Five healthy foals have been born to a group of ponies rescued from floods.
A total of 43 ponies were taken from flooded fields in Wellingborough in a large-scale operation in February, involving multiple organisations.
Many were thin, covered in fleas and lice, and had little if any experience of being handled.
The Blue Cross took in 11 of these, including five mares who have all since given birth during lockdown.
“All of the ponies were in a bad way when we took them in,” said Blue Cross rehoming co-ordinator Verity Anderton-Johnson.
“They were very nervous and one in particular, Soar, was so emaciated it was a shock to discover she was in foal. It was wonderful to arrive at the centre some mornings to find a new baby resident that mum had managed the birth without any help and that they are all doing so well. We are very proud of these mums.”
The mares and foals have been named Hipper and Bunny, Tweed and Bumblebee, Soar and Victory, Dove and Rainbow and Eden and River.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
It is understood that they had been dumped in the area for unauthorised grazing.
The landowner seized the horses, with the help of the RSPCA, under the Control of Horses Act. Bunny was born on Good Friday (10 April) and Victory on VE Day (8 May), with the other three arriving during May and June.
A Blue Cross spokesman added “all are doing well and growing in confidence and many of the foals enjoy having a fuss from the centre team”.
“While it is a very happy ending for some of the foals who are soon to go to new homes, others are still looking to find places where there are with other mares and foals until the foals are weaned,” he added.
‘It’s so rewarding to know they are now safe and thriving thanks to the hard work of all our welfare
An RSPCA spokesperson said the charity is “delighted” the horses are doing well in the Blue Cross’s care.
“[The rescue]was a difficult task as it was such a large site with lots of hazards such as a river, lake and flooded fields so our water rescue teams were also called to join the effort,” he said.
“None of the animals were micro-chipped so we were unable to identify and locate their owner to hold them responsible. But it is great that all the horses are now returning to full health and will go on to be rehomed.”
We continue to publish Horse & Hound magazine weekly during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as keeping horseandhound.co.uk up to date with all the breaking news, features and more. Click here for info about magazine subscriptions (six issues for £6) and access to our premium H&H Plus content online.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
