Springwood Sanctuary
Meet & Sponsor The Herds
HELP US CARE FOR THE RESCUED HORSES & DONKEYS
AT SPRINGWOOD SANCTUARY
We greatly value our wonderful family of Springwood Sponsors.
Our daily love, protection and care is freely given in abundance, but daily costs for the rescued 16 animals here are huge.
Our expenses include hay, extra feeds, supplements, dentistry, hoof trimming, first aid care, bedding, vet bills and fencing.
We are run by volunteers on a not for profit basis, so every penny of your very valued sponsorship goes directly to support the animals.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
YOUR SPONSORSHIP INCLUDES: ​
​​​A personalised Sponsorship Certificate, signed by the sanctuary founders;
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A fact sheet and biography of your chosen horse, pony or donkey;
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A 'Sanctuary Visit for Two' Gift Voucher - a guided tour led by Jacqui - Springwood's founder, where you'll meet the herds living wild and free, enjoy the peace and tranquility of the 80 acre sanctuary including a stroll along a mile of the River Teifi and a mindful immersion in nature, finishing with refreshments in the lakeside cabin (vegan of course!).
We are not open to the public so your visit will be private and exclusively for you;
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A professional photograph of your chosen sponsored horse, pony or donkey taken by Georgina Weston;
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Weekly updates with membership of our private Springwood Sanctuary Friends facebook group.
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Sponsorships from £10/month or £120/ year
Choose to set up a single, monthly, or annual payment.
Regular payments help us plan for the future so please consider a monthly or annual sponsorship if you can.​
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Please let us know who you'd like to sponsor (see Meet the Herd below), so that we can send your sponsorship certificate, updates and invitations to you. If you can't choose (not surprising as they're all such beautiful souls) you can sponsor the entire herd of either
Mysties or Wildies for the same amount.
Thank you very much for your support.
Your valued sponsorship helps us to care for their every need and means the world to all the animals here.
MEET THE SPRINGWOOD HERDS
Each day of advent we are sharing a different member of the herds stories and photos both here and in our interactive Springwood Advent Calendar
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Thank you for all your support. We are very grateful to everyone who supports the horses, ponies and donkeys here. Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful 2025!
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With love from
Jacqui, David and the volunteer team.
Lady of the Mysties
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Lady is a beautiful 16.2hh bright chestnut thoroughbred mare.
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Age: She is the wise elder - the oldest member of both herds. Lady is 28 this year - her birthday is 5th February 1996.
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She was rescued from racing and breeding and given a forever home at Springwood in 2017.
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She is sensitive, gentle and caring and enjoys foraging and exploring new areas.
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Herd: The Mysties
Winnie
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Winnie is a beautiful 16.2hh dark chestnut thoroughbred mare.
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Age: She's the 2nd oldest member of both herds. Winnie is 28 this year - her birthday is 14th April 1996.
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Winnie was rescued from racing and breeding and given a forever home at Springwood in 2017.
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She is sensitive, gentle and loving. She enjoys massages and scratches and loves apples.​
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Herd: The Mysties
Remy​
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Remy is a beautiful 12hh grey Welsh Section B gelding.
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Age: He's s the 3rd oldest member of both herds. Remy is 23 this year - his birthday is 25th May 2001.
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Remy was rescued by Springwood in 2023.
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Herd: The Wildies
Bonnie ​
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Bonnie is a beautiful big black cob who was born in Ireland.
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Age: She is 21 this year - her birthday is 24th August 2003.
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Bonnie enjoys hanging out with Champ and Nemo.
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She is very gentle with a huge heart and loves human company.
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Bonnie joined us at Springwood in July 2023 when her whole herd were rescued.
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Herd: The Wildies
Lady of the Wildies
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​​Lady is a beautiful 16.1hh piebald Irish Draught mare.
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Age: She is 18 this year - her birthday is 14th February 2006 - our Valentine's girl!
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Lady takes time to trust, but when she does she is very gentle and loving, enjoying a massage, scratch or mindfully hanging out.
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She is best friends with Maisie, Triggy and Jasper.
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Herd: The Wildies
Nelson​
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Nelson is a beautiful 16.2.hh bay Thoroughbred gelding.
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Age: He is 18 this year - his birthday is 8th April 2006.
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Nelson was rescued by Springwood Sanctuary in October 2017 and has lived with his bonded herd happily for the past 7 years.
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He is best friends with Polly and loves playing with Thomas.
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Nelson is very gentle and wise. He loves sharing mindfulness with humans.
