is signed over into our ownership which may take manymonths. During this time stallions may need to be kept in their own paddock;though we always ensure they have friends nearby (males, not mares!).These paddocks have to be carefully set up and secured as stallions arerenowned escape artists and lots of excitement nearby or the scent of marescan make them determined to get where the action is! Our main purpose incastrating stallions as soon as possible is to allow them to safely join a herdand relax in the social environment that all our Redwings residents thrive on.Yogi and Marley were rescued from SpindleFarm in January 2008. They are very close andlive happily together while the court caseprogresses, as long as there are no mares forthem to compete for!

8 SILVER JUBILEE - 25 YEARS OIn celebration of our Silver Jubilee this year, we asked you to send in yourmemories of Redwings over the years, and we were overwhelmed by theresponse, thank you! Here are just a few of our favourites...I adopted Ben for my grandson Toby when he wasabout three years old. He was about five in the photo- he is now 17 and we hope we can manage anothervisit soon.smRachael, my granddaughter, firstchose Polly as her adopted horseand the photo is of our visit in2002 when she was six years old.We have lots of memorabilia ofall the ponies we have adoptedand wish them long and happylives at Redwings. You do suchwonderful work.Mrs M.F. JonesI adopted Tufty in 1991 and we have got old together.I’m sending you some of my first letters and books that Ihave from you. I’m also sending some money so you cantreat the boys.Mrs SeymourOf all the horses you have had overthe years I have been a member ofRedwings, my favourite of them allwas my friend Willow. He was aspecial horse to me and a lot more people too. I loved himso much and I will never forget him. He was a star.Mr D. CottonLast Summer when our granddaughterRhianne went to visit Rusty, she calledhim and he walked over and shemanaged to get a cuddle too, we weresurprised as he normally walks away!As always we had a lovely day and Imanaged to cuddle Denise also, myadoption donkey.Love Linda from NorfolkPicture of Albert with Dribblesfrom Brian Maidman andBeryl WhitehouseI remember walking from Norwich to Redwings when youwere north of Norwich on a fine Sunday in 1997, seeinghandsome Albert (my daughter’s adoption horse), a field ofdonkeys with their hooves so beautifully trimmed, lookingfor all the world like ballerinas on their points, and alovely lunch at the nearby pub which was so welcome.In June 2003, we were at Caldecott Hall on a showery daywatching Sydney having a “stand-off” with a neighbour inthe next paddock, Denise the donkey longing to be friendswith everyone and the group of Shires standing so serenelyby their field gate, full of dignity and repose.We visited Stonham on a day of blazing sun. It wasthe week following half-term and even Finnegan simplywanted to mind his own business. All except a tinyShetland, who was touching in her determination tohold our attention, obviously enjoying the stroking andthe patting.And at Oxhill under our brollies we walked between thepaddocks trying to locate Dylan who wanted to stay awayfrom the rain. But we didn’t mind at all. What would hisfate had been if Redwings had not stepped in to offer him asafe haven?Indeed each centre we visited always gave an overallimpression of great care for the occupants and broughthome to us just how much wonderful but unremitting workRedwings undertakes to promote the welfare of all equines,particularly the neglected and unwanted.An opportunity to visit the Ada Cole Rescue Centre andHapton on an Open Weekend are now my goals for thefuture which I’m sure we’ll undertake before too long!Bless you all who toil so hard day in and day out. I’m sureyour names are written in gold somewhere.M. Wiltshire

F MEMORIES AT REDWINGS9Mrs Petts from Herts and her family onher late husband’s bench atCaldecott. This Willow andTufty adoptor wrote in tohare her many happyemories.Thought you would like this picture of adonkey we took at Ada Cole last year.Happy Birthday for this year, lookingforward to visiting soon andcongratulations on 25 years of dedicatedhard work.The Berry FamilyAnne Galloway, Supporter Services Manager(and keen photographer!)I have two fond memoriesof my visits; the first wassome years ago when Iadopted Sam. It was mysecond visit, and he was near the fence in his field. I calledto him over the fence and he came to me and startednuzzling me and using me as a scratching post.The other encounter that stays in my mind is that ofDarcey (then with Captain, pictured). It is so surprisingwith everything she has been through, that she is sofriendly and affectionate with people. I continue to adopther and cannot wait to see her this year.Miss Sasha WaltersAnd some memories from our