Here at Redwings, keeping our horses happy and healthy is at the top of our priorities, and with around 1500 equines in our care across all our farms, we really have our work cut out!

If you read last month’s blog, you’ll know that as horse owners and carers we should be aiming to make life good for our animals – not just providing what they need to stay alive. We should aim to make their lives fulfilling and worth living, and one of the best ways to do that is to provide companionship for our horses.

When Redwings first met Budgie, he looked like any other bright, healthy young cob, but we knew that he was, in fact, suffering from the effects of a nasty infection and needed complex treatment to help clear him of disease.

In our Welfare Corner, Beth Cooper explains what The Five Domains of Animal Welfare are and why they're important...

As avid campaigners for better animal welfare, many of you reading this may already be aware of a prominent idea: The Five Freedoms and Five Welfare Needs.

We're urging horse owners and keepers to take part in this year’s Strangles Awareness Week (SAW) – which aims to educate people about the dangers of the highly contagious equine disease strangles, and help to prevent an outbreak.

Leading equine welfare charities, vets, researchers and higher education institutions from around the world have come together to organise the week, which is now in its third year and taking place between 2^nd – 8^th May.

Majesty was involved in a road traffic accident at Tilbury Docks in Essex. She's now arrived at Redwings in Norfolk and is getting all the tender loving care she needs.

As Phoenix’s funky bandage designs continue to brighten life here at Redwings, we’re pleased to say that Phoenix continues to look brighter too. Although he still has a long way to go and he has a cough which we continue to keep an eye on, his most recent blood test results show some improvement, and Phoenix is also able to drink his milk better. When he first arrived, we believe that he may have had some damage caused by smoke inhalation that made drinking a bit more of a challenge, but now he is definitely guzzling it up!

Here at Redwings, we continue to be bowled over by your support for our very special chap.

This week our vet team sent their thanks: 

"All of us at the Redwings Horse Hospital wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who has donated so far towards the care of Phoenix the foal, either by buying items from his Amazon wishlist or donating money. Thank you so much, reading all the lovely cards and social media comments has really been keeping us going.”

Download your free copy of Redwings' Field Notes for horse owners.

At Redwings we are fortunate enough to have a dedicated nursing team who work tirelessly alongside our vets to ensure our rescued residents receive the best possible medical care when they need it most.

The title ‘veterinary nurse’ was first used in 1984, which coincidentally, is the same year that Redwings was founded! However, it wasn’t until the year 2000 that the first Equine Veterinary Nurse qualification (EVN) was awarded.

One of the reasons we have high numbers of overweight horses in the UK is the difficulty owners can have recognising that their horse is too fat.

In one online survey only 11% of more than 500 horse owner participants correctly identified overweight horses.

Being overweight carries multiple health risks for any equine, yet a study in 2018 found that almost half of all UK horses were overweight, and up to 70% of ponies would be classed as obese.