Ponies go from rescue cases to Equifest champions thanks to World Horse Welfare
Rescue ponies Buttercup and Clyde have been transformed into showing champions in just over a year.
Posted on 02/09/2019
Share
Ponies Buttercup and Fydlyn Kenen (Clyde) have been so successfully transformed since coming into the care of World Horse Welfare that they were awarded Champion and Reserve Champion Rescue Pony at Equifest this year – an incredible achievement given the ponies’ condition a year ago.
Equifest is the biggest rescue competition of the year and for the ponies to reach the final is in itself a huge achievement. A field of twelve deserving ponies qualified for the evening championship so to win was a triumph for all concerned.
Piebald mare Buttercup came into the charity’s care in June 2018 and is amongst the worst cases that staff at Penny Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre had ever seen. She was severely emaciated and dehydrated, yet somehow still gave birth to a tiny filly foal.
“It’s incredible that Buttercup and her foal both survived, given the terrible condition that Buttercup was in. She needed urgent treatment and was far too weak to care for her foal herself, so the team had to hand-rear the foal, Frieda.
“It took months of dedicated care from the team to get Buttercup strong enough to even be turned out in the field, but she’s gone from strength to strength since then. She’s really blossomed this summer and loves attention, so we thought she should have a trip to Equifest to take part in the rescue classes. Seeing her win Rescue Pony Champion is incredible – a real testament to the team’s dedication and care over the last year.”
Karen Wright, Penny Farm Yard Supervisor
Black gelding Clyde came into the charity’s care in May 2018 after being found in a field, severely emaciated and with overgrown chipped feet. He was covered in lice and had chunks of hair missing from his coat where he had tried to rub to ease the irritation. Clyde was very lethargic when he arrived, with sunken eyes and no real will to survive. The team at Penny Farm worked hard to make him more comfortable, treating his skin condition and using a duvet under his stable rug so that his protruding bones didn’t rub and create sores.
“Clyde was in such a poor condition on arrival that it took weeks of dedicated care and attention before he started to become interested in his surroundings and really respond to treatment. He’s comes on in leaps and bounds since then and although he can still be a bit wary of new people his confidence is growing fast. He’s turned into a very handsome pony and we were really proud to show him off at Equifest.
“For Buttercup and Clyde to be transformed into showing champions in just over a year is a great tribute to the team’s hard work, given how poorly they were on arrival. We’re very proud of both ponies and Buttercup is doing really well with learning to drive, so we hope that she will be ready to rehome very soon.”
Karen Wright, Penny Farm Yard Supervisor
You can see our horses and ponies who are currently looking for new homes here.
Share
Topics
Related News
Spindles Farm, Amersham: the UK’s worst-ever case of horse welfare abuse
In a joint operation led by the RSPCA, 111 equines were removed from Spindles Farm in January 2008.
Charities combine strength for the benefit of horse welfare
Staff at Hall Farm and Penny Farm welcomed groups of new RSPCA recruits for training.
Recommended Blog Posts
Meet some of our often-unsung heroes on Groom Appreciation Day – Abi at Belwade Farm
“All of us love the horses we care for and when things go wrong, we really feel it, as this isn't just a job for us. If we didn't love them all, we wouldn't be working here to try and make a difference.”
Plan for an emergency when you’re not around – help us to help your horse
Deputy Chief Field Officer Jon Phipps has top tips for owners on making plans just in case your horse injures themselves when you’re not there.
The work you don’t always see
Our new Director of UK shares an insight into how our welfare work makes a difference every day.
Enjoy reading stories like this?
Join over 55,000 other horse lovers and sign up for our email newsletter
Join over 55,000 other horse lovers and sign up for our email newsletter
Sign me up now
