This tiny foal may be the smallest – and most adorable – you’ve ever seen.
Pint-sized Pam, who is 5.2hh or 22in tall and weighed 15kg at her birth in July, is likely to be hugely popular with visitors to her home, World Horse Welfare’s Glenda Spooner Farm in Somerset.
But although she and her mother Sophie have homes for life and a secure future, the charity said her arrival highlights the need for potential breeders to stop and think about whether any foal they breed will have the same.
“Adorable foals like Pam are – unsurprisingly! – very popular with our visitors,” said centre manager Claire Dickie.
“Thankfully, Pam arrived safely without needing veterinary intervention, but foals do present a huge cost to our charity, from initial vet visits – whether routine or emergency – to vaccinations, and microchipping and passporting them.”
Shetland Sophie was part of a group who were rescued last September, unhandled and nervous of people.
Picture by World Horse Welfare
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
“Having been born in safety, tiny Pam has had good experiences from day one,” Ms Dickie said. “She’s already very confident and has taken meeting the vet in her stride.
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“Both Pam and her mum have a safe future now, but I’d urge anyone considering breeding their own foal to stop and really think about whether they can guarantee them a good home for life. It’s very easy to think that if you’re only breeding a small number of foals – whether one a year or even one in your lifetime – that you’re not having a significant impact on the number of horses out there looking for homes. However, in reality there are thousands of people doing the same each year which adds up to a huge number of extra horses.”
The charity has launched a quiz on its website for people considering breeding. Nine foals have been born in World Horse Welfare centres this year, including one to a mare rescued from being smuggled out of the country.
“World Horse Welfare is incurring significant costs for those 11 alone,” a charity spokesperson said. “To support Pam’s ongoing care, as well as to help other vulnerable horses rescued by World Horse Welfare, visit out website.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