longeststanding members of staffRosemary Moores, Internal Welfare OfficerDonkey Caroline arrived because her mother had rejectedher and the vet team did sterling work feeding her everyfour hours. When she was older everywhere Nic the Vetwas, Caroline was never too far behind. For a long timeafter she was introduced tothe other donkeys she stillmade the most unusual noisewhen she saw Nic or he calledher, I think she still does itwhen he visits Oxhill!!Consul was the first policehorse from the Met Police to come. He spent quite a lot oftime in the vet unit following an op to remove akeratoma from his foot. During the long time he spent inthe vet unit he liked nothing better than to share a cupof tea with the nurses!Here’s adoption Rocky, checkingout a box which was housing akestrel. Vet Nicolas had found ithalf drowned in a water troughand when it was recovered weset it free in Rocky’s field.Dollar and Cloud were twohorses that could not beseparated. Dollar is the one inthe picture wearing the rug, hewas partially sighted. Cloud wascompletely bind and Dollar washis eyes, so wherever Dollarwent, Cloud would follow. Pictaken 1993.Lynn Cutress, Chief ExecutiveIf I had to pick one memory, it was a particularlydifficult rescue lasting several days on the Welsh commons.It involved many wild and scared animals on expanses ofland, in a rather unfriendly climate!At one point we came across a very skinny yet clearlyheavily pregnant grey mare, whowas in desperate need of help,but who was so very nervous.My job was to stay with her atall costs, and keep radio contactwith the rest of the teamcoming to rescue her, so if sheroamed, I followed! The resultwas the successful rescue ofOnia, and the delightfuladdition a few days later ofher beautiful foal Pumpkin(right), now grown up.Those two will alwayshave a special placein my heart.

10 Silver Jubilee EventsRedwings’events sofar...We have had a wonderful year already, packedfull of Silver Jubilee activities and celebrations,but it doesn’t end there! If you haven’t managed tomake it along to see us yet, there are still plenty ofopportunities to do so!In April we celebrated the birthday of retired adoptiondonkey Tufty at our Hapton HQ, and many Tufty fanscame along to help us make a fuss of him in fine style.The day included photo opportunities with the donkeyhimself, lots of delicious cake (both the human and thedonkey-friendly kind!) and all kinds of donkey-relatedfun and games. Thanks to all the Tufty fanatics whocame along to see us at Tufty’s Tea Party!In May we held our first ever Redwings Show at theHumberstone Equestrian Centre in Norfolk. We had anamazing turnout and were delighted to see so many ofour Guardians and their ponies, all looking fantastic!There were fun showing classes (above) including ‘MyBest Friend’ and ‘Best Condition Equine’ as well asjumping classes including some very energetic pairsjumping and timed classes, and the pièce de résistance,a fantastic Grand Prix to round off the day - well done all!Our Summer Open Weekend at Hapton in July saw1000 visitors over the two days, which is a new record –thanks to everyone who came along and supported us!Highlights of the weekend included the always popularvet tour by Nicky Jarvis, a chance to dig for treasure inour Treasure Hunt Stable and a ‘Nights’ experiencestable complete with cobwebs, poorly pony and even acertain rodent friend to spot!In August there was an extra special treat – as weinvited you to join us for an exclusive look around ourbeautiful North Norwich site, which is home to many ofour special care horses, our partially sighted group anda whole crowd of foals(right) from a Norfolk rescueearlier this year. The showwas well and truly stolenthough by our stunningheavy horse Charlie whospent the entire daywelcoming everyone, goodjob Charlie!Still to come is a very special event that we have beenkeeping a bit secret until now - our Silver Jubilee Auctionwhich even has a celebrity guest auctioneer – see page 13for all the exciting details! And finally, don’t forget our lastevent of this special year - the Christmas Open Weekendat Hapton on the 5th and 6th December – please do comealong and help us cap off the year in proper fashion!And Redwings on the road...A lovely cake baked in honourof the donkey himself!In honour of our Silver Jubilee this year our Events teamhas been out and about around the country even morethan usual! We have already been along to the NorthNorfolk Show, Norfolk Show, Suffolk Show, HolkhamCountry Fair and the Aylsham Show, as well as lots oflocal fetes and events. Our four Education poniesMoses, Samuel, Zac and Dhansak have been out andabout meeting people too, and are always a big hit!You can still come andsee us at the BEVACongress, Horse of theYear Show, Your HorseLive and Olympia. SeeRedwings at theRoyal Norfolk Showour website for details.

