Spindles Farm survivors: before and after in pictures 10 years on

Madeleine Silver's avatar
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Published In Features
Pinocchio-now-loves-to-play-redwingshorsesanctuary_46446314171.jpg
Pinocchio now loves to play
(Image credit: Redwings)

When more than 100 horses and donkeys were found at Spindles Farm in Amersham, Bucks in January 2008, it was hard to imagine that so many of them would be thriving 10 years on.

Before: Aladdin
(Image credit: Redwings)

Before: Aladdin

When Aladdin was rescued from Spindle Farm in 2008, he was terrified of people and incredibly thin

After: Aladdin
(Image credit: Redwings)

After: Aladdin

Aladdin is now training to be a schoolmaster at Redwings

Before: Tom Thumb
(Image credit: Redwings)

Before: Tom Thumb

Tom Thumb was so emaciated his muscles had begun to waste away when he was found at Spindle Farm

After: Tom Thumb
(Image credit: Redwings)

After: Tom Thumb

Tom Thumb is now a happy and lovable chap

Before: Rumpel
(Image credit: Redwings)

Before: Rumpel

Rumpel was so frightened after the rescue that he flinched at human touch

After: Rumpel
(Image credit: Redwings)

After: Rumpel

Rumpel is now a popular 'Redwings Adoption Star'

Before: Pinocchio
(Image credit: Redwings)

Before: Pinocchio

Pinocchio was covered in lice when he was rescued

After: Pinocchio
(Image credit: Redwings)

After: Pinocchio

Pinocchio now loves to play a spot football

Before: Martha
(Image credit: Redwings)

Before: Martha

Martha was suffering from a severe lack of hoof care when she was rescued

After: Martha
(Image credit: Redwings)

After: Martha

Martha and Esther now live at Redwings Caldecott in Norfolk

Before: Jemima
(Image credit: Redwings)

Before: Jemima

Jemima was incredibly frightened when she was rescued

After: Jemima
(Image credit: Redwings)

After: Jemima

She now adores fuss at her home at Redwings Caldecott in Norfolk

Before: Elsie
(Image credit: Redwings)

Before: Elsie

Elsie was in foal when rescued from Amersham

After: Elsie
(Image credit: Redwings)

After: Elsie

Madeleine Silver
Madeleine Silver
Former features editor

A graduate from Durham University, Madeleine joined H&H in 2011 and became Features Editor — producing content across the magazine and website, including the popular inside back cover article ‘The horse that made me’ and the weekly ‘The best of my fun…’ interview. She has written on topics as diverse as hay making and headcams, to hot totty in the horse world and circus horses. Madeleine now works as a freelance feature writer for Country Life, The Telegraph, Horse & Hound, cntraveller.com, The Spectator and The Field, as well as writing obituaries for The Times.