Rescue Pony of The Week ~ Shires Holt Horse Sanctuary's Toffee

Ponyhour Rescue Pony of The Week Toffee

Toffee's story begins with his mother, Faye, being rescued by Shires Holt Horse Sanctuary during the Bodmin Moor Equine Crisis of 2016, Kerrie Lovelock tells his story: 

Faye on arrival to the Shires Holt

Faye was seized by APHA and ourselves at Shires Holt when we were asked to collect her from Bodmin Moor in April 2016. She was pregnant, neglected, malnourished, worm burdened, lice and parasite infected.

We rescued over 40 ponies, foals and stallions that dreadful winter, all with a body score 0.5 - 1.

Toffee was in a breech position. Faye, exhausted and because of the damage to her body and organs, and bearing a very large foal was too weak to give birth, we stayed with her all night but sadly she did not survive.

We had Toffee delivered via C-section, and brought him home where we bottle fed him, he lived with us at home for the first 3 months of his life.

Toffee in our kitchen on arrival home with Boo & Mooch, our Cocker Spaniels keeping him company

Wandering around our house like one of our dogs, curling up in front of the fire, he literally followed us everywhere, he became one of the family and our young children adored their time with Toffee in their home.

Toffee with Foster mum Ellie

We moved Toffee to one of our locations in Tintagel Cornwall, it was definitely time to integrate him into natural horse environment, behaviour, he was introduced to his new foster mum Ellie, she was besotted with him instantly and they are inseparable. 

Ourselves and a number of volunteers continued regular bottle feeds.

Toffee is a bit of a local celeb, however we were so devastated to loose Faye he is known locally as Toffee To-Faye, in honour of his very brave mum.

Last November ourselves and Patron Will Young were asked to talk at World Horse Welfare's Conference 'The Invisible Horse' in London, highlighting the plight of the Bodmin Moorland Ponies, bringing awareness to the situation in Cornwall, asking for action to be taken. As in the photo above Wills speech, Faye was used as one of the examples of the needless atrocities of that time. We are relieved to report that this year Moorland pony casualties have been at an all time low.

Toffee is an amazing fellow (quite cheeky) we absolutely adore him, we hope you do also....

You can find out more about the incredible work Shires Holt Horse Sanctuary do by visiting their website: 

www.shiresholt.com

Keep in touch with them via Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/shiresholthorsesanctuary/

or Twitter 

https://twitter.com/shiresholt 

and if you'd like to make a donation visit 

https://www.gofundme.com/bodminmoorlandponyappeal

or

mydonate