Visiting Redwings11There’sstill timeto visit...Not only do we have three Visitor Centres where youcan come meet some of our rescued residents,but we are delighted to announce that allthree are now Visitor Attraction QualityAssurance Service (VAQAS) approved afterour Ada Cole centre received its accreditationearlier this year, a fantastic achievement forour Visitor Centre teams! Best of all, entry to all ourcentres is completely free of charge!Ada Cole RescueCentre, EssexBadger touches our heartsTiny Badger (left) recently arrivedat Ada Cole and has alreadystolen our hearts. He is a verycute Miniature Shetland who hada terrible time when he was hitby a van on a motorway and wasthen abandoned at the local vets by his owners. Thevets approached us to offer Badger a permanent homeonce he had recovered from his injuries and we wereonly too happy to help.This centre is home to more than 60 rescued horses,ponies, donkeys and mules including adoption favouritesFinnegan the cob and Boo the Arab. As well as thepopular gift shop, we are now serving teas, coffees, lightsnacks and cakes to help fuel you on your visit, and don’tforget, the centre is open all year round!Caldecott VisitorCentre, NorfolkOliver’s Twist!Poor little Oliver Twist (left) gaveus a scare in May when he camedown with a very serious attackof colic and had to be rushed toHapton for emergency treatment.Although colic usually has a clear cause such as ablockage in the digestive system, our vets weremomentarily flummoxed, as there was no obvious causefor Oliver’s discomfort. They clearly did something rightthough as he made a full recovery and has returned toCaldecott full of beans. It reminded us yet again justhow lucky we are to have our own vet team as not onlywould it have cost us several thousand pounds at aprivate vets’ practice, but we were able to operatealmost straight away, which certainly played a major partin his fantastic recovery.Our Caldecott centre is open until 1st November. Thereis an information centre, café and gift shop on site andyou can meet brand new adoption Shire Prince (seepage 16) as well as more than 70 rescued residentsincluding lovely Oliver Twist who is now all fixed!Oxhill Rescue Centre, WarwickshireNew arrivals galore!Special Oxhill resident charactersSnuffles, the pony with the twistedface (right), and Oliver the cobwho featured in a recent appealhave now been joined by newarrivals Bubbles, a beautiful foalborn to mum Cracker (picturedabove) who recently arrived fromthe RSPCA and cute pony Little My, rescued with hercompanions Mymble and Miffle after their owner wasbanned from keeping horses (They are named aftercharacters in children’s books “The Moomins”!) .Cracker and BubblesThere are 60 rescued horses, ponies and donkeys at thesite, which has an information centre, café and gift shopand is open all year round. It is home to our belovedadoption residents Will, Wensley, Dylan and Felicity.

