General Questions!

When was the saddle first created?

Hi there. What an interesting question, with a very long and complicated answer! It isn't really known when the saddle was officially created. The 'English Saddle' which is the saddle most used across the world today was first created in the 18th Century. However this saddle was a development of a different saddle that was used in France and Spain.

It is thought that some sort of early version of a saddle was used as early as 4000BC (about 6000 years ago!)! This would probably have been some sort of blanket, attached with a strap of leather or something similar. It is thought that the first saddle which had padding and decorations on it was used in around 400BC by a group of people called Scynthians who lived in Eastern Iran. The Sarmatians (who lived in Eastern Iran in about 300BC) then developed this saddle to have a girth and a breastplate. Then, the Romans (in about 100BC) developed the 'tree' which gives today's saddle its shape - the Romans used a wooden frame covered with felt as their saddles. Then... it is thought that the stirrup was invented in China, around 400 years later, in about 322AD!

In a way, the saddle as we know it today, has developed over time. The saddle has a very long and complicated history, as people have been riding horses for thousands and thousands of years!

I'm sorry there isn't a simple answer to your question, but I hope this helps!

Where did Shetlands first originate from? Oh yes, and by the way my pony thinks you look really handsome!

Well I must admit to you that I am blushing a little bit hehe! Please tell your pony that is very sweet! In answer to your question, the Shetland pony is a breed of pony originating in the Shetland Isles. The Shetland Isles are located just north of Scotland. Apparently, it is thought that Shetlands might be related to ancient Scandinavian ponies, as the Shetland Islands were once actually connected to Scandinaiva (thousands and thousands of years ago)! Hope this helps!

What breeds of horse do you like best?

Now this is a very difficