Spindles Farm update

By Rebecca Gibson

General news

07 January 2011 16:10

Three years on The Horse Trust is celebrating the progress made by the horses, ponies and donkeys rescued from Spindles Farm. Of more than 100 horses, ponies and donkeys rescued between the 4th and 9th of January 2008, the 14 considered most at risk were taken to The Horse Trust in Speen, Buckinghamshire. This group were too weak to travel further and required extensive veterinary treatment.

Yard Manager at The Horse Trust, Shirley Abbott says she still clearly remembers the horror of the rescue: "I've never seen anything so horrendous in my life - the horses that arrived literally fell down the ramp. All the animals we took in were underweight and had numerous health problems, including Strangles, salmonella and parasite infections.”

One horse that has made a remarkable recovery is Angel, a blind mare who was severely underweight when she arrived at The Horse Trust and was reluctant to walk anywhere due to her sight loss. Under the charity's care, Angel's weight has more than doubled and she is now confident walking around the fields at the sanctuary.

Angel's progress is partly thanks to the friendship she has developed with one-eyed horse Tarna. The two horses are now inseparable with Tarna guiding Angel to food, defending her from other horses and acting as a physical shield from obstacles.

Other animals that have made a good recovery include jenny donkey Gladys who was unable to stand unaided for 10 days after she arrived from Spindles Farm due to starvation. A few of the younger Spindles Farm horses have made such a good recovery that they have been re-homed. Geldings Disney and Dazzle have been found new homes, but Star and Walt are still waiting for someone to offer them a home.

Sadly, not all the horses rescued from Spindles Farm were able to recover. Despite receiving intensive veterinary treatment for a year after arriving from Spindles Farm, colt Bill died in January 2009. His death, caused by parasite damage to his intestine was a legacy of the neglect he suffered at Spindles Farm.

Some of the other horses from Spindles Farm still need veterinary treatment so cannot be re-homed, such as gelding Duke who underwent sarcoid treatment at the University of Liverpool in summer 2010 and has since suffered from severe colic. Gelding Ben has had problems with intermittent lameness for which he is receiving treatment and it is uncertain whether he can ever be re-homed.

The Horse Trust is currently looking for sponsors for the Spindles Farm horses that cannot be re-homed due to their age or ongoing veterinary problems. It costs the charity £12 per day to look after each of its residents, which includes the costs of grooms, forage, farriery and veterinary care. To donate to The Horse Trust, or to find out more about sponsoring a horse, please visit www.horsetrust.org.uk, or contact the charity on 01494 488 464 or info@horsetrust.org.uk

The charity is also looking for a home for Spindles Farm horses Star and Walt. Both horses have not been backed and will require an experienced horse owner. For more information contact the charity.