12 Fabulous FundraisersTHE RED HORSE RIDING TEAMSpecialRedwingsFundraisersThe team, consisting of Alice, Daniella, Ella, Emma, Paige, Rebeccaand Shannon - based at Wantage in Oxfordshire, have planned severalevents for 2009 so far raising the marvellous total of £144.33.Their first event, a ‘Sponsored Poo Pick’, was followed by a cake sale,where the girls made delicious cakes and horse cookies which they soldat Asti Equestrian. Not satisfied with that they are now planning asponsored walk! – WELL DONE GIRLS and A HUGETHANK YOU!SUPER SCHOOLSLarkman Primary School inNorwich raised the fabuloussum of £140.56 by sellingRedwings Rosette Pin-badgesand holding their own minigymkhana. They made their ownobstacle course and hobbyhorses using hockey stickscomplete with faces, manes andsocks for ears! WELL DONE toall the pupils and teacher MrsHolmes.Hempnall Primary School inNorfolk held their annual schoolfete in July which was attendedby Redwings’ staff along withEducation ponies, Dhansak andSamuel. Former Oak Class of2009 decided to hold afundraising ‘Shorts and ShadesDay’ with each pupil donating £1to enter. They all looked very‘cool’ and raised £30 for ourSanctuary. A BIG THANK YOU toOAK CLASS!Would you like to fundraise forRedwings? Please call LindaKerr on 01508 481018 or emaillkerr@redwings.co.ukPOO PICK : PART 1On Saturday 7th March The RedHorse Riding Team began theirsponsored poo pick. Ella,Rebecca, Emma and Shannon allmet for a nine-thirty start at apaddock in Oxfordshire, splittinginto pairs to take it in turns to poopick and put the manure into bagsready for the sale the next week.Ella and Shannon filled eight wheelbarrows and Rebecca and Emmamanaged six! It was then time tocreate advertisement posters…SAMMY THE SHETLANDSammy the Shetland, proudlysporting his Redwings SilverJubilee Rosette, occasionally takesa fundraising stroll through thestreets of Banbury, accompaniedby his owner Mrs Sharon Dowers.So far Sammy has raised £60 tohelp feed and care for all his fellowShetlands at Redwings, so look outfor Sammy if you live in theBanbury area! WELL DONESAMMY and SHARON!POO PICK : PART 2A week later they gathered againto sell the horse manure. Paigejoined the fab four and in no timeat all the team was down to onlysix bags, so they went to getanother load and when no morecustomers came they even startedto deliver to people within walkingdistance! Once they had finishedthey got to count all the money,which came to an astonishing£88.03!MODEL FUNDRAISERSThe ladies at the Middle EnglandModel Horse Live Show held afundraising raffle for Redwingsraising £91 for our Sanctuary.THANK YOU LADIES!Exciting News for Redwings' Fundraisers - why not visitjustgiving.com and everyclick.com for great ways to kick start your fundraising activities in 2009?

Special Jubilee Auction13Save your silver fora special night!We are delighted to announce that on SaturdayNovember 28th 2009, we will be holding a very specialRedwings Auction to celebrate our Silver Jubilee!The auction will be held at the historic and very beautifulMaids Head Hotel in the centre of Norwich, and will bejam-packed full of fantastic items and experiences, allaround the theme of ‘Things That Money Can’t Buy’…except, on this occasion, it can!Many people have dug deep todonate items for the auctionalready, and on offer will beexclusive tours and experiences,fantastic horsey items, beautifulartwork and photographs and someamazing doodles, done by some ofour celebrity friends especially for Redwings. We havegathered quite a collection of these over the last year sothanks to everyone who has already contributed…ourdoodling stars so far include Bill Bailey, Tony Robinson,Julian Clary and even Rolf Harris!Best of all, we are delighted to revealwe will even be having a celebrityauctioneer who has very kindlyagreed to come along and host theevening – none other than PaulMartin, presenter of fab BBC antiquesprogramme Flog It!Nooky and GizmoRedwings Horse SanctuarySilver Jubilee Auction‘Things That Money Can’t Buy’...Maids Head Hotel, NorwichSaturday 28 November 2009Nooky, a black miniature Shetland mare, was rescued in June this year.When we found her she was suffering with conjunctivitis andhypothermia - as well as being heavily pregnant! Initially it was thoughtNooky had been abandoned but an owner did come forward andadmitted he was struggling with her care. He agreed to sign her overto Redwings and on the 1st August 2009 she gave birth to a (very!)small daughter, named Gizmo!By purchasing this raffle ticket you will be helping Redwings toprovide Nooky and Gizmo, and all our other horsey residents,the care and attention that they deserve.Ever since Paul came along to the Sanctuary last year tofilm a piece for the programme, he has been a hugeRedwings fan and even adopts one of our residents, WillScarlett! Paul has very kindly agreed to come along andhost the auction evening for us in November, and we aredelighted to have him on board!Tickets will be allocated on a first come, first served basis andspaces are limited so if you areinterested in coming along, or if youhave something you would be willingto donate for us to sell, please get intouch with organiser Gemma Carnellon 01508 481015 or emailgcarnell@redwings.co.uk. All theproceeds raised from the auction willof course go directly to Redwings.And don’t worry if you can’t make it to Norwich, there areloads of other ways you can join in the fun. Keep an eye onour website for exclusive chances to purchase your ownRedwings Silver Jubilee goodies. Or why not join the celebsand ‘Do a Doodle for Redwings’? We’d love to see yourefforts, simply do a doodle of a horse, pony, donkey ormule – perhaps you could base it on a favourite pony fromchildhood or if not, why not try our Adoption Club stars forinspiration? Send your doodles to: Nicola Markwell,Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Hapton, Norwich, NR15 1SP,and don’t forget to include your name and address!

14 Unconditional Love AppealUnconditional LoveAppeal Support Redwings’pledge to give lifelong care forevery horse that we rescue!Trafalgar as he was when we foundhim - see his story on the next pageRedwings has a unique pledge to giveunconditional love to every rescuedhorse whatever its age, health ordisability. We provide a vital welfare safetynet by reaching out to the most vulnerablehorses, ponies, donkeys and mules,which often can’t find help anywhere else.Where most horse charities have activere-homing schemes, few also offersanctuary to older animals or those withongoing physical or behavioural issues.That’s where Redwings steps in – we areoften the last resort for manyparticularly vulnerable horses withspecial needs.Most of our residents are elderly or have problems thatprevent them from being suitable for a working life. Suchanimals are often unwanted and impossible to re-home,but at Redwings we are delighted to give them the carethat they need for the rest of their days.We have a team of full time vets, supported by a team ofveterinary nurses who give round the clock care to all ourhorses. Our Rehabilitation team treats horses that havebehavioural problems so that they are comfortable andhappy with human contact and handling, and our horsecare teams feed and check our residents 24 hours-a-day.We believe that every horse deserves a second chance,so Redwings will always provide a safe, caring home forlife to every horse, pony, donkey or mule that needs it.Of over 1,100 horses, ponies, donkeys and mulescurrently in our care:■ More than 50% are ‘veterans’ - 15 years or older■ 20% are ‘geriatric’ - over the age of 20■ Our oldest donkey, Humphrey, is 43 years of age■ Over 25 horses have vision defects, are blind orpartially sightedIf you would like to donate to our Unconditional Love Appeal please call 01508 481000today or return the form on the back of your letter. Alternatively visit www.redwings.co.uk

Unconditional Love Appeal15TRAFALGAR’S BATTLE (see before picture left)Trafalgar is a strikingly handsome black Trotter cross who has battled bravelythrough neglect and disability. Rescued from the outskirts of London with agroup of seven other horses including Kensington, Mayfair and Piccadilly, heis a relatively young horse at four years old, but because of restrictedmovement in Trafalgar’s hindquarters, his mobility is impaired, so it is likelythat he will have to spend the rest of his life with us here at Redwings. Becauseof his traumatic past, he needs treatment from our Rehabilitation team to curehis behavioural problems, but like all of our residents, Trafalgar is a verycherished horse and he will live with us for the rest of his life, receiving the bestcare that we can possibly give him.If you would like to help Trafalgar and other horses just like him, pleasedonate to our Unconditional Love Appeal today by calling 01508 481000or by post to Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Hapton, NR15 1SP. Alternativelyvisit www.redwings.co.ukYour unconditionallove of horses can‘live forever’Many of our supporters would like to give more to helpus in our work, but can find it difficult on a limitedincome. With rising living costs, job uncertainty andfalling savings interest rates, making a cash donationisn’t always easy. But a wonderful way to give us yoursupport is by remembering Redwings in your Will. Bydoing so you can leave a lasting legacy that will help usto help horses for generations to come. Whether yourgift is large or small, it can really make a big differenceto our future.Gifts in Wills also allow us to make more substantialinvestments to improve our facilities, so that we canprovide the best possible treatment to our cherishedresidents. A generous bequest helped us establish ourMrs Coco Markus Veterinary Centre, which is now thebase for our team of veterinary surgeons and nurses totreat poorly horses. Subsequent gifts from othersupporters have allowed us to equip an operatingtheatre and purchase essential X-ray equipment.If you would like help or advice on making or changingyour Will, please call our Legacy Officer, Sheila Millaron 01508 481030, email smillar@redwings.co.uk or tickthe box on the enclosed form to request a copy of our“Where there’s a Will there’s a way” booklet.Legacies make up the largest part of our income - infact; we simply couldn’t do what we do without them.When we welcome a young horse with a permanentdisability or illness, we make a commitment to provide itwith lifelong care and treatment. We get the privilegeand pleasure of enjoying the company of some veryspecial horses, but the financial cost is high. We want tobe in the position to guarantee lifetime care to everyhorse that needs us. Legacies allow Redwings to makethat reassuring guarantee.Another special way that you can help Redwings is tocommemorate a dear friend, relative or treasured pet byplacing a plaque in our Memorial Gardens. There is abeautiful Garden of Remembrance at our Hapton HQ andat each of our three visitor centres. They are places oftranquility, with benches overlooking flower beds, to sitfor quiet reflection with the memory of loved ones whohave passed away. If you would like more informationon placing a plaque in our Memorial Gardens, pleasecall Anne Galloway on 01508 481000.

16 Redwings Adoption ClubIt has been all change in our Adoption Clubover the past few months.A new heavy horse...Our cover star is brand new adoption Prince,an extremely handsome Clydesdale x Shire who has been living at ourCaldecott centre since last season. He became such a huge hit with ourvisitors that we knew he would make a perfect adoption horse. In fact,we had so many requests from people wanting to adopt him that westarted to think perhaps he was bribing them with carrots!REDWINGSAdoption ClubBut no, you just have to spend five minutes with this lovely horse andit’s easy to see why he is so popular. He absolutely adores people andhis most favourite thing in the world is to have his belly tickled! He willreward anyone kind enough to give him a tickle with the biggest,toothiest grin imaginable!Prince (right) andhis pal TomPrince has had a very interesting life, first as a log-pulling horse and then as a companion for another Shire called Tom ata nature reserve in Crawley, where the two used to pull a dray and meet the visitors on a daily basis. They have nowretired to Redwings for a well-earned rest, but Prince’s love of people means he will hopefully love being part of theadoption scheme – and we know you will love him too!You can adopt Prince for just £12.50 a year and don’t forget, as well as the option of receiving updates and photosthrough the post, you can also choose to receive them (and lots of extras) online instead if you prefer. Telephone ourSupporter Services team on 01508 481010 or log on to www.redwings.co.uk to adopt Prince today! All the money we raisethrough your adoption will go directly towards caring for Prince and his friends....and an old favourite!We are very sorry to announce that Victorthe Shire has now retired from the adoption scheme.If you are an existing adopter of him, don’t worry, thissimply means we will not be taking any new adoptionsfor him, but you can continue just as before.However, Victor is now 21 years old and his age,particularly for such a large horse, is beginning to takeits toll. His arthritis caused him real problems last Winterand so we made the decision that he was not wellenough to travel to Caldecott for the Summer season.Instead, he has been retired to Hapton where we cankeep a close eye on him and manage his treatment tomake him as comfortable as possible.Like Ben and Tufty before him,Victor has been making the mostof his new retired status and hasmade a new friend in the shapeof Boo the Clydesdale who istotally blind and now relieson Victor to be his ‘seeingeye horse’! These two lovelyheavy horses are quite happypottering around in their fieldtogether at Hapton like a pairof old gents and were realstars at the Hapton SummerOpen Weekend this year!To find out about the Adoption Club visit our newwebsite at www.redwingsadoptionclub.co.ukIf undelivered please return to: Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Hapton, Norwich NR15 1SPTel 01508 481000 8am - 5pm Monday to Friday Email info@redwings.co.uk Web www.redwings.co.ukRegistered Charity Number 1068911R502/AHP/8.09/140k