A pony rescued from “horrific conditions” who needed years of veterinary treatment is spending Christmas in her new home.
In 2014 cob mare Audrey was rescued from a site in Wales where “where hundreds of horses were found stranded deep in mud without any food, suffering from malnutrition, worm burdens and infectious diseases”.
A Redwings spokesman said that shortly after taking Audrey in, she was diagnosed with the hoof condition canker. The charity’s veterinary team worked with farriers to remove as much infected tissue as possible, but the condition returned.
“In August 2015 Audrey underwent a procedure under general anaesthetic to strip back her hoof tissue even further, and her stay as an in-patient in the horse hospital began,” said the spokesman.
“Six months later, the vets had to remove more abnormal tissue and sadly in 2016, with treatment options exhausted, the veterinary team considered whether Audrey would ever fully recover, or if she may need to be put down due to the impact it was having on her quality of life.”
Redwings vet Sarah Prior, who cared for Audrey, said canker is a “very frustrating disease” as some cases fail to respond to surgical or medical treatment.
“We had to review how it would affect Audrey in the long term. We decided to give her one last summer, and we dressed her hooves every day, treated them with iodine, put her in some protective boots and kept an eye on her. Then, to our surprise, her condition started to stabilise,” said Ms Prior.
“Due to the possible contagious nature of canker, she had her own special care paddock right next to our hospital and adjacent to other ponies who she could groom over the fence, and she became our hospital mascot, and go-to place if we wanted a cuddle. We also worked with our behaviour team to devise enrichment activities for her, and she learnt tricks and games she would do with the nurses.
“As she seemed so content, we decided to keep monitoring her and that’s what we continued to do for the next few years.”
In 2020 Audrey’s canker improved enough that she was discharged from the hospital to join one of the charity’s herds, with the vets continuing to monitor her and bring her into a woodchip paddock or stable in wet weather.
Then in 2023 the Redwings rehoming team had a request from Lucy White to rehome a non-ridden companion.
“Lucy, a veterinary nurse, was looking for a companion for her cob Fleur. She was able to offer a home with an all-weather turnout area, and was happy to take on a pony who might need a little extra special care. The team immediately thought that Lucy’s home sounded like the perfect fit for Audrey,” said the Redwings spokesman.
“In a sign of just how much Audrey meant to teams across Redwings, her carers came together to throw her a good luck and goodbye party. Redwings nursing manager Louise Gedge, who had been a key part of Audrey’s recovery, even packed a small suitcase of all Audrey’s favourite things to take to her new home.”
Audrey is now “happily settled in” and will be spending her first Christmas with her new guardian family.
“Audrey has been a great addition to our family and does an important job of keeping Fleur company. When I take Fleur out for a ride, Audrey gets a special upgrade and goes into our garden, and because of this has built an extra special relationship with my Alaskan malamute Elsie,” said Lucy.
“She has been brilliant to do all the treatment to her feet, and I think it is a real testament to all the staff at Redwings for making her association with humans so positive despite everything she went through. We feel really lucky to have her, and she is worth her weight in gold.”
Redwings chief executive Lynn Cuttress added that the charity “prides itself on its dedication to sanctuary care”.
“Audrey’s case is an exceptional example of the lengths our teams will go to for the rescued equines in our care,” she said.
“When Audrey was eventually discharged from our horse hospital we were all delighted that their dedication had paid off, and what more could we have wished for for Christmas than to see her so settled in a guardian home so perfectly matched to her needs.”
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