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Herd: The Mysties.
Archie ​
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Archie is a beautiful 12hh black Dartmoor hill pony gelding.
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Age: He is 18 this year - his birthday is 1st May 2006.
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Archie is the most undomesticated of all the horses here. He was born wild on Dartmoor and ran free with his family band as a stallion there for his formative years.
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He hangs out with Remy and enjoys foraging wild medicinal plants on the land.
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Archie is inquisitive and gentle.
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Herd: The Wildies
Gatsby
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​Gatsby is a beautiful 16hh thoroughbred x Irish sports horse gelding.
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He is black with white speckles over his body - mainly on his rump.
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Age: He is 15 this year - his birthday is 3rd May 2009.
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He came to live at Springwood in July 2023 and was very underweight and submissive in the herd. He is now positively thriving and it's so wonderful to see him leading the herd into new places, forming strong friendships with all the herd and enjoying life to the full!
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Herd: The Wildies
Rhia ​
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Rhia is a beautiful 16.2.hh dark bay Thoroughbred mare.
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Age: She is 15 this year - her birthday is 29th May 2009.
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Rhia was rescued from being sold at auction for meat after being discarded by the racing industry because she suffered a bad accident.
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Rhia has lived safely and happily with her herdmates at Springwood for 4 years - she came to live with us in June 2000.
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She is a very gentle, sensitive horse who enjoys massage and scratches as well as mindful moments with humans. She loves treats - usually apples, herbs and calendula flowers are her favourites.
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Herd: The Mysties
Jasper ​
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Jasper is a beautiful bay 16hh thoroughbred x Irish sports horse gelding.
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Age: He is 14 this year - his birthday is 2nd June 2010.
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He is part of the Wildies herd and is very closely bonded with Lady, Triggy and Maisie.
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The four of them hang out in a group together except when Jasper feels like a boyish game! He enjoys playing with Champ and is forming a close friendship with him.
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​Herd: The Wildies
Thomas​
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Thomas is a beautiful grey 11hh donkey gelding.
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Age: He is 13 this year - his birthday is 1st April 2011.
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He is very closely bonded with Rodney, Kati, Blue and Nelson, but good friends with all the herd and new friends with Ted the sheep. He's everyone's friend and will be there by your side if he senses you need him. He has been a steadfast companion to each of the herd when they are poorly.
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Thomas is a very wise, gentle and sensitive soul who also has a very playful side. He often enjoys time on his own too,. He's very fond of ear rubs, being brushed and often loves hugs too. He loves rolling in the barn when new shavings have been put down. He loves seaweed, apples ... and practically any treat that is on offer!
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​Herd: The Mysties
Blue Wizard
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Blue Wiz is a beautiful 13hh piebald Irish cob pony with beautiful blue eyes.
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He is 13 this year - his birthday is 30th June 2011.
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Blue Wiz is very gentle, loving and sensitive. He was a formative member of the Wildies being rescued at just 2 years old by his last sanctuary in Sussex and came to live with us at Springwood in Wales in July 2023.
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Blue Wiz often loves scratches by humans and enjoys hanging out with Gatsby, Bonnie, Archie, Skye and Remy.
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Herd: The Wildies.
Maisie​​​
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Maisie is a beautiful 14.2hh chestnut Haflinger x pony.
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She is 13 this year - her birthday is 23rd May 2011.​
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Maisie is very closely bonded with Lady, Triggy and Jasper. The four of them hang out in a group together and are usually inseparable, all supporting each other, grazing together, mutual grooming and hooning about having fun.
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Maisie is very gentle, sensitive and kind with people too once she has decided you are someone to trust, someone who will listen to her and allow her free choice and autonomy over her body.
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Herd: The Wildies​
Triggy
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Triggy is a beautiful 15.1hh chestnut Welsh Section D mare with flaxen mane and tail.
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She is 11 years old this year – her birthday is 16th June 2012.
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Triggy is very closely bonded with Lady, Maisie and Jasper. The four of them hang out in a group together and are usually inseparable, all supporting each other, grazing together, mutual grooming and hooning about having fun.
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Triggy is very gentle, sensitive and loving. She loves scratches and massages under her belly and down her back legs so will often back into you for this! She loves having a big pile of hay best of all,
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Herd: The Wildies
Blue Moon​
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Blue Moon is a beautiful 13.2hh grey cob.
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She is 11 years old – her birthday is 1st May 2013.
