Rare breeds rescued by Redwings
A family of rare donkeys and a pair of Suffolk heavy horses have been taken in by Redwings.
A pair of very hairy Poitou donkeys (one pictured top) and their young foals (one pictured left) arrived on 29 August at the charity’s Warwickshire base.
The donkeys came from a Redwings volunteer, who was no longer able to care for them.
One, called Adel, had been rescued from the meat trade in Italy. The other, Millie, is a full registered Poitou donkey, a rare breed also known as the Baudet that originates in France.
The breed faced extinction in the Seventies with only 77 left in the world, but numbers are now up to 400 following a campaign to save them.
The donkeys are one of the largest breed in the world with adults growing to 14hh-15hh.
The 16hh Suffolk geldings, Wilf and Stanley (pictured right), were found in a tiny barn in Norfolk. Both were seven years old, had poor feet and one was suffering from severe sweet itch.
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The Suffolk horse is on the critical list of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust watch list.
“We feel so privileged to have two such stunning chaps in our care,” said Redwings field officer Julie Harding.
The charity hopes the rare heavy horses will be soon be able to go to one of its visitor centres so supporters can see them close-up.
For more information visit www.redwings.org.uk
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