24 July 2026

An incredibly sad goodbye to our much-loved Lady.

A photo of Lady stood in her field at Redwings Aylsham

It is with great sadness that we share the news that our treasured Adoption Star Lady passed away on Wednesday 15th July. She was nine years old.

 

Earlier this year, Lady began receiving treatment at our Horse Hospital after developing lameness in her front hoof. Our vets worked closely with our experienced farriers to support her recovery, carrying out extensive investigations and creating a specialised treatment plan tailored to her needs.

From x-rays and remedial trimming to custom-made shoes and even a specially designed 3D-printed 'squish-pad' shoe to help relieve pressure on her hoof, every possible effort was made to help Lady. Throughout her treatment, she received ongoing medication and pain relief, while our teams monitored her closely and ensured she remained as comfortable as possible.

Lady's adopters may recall that she had previously spent time at our Horse Hospital for lameness in her hind legs, which was managed with careful monitoring from our care and veterinary teams, as well as medication to keep her comfortable. Whilst the issue in her front hoof was unrelated to this lameness, it was all part of the crucial overall picture of keeping her happy and healthy – especially important due to Lady's size.  

Sadly, despite the very best of care, Lady did not make the recovery we had hoped for. Although her pain relief was carefully adjusted and increased when needed, it became clear that her condition was deteriorating and that treatment could no longer ease her pain, and so our vets made the heartbreaking but compassionate decision to put her to sleep to ensure she did not suffer.

Lady shared a special bond with Holly Blue and Papillon, and while they will undoubtedly miss their friend, they remain very closely bonded to one another. Their carers know them exceptionally well and will be monitoring them both very closely. 

Shire Horse Lady with her friends Holly Blue and Papillion
Photos of Lady across her time at Redwings.
 
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Lady's journey with us began in 2017 when she was found among a herd of 19 Shire horses who had been left to fly-graze on land in Kidderminster. When no owner came forward to claim them, the landowner used legal powers to secure a safe future for the horses and contacted Redwings for help. Following a 15-hour rescue operation involving several charities, six of the horses, including Lady, arrived at the Sanctuary.  Since then, many of the group rescued have had health problems, or lameness issues, but due to their rescued backgrounds we may never know why.

Losing Lady has been incredibly hard for all of us, and we know many of you who supported and adored her will feel this loss too.

If you adopted Lady, you should have heard from us already, and we will be in touch again soon with more information about your adoption.  

Thank you so much to everyone who adopted, loved and supported Lady throughout her life. We will always cherish the memory of this truly special mare and the enormous place she held in our hearts.

Thank you. #RedwingsAngels 

If you would like to make a donation in Lady’s memory, you can do so here. 

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Redwings Press Office

For all enquiries please contact lplumtree@redwings.co.uk

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