Your rescue update

Thanks to Big Animal lottery players like you, two of our centres could raise four beautiful ponies and get them ready for the loving new homes they deserve.

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"Ponies are special because they give us so much joy"

RSPCA Groom Nicola Lincoln

Jack was always a cheeky chap, but shy Tia took a little while to open up and trust people.

Pombear and Pringle took time to get used to humans too, but regular grooming really helped.

This was all part of a bigger mission

We rescued these four wonderful ponies as part of a huge, multi-agency operation to take young, or sick and injured equines off Gelligaer & Merthyr Common. Together with several other charities, we rescued 35 ponies, giving them health checks and somewhere safe to stay. We run this op regularly to manage the number of wild equines on the common. We mainly look for young colts and mares with high rehoming potential.

Jack, Tia and their groom Nicola

Jack and Tia’s first days

Nicola Lincoln, a groom at RSPCA Gonsal Farm Equine Centre, looked after Jack and Tia. “Both of them were frightened at first,” explains Nicola. “But it was my job to make them comfortable around people.”

How they transformed

Right away, we treated Jack and Tia for lice and worms. After that, we called our farrier and vet for help with their hooves and teeth. Like with all colts we take in, we castrated Jack. He recovered quickly and became more comfortable around people – eventually finding his own home. Tia is still working with Nicola, but we’re confident she’ll also be ready for a new home soon.

Pombear, Pringle and Jaymie

Fearful at first

Jaymie Fahy was one of the grooms who looked after Pombear and Pringle at RSPCA Felledge Equine Centre. “They were scared, unhandled and would scatter if you approached them,” explains Jaymie. But she and the other grooms took time to let the ponies get used to them.

Making friends

Handling practice and living alongside other ponies really sped along their development. Pombear became much more friendly, and by the end of her stay she loved being groomed – by ponies and people. Pringle took time to bounce back after castration, but when he did he was happier near humans. They’ve now both been rehomed.