News stories
Redwings team in action across Wales
Redwings has made the journey from Norfolk to Wales six times in two months!
Within a two-month period this winter, the Redwings welfare team made an incredible six separate journeys to areas of Wales, to assist with individual rescue cases and collections and in total bring 42 horses and ponies back into the care of the Sanctuary, including Bruiser. And as you can see from the photograph, Bruiser – a 16.3hh 15-year-old part Shire - has settled into Norfolk life extremely well.
This number of arrivals didn’t stop there, as one of the heavily pregnant mares gave birth to a foal just a few days after her rescue, and we are delighted to say that both mother and foal are making fantastic progress.
The collections took place in Wrexham, Monmouthshire, Denbighshire and Powys between November 2008 and January this year and not only involved negotiating tiny hill roads, wintry driving conditions and working in sub-zero temperatures, but in three of the cases our specialist rescue skills were required to load and transport groups of young or very nervous equines.
In one instance, the team were on their way back with ten ponies from North Wales when news of an emerging case in South Wales came through. In less than 48 hours the team had disinfected the horseboxes, refuelled and were back on the road.
Two of the cases involved the Sanctuary offering permanent homes to horses and ponies that had previously been boarding in local yards pending animal welfare prosecutions. Redwings were approached to help in these cases particularly with the animals that were more challenging in their behaviour or those that will need long-term care. Meanwhile on the other occasions the charity’s welfare team was responding to emergency situations where swift action was needed to assist with rescue operations.
Redwings Head of Welfare Nicolas De Brauwere said: “It’s unusual to have a string of rescues and collections from one part of the UK in such a short time. To manage, we really did stretch our staff and resources to the limit during this period but understandably we had to make sure every single equine needing our help in these cases was brought safely into the Sanctuary.
“In all these cases we were responding to requests for aid from local authorities and it is wonderful to see these organisations taking such firm action in cases of neglect or cruelty. I’m delighted to say that all the horses and ponies are making very good progress since their arrival and they don’t seem to mind the change in scenery from the Welsh hills to flat Norfolk!”
You can read more about our recent rescues from Wales on our Welfare pages or donate to our Horse Ambulance Appeal.
