The best Christmas present Buddy and Bauble could have received – safety

In December, two vulnerable ponies, named Buddy and Bauble, were rescued just in time for Christmas after our Field Officer Ryan Rouse found them in need of urgent help. The two young colts were taken to our Penny Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre, where it soon became clear that Buddy was even weaker than feared. Both ponies still have a long way to go on their road to recovery but, now in a place of safety, the friends are receiving all the loving, expert care they need.

“When I found Buddy and Bauble, I could see straightaway that their environment was totally unsuitable and even under their winter coats I could see they were very thin,” explains Ryan. “I arranged to return the following day with a vet, the RSPCA and one of my colleagues, and we were able to remove them to Penny Farm so they could start getting the care they desperately needed.”

On arrival at the farm, Buddy’s body condition score was found to be just 0.5 out of 5, with Bauble scoring 1 out of 5. Both ponies were less than a year old, struggling with a heavy worm burden and covered in lice. Bauble, a piebald colt standing at 11hh, was clearly unwell, but Buddy, a chestnut colt standing at 11.2hh, was so poorly that he couldn’t stand up again once he’d laid down to rest in his cosy bed of shavings, which is a serious issue for any horse. 

“The team all fell in love with them straight away and were absolutely determined to nurse them back to health,” recalls Deputy Centre Manager Hayley Penrice. “We had to lift Buddy back to his feet every morning for several weeks, but once we got him up he was able to stand by himself to eat his hay. We could see both ponies were determined to keep fighting so we weren’t going to give up on them.”

Having been rescued just in time for Christmas, the pair spent the festive season being given round-the-clock care by the Penny Farm team, with regular attention from the vet. “We were all delighted when Buddy became strong enough to get himself up,” explains Hayley, but she continues, “there’s a long road ahead before they can be considered healthy young ponies.”

The crew yards at each of our centres provide a vital space for vulnerable ponies to be nursed back to health and given life-saving support and expert care. With Buddy and Bauble still needing intensive care to bring them back to health, please donate today to help support their recovery and save other horses and ponies in need this winter.