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Blue Moon has now been with us at Springwood for the longest. We rescued her in 2016 when she was just 3 years old. She was our inaugural herd member Missy’s very dear bonded friend and she has welcomed many horses, ponies and donkeys into the sanctuary with gentle love and care, allowing them to vulnerable and safe.
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Blue Moon is sensitive, gentle, feisty and fun loving. She demands autonomy over her body, but also loves massages on her terms. She enjoys selecting healing herbs and especially loves dried calendula flowers, peppermint and apples. She loves Kati, Charlie, Lady and the donkeys and enjoys living with freedom, being loved and cherished in her forever home.
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Herd: The Mysties
The Swan & other wildlife...
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Swanny Jim - Sven Swan - Lohengrin - Mr Swan! We all have our own favourite name for this majestic wild and beautiful bird who graces our lake and us with his serene presence ... and then takes off with a huge flap of his mighty wings to pastures new - goes exploring for days and sometimes weeks at a time, hangs out with friends perhaps then comes back to the tranquility of the sanctuary to enjoy his batchelor lifestyle.
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He is friendly and peaceful, enjoying sharing his feed with the tiniest of grebe and moorhen ducks and the mallards enjoy his company swimming in the lake alongside him. He first came to live here just after we arrived in the winter of 2020 and we are honoured to care for him when he chooses to be here.
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Like all ducks and all the wildlife here, he lives wild and free.
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It is our ethos to create and enable safe habitats for an increasing number of wild animals at the sanctuary by protecting the land and increasing the biodiversity here.
Rodney​
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Rodney is one of our wonderful donkeys.
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He is the youngest equine member of both herds – he is 10 this year – his birthday is 1st May 2014 and has lived at Springwood for 7 years.
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He had a lot of coping mechanisms for life prior to coming to live at the sanctuary and was very stressed, however he settled in with us and felt safe straight away.
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He is a cheeky, loving, sensitive and caring donkey and we sense he sees himself as the peacekeeper and caretaker of the herd - braying loudly at any time of day or night if something isn’t quite right or someone isn’t where he feels they should be! Rodney loves being with Thomas, Kati and Blue Moon, chasing around the hillside, eating hay, rolling in new bedding and absolutely any treats on offer. He especially loves dried seaweed, apples and drinking water with apple cider vinegar in it. He often enjoys having his head supported and held whilst he snoozes or stretching his legs yoga style whilst putting his whole weight onto me!
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It is our absolute honour to give Rodney and all the animals here a safe forever home at Springwood. Thank you to everyone who supports them by sponsorships and donations.
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Herd: The Mysties
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Ted
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Ted is a beautiful texel cross wether sheep. A wether is a neutered male sheep.
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Ted lived with his brother Bill all of his life from a lamb. Luckily for them they were rescued by Donna, otherwise they would have been sent to an abattoir at a young age and sold as meat. It's hard not to be angry at the system that normalises the fact that they are so badly exploited and end their lives in so much fear., especially when I connect with these beautiful souls
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Bill and Ted both kept darling Bertie company when he lost his horse companion a few years ago. The three of them then came to live at Springwood in October 2022. Bertie and Bill have very sadly both recently passed over. We were very worried how Ted would cope as he's always had Bill by his side, but true to form Thomas donkey has taken him under his wing and so therefore did the rest of the Mysties. He is so much more confident and active these days, hanging out with the Mysties, enjoying head rubs from David and Jacqu, eating hay with his new gang and keeping up with them when they explore the land.
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So lovely to see dear Ted really embracing this new stage of his life.
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Herd: The Mysties
Charlie (retirement livery)​
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Charlie is a beautiful 15.2hh grey Thoroughbred x Connemara gelding.
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Age: He's the 4th oldest member of both herds. Charlie is 22 this year - his birthday is 26th March 2002.
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Charlie is one of our lovely retirement liveries and came to live at Springwood in December 2022
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Herd: The Mysties
Skye (retirement livery)​​​​​​
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Skye is a beautiful 14.2hh dappled grey Connemara mare.
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Age: She is 22 this year - her birthday is 1st August 2002.
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Skye is one of our lovely retirement liveries and came to live at Springwood in September 2023.
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She enjoys hanging out with Remy, Archie, Champ, Nemo and Bonnie.
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Herd: The Wildies
Champ (retirement livery)​
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Champ is a beautiful dun Connemara gelding.
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Age: He is 18 this year - his birthday is 10th June 2006.
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Champ is one of our lovely retirement liveries who moved to Springwood Sanctuary in October 2023 from Surrey with his bonded buddy Nemo.
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Champ loves foraging for wild medicinal plants - he often has his head in a hedge!
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He enjoys playing with Jasper and hanging out with his friends Nemo, Skye and Bonnie.
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Herd: The Wildies
Nemo (retirement livery)​
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Nemo is a beautiful chestnut Welsh Section D gelding.
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Age: He is 17 this year - his birthday is 2nd June 2007.
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Nemo is one of our lovely retirement liveries who moved to Springwood Sanctuary in October 2023 from Surrey with his friend Champ who he is very close to.
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Nemo enjoys hanging out with Champ and Bonnie.
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Herd: The Wildies
Polly (retirement livery)
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​​Polly is a beautiful 16.1hh bay thoroughbred mare.
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Age: She is 15 this year – her birthday is 8th February 2009.
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She came to live at Springwood in September 2023. She is one of our six lovely retirement liveries.
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Polly is extremely bonded with Nelson and enjoys her freedom and safety at Springwood. She is allowing herself to also become very trusting and vulnerable with me after being quite guarded for her first few months of being here. She is amazing in the herd and has a very clear, gentle way of communicating with all the other animals (including humans).
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Herd: The Mysties
Kati (retirement livery)
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​Kati is a beautiful 11hh bay roan Welsh section A pony.
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She is 12 years old this year – her birthday is 14th May 2012.
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Kati is one of our wonderful retirement liveries and we are very honoured to enable her a very safe, secure and loving forever home with her bonded herd mates.
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Kati loves pretty much any treats on offer, but her favourite is usually sticking her whole muzzle into the turmeric paste and slurping it up! Watch out if you’re nearby as she’ll cover you too!
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She loves lying down peacefully with me and Blue Moon, and with Su when she visits too. She also loves exploring and playing with her best buddies the donkeys. She enjoys hanging out with Nelson, eating hay with him or exploring new areas.
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She’s released so much past trauma and is a happy, peaceful, integrated member of the Mysties.
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Herd: The Mysties
The Mystical Herd
~ the Mysties ~
The Mystical Herd was founded in 2012 to rescue and care for previously abused horses and donkeys. Through healing, communication and relationship building the herd now thrive in mind, body and spirit. The mixed herd of mares and geldings comprise 6 horses, 2 ponies, 2 donkeys and Ted the sheep of varying ages.
They include three of our beautiful retirement liveries who are very much an integrated part of the herd. The herd all enjoy each others company, together with the freedom to roam and forage in the vast acreage of the sanctuary. It is our privilege to enable them this unique sanctuary, along with the love, healing, freedom and understanding they need. What a joy to witness them spending their time thriving, fully engaging in life and peacefully being in their bonded forever herd.
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The Mystical Herd of 10 horses, ponies and donkeys: Rhia, Nelson, Polly, Winnie, Lady (the thoroughbreds), Charlie (Connemara x thoroughbred) Blue Moon, Kati (the ponies), Rodney and Thomas (the donkeys).
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Available to sponsor: Rhia, Nelson, Winnie, Lady, Blue Moon, Rodney and Thomas - there's more about each herd member below so you can choose who you'd like to sponsor and just let us know.
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The Wild Herd
​~ the Wildies ~
The majority of The Wild Herd joined Springwood Sanctuary in the summer of 2023. The mixed herd of mares and geldings were rescued from a sanctuary which had to close. It felt really important to us that we enabled this herd to be kept together in their closely bonded herd. It is after all the ethos that Springwood was founded upon. Many of them would not have survived in a domesticated setting and therefore we were very much their last chance.
They are also joined by three of our beautiful retirement liveries who are an integrated part of the herd. The herd of 12 horses and ponies all live together happily in their forever family. Their truly unique bonds are a delight to witness and it's wonderful to see them growing in confidence since arriving here. They are happiest grazing freely on the hillside in a wide and open landscape where they can just 'be'. They live with freedom of choice and the ability to forage the abundant sanctuary land. In severe weather we bring them nearer home onto a large track and hill where they have lots of natural shelter as well as barns and open sided shelters.
Although it's meant double the amount of work and expense, we are happy to have been able to offer this second herd a home where they too are completely safe, settled and loved.
The Wild Herd of 12 horses and ponies: Triggy, Lady, Maisie, Jasper, Remy, Archie, Skye, Blue Wizard, Champ, Nemo, Bonnie and Gatsby.
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Available to sponsor: Triggy, Lady, Maisie, Jasper, Remy, Archie, Blue Wizard, Bonnie and Gatsby - there's more about each herd member below so you can choose who you'd like to sponsor and just let us know.
