17 March 2026

Sanctuary care in action – special care for our senior residents  

When we rescue a horse or donkey, we pledge them a forever home – a lifelong commitment to provide them with whatever they need, for however long they need it. Over 700 of our residents at Redwings are aged 15 or over, classing them as veteran horses. With your support we can give them all the specialist care and attention they need as they get older.

Meet Martha

At just over 9hh, Martha is one of the smallest of the Redwings Caldecott donkey herd, but what she lacks in size, she certainly makes up for in personality!

Martha was one of over 100 horses and donkeys rescued from the horrors of Spindle Farm in Amersham in 2008. She was underweight, with muscle wastage and overgrown hooves, and she was not alone. Martha was nursing her young foal, Esther, who grew up to become one of our beloved Adoption Stars.

Martha, now 27-years-old, is one of our oldest donkeys, and her carers make sure she has everything an older lady could ever wish for!  

“We give Martha three small high-fibre feeds, in the morning, at midday and in the afternoon. They are her favourite part of the day, and when she spots the team coming, she will excitedly wait next to the paddock corrals – she knows the drill! Usually we give our seniors a mash food, but Martha didn’t seem keen to eat it, so she gets soaked high-fibre feed instead. All our residents are individuals, and our oldies often let us know when something isn’t to their liking – and we are always happy to oblige!” 

Laura

Caldecott Equine Centre Manager

Martha also has a condition which affects her eyes and wears a special visor to protect them, especially from the sun which could damage her pink skin. She can see perfectly through the visor – like wearing a pair of donkey sunglasses!

She also loves having cuddles with carer Sian!

Martha and baby Esther when rescued

Donate to the appeal

£10

could help buy a visor for an elderly donkey like Martha

£5 a month

could help purchase the medication to treat Dennie's glaucoma

£30

could help buy specialist dental putty to prevent painful diastema

Dashing Dennie

Dennie came to Redwings in 2013, as part of an RSPCA prosecution case. He was blind in his right eye, which was very abnormal in appearance. We don’t know what caused this, but as a result Dennie has secondary glaucoma this eye. This can cause a build-up of pressure in his eye and, if not managed well, intense pain. Dennie’s glaucoma is managed by twice daily eye drops, and he copes extremely well.

“Dennie is an absolute gentleman and a firm favourite of the Ada Cole team. When working with Dennie, we make sure to always chat to him, as he has very limited vision in his right eye. But he is extremely trusting of us, as long as we let him know we’re there.” Alysha, Ada Cole Team Leader

Dennie also requires medication for a condition called PPID, which is more common in older horses due to the degeneration of the pituitary gland (in the brain), leading to the dysregulation of hormone production. It’s important that it is managed in our older residents as it can lead to an increased risk of infection, or painful conditions such as laminitis.

Medication is required daily for long-term management of the condition. Usually, tablets are given in the middle a ball of soaked feed. Not for dear Dennie though… he won’t eat it if it’s delivered in ball form, so instead the team hollow out a piece of carrot and pop it inside instead. All part of the service for our seniors!  

Dennie

Caring for Sienna

Beautiful Sienna is 28 years old, so when she was rescued in 2018, she was actually already a veteran. Sienna was one of 20 underweight horses found living in unsuitable conditions. Working with other organisations to find homes for the horses, Redwings pledged our precious sanctuary spaces to those in most need, whether that be due to their age or their health.

Thanks to you, we have been ale to offer her a home where her every need is met. She receives two feeds a day to help her maintain her weight, as well as medication for osteoarthritis that ensures her joints are comfortable.

Sienna is also one of our many senior horses who receive extra care for their teeth.

“As a horse ages their teeth are constantly emerging from their gums. The further they emerge, the narrower the teeth are, which can lead to the horses getting hay and food trapped in the gaps that form between their teeth. Known as diastema, they can be incredibly sore, even causing large ulcers, or the gums to bleed.

Maintaining a healthy mouth for our residents is crucial, so they can eat without pain, so we schedule regular dental exams, where we clean and pack the gaps with specialist putty if needed.” Veterinary Surgeon Dawn

Older residents like Sienna and Martha have thorough dental examinations every 3-4 months, which is a huge commitment of veterinary resources. These dental checks require a vet plus one of our veterinary nurses or assistants. They use sedation medication, to keep the horses relaxed during the examination, as well as specialist dental equipment. Our vets perform a minimum of 40-50 dental exams a month on our residents with diastema.  

Your gift can help transform lives.

We hope that Martha, Dennie, Sienna, and the rest of our special senior residents will continue to thrive in the care of our teams long into the future.

Where once their life was uncertain and full of fear, by donating, or making a regular gift, you help us transform their future into one of comfort and companionship, for the rest of their lives.

Text LIFETIME 10 to 70085 to donate £10*

*You can give any amount - whole £s only - up to £20. Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message, and you’ll be opting in to hearing more from us. If you would like to donate but don’t wish to hear from us, please text LIFETIMENOINFO instead.

Thank you.