A Christmas miracle for rescued equines

Three donkeys and a pony are on the road to recovery after being rescued by HAPPA and The Donkey Sanctuary

Last year, The Donkey Sanctuary investigated three donkeys and a little pony that were found in a bad way. Unfortunately, the owners couldn’t be located so The Donkey Sanctuary contacted HAPPA (Horses and Ponies Protection Association), a local veterinary surgeon and Lancashire Rural Police for help.

All four equines were found with long overgrown hooves, minimal shelter to help keep them warm and one donkey was overweight. The Donkey Sanctuary specialise in the care of donkeys, so rescued all three – they’re now known as Elf, Pudding and Mistletoe because of the time of their rescue. It was then decided that HAPPA would take in the pony – a three-year-old black cob mare, now known as Merry.

Merry arrived at HAPPA’s Shores Hey Farm in Burnley where she started her rehabilitation programme straight away which included having her hooves trimmed by the farrier to make her more comfortable and vet treatments to help get her healthy again. Merry’s adored by everyone at the yard and is given all the love she deserves by the dedicated equine care team.

A year on and Merry is now ready to find her new home, HAPPA’s Equine Manager Rachael Wallace said: “Merry is a delight to have on the yard, I truly feel she will make a fantastic foster pony and cannot wait to match her with a perfect foster carer.”

To find out more about rehoming a pony from HAPPA, visit happa.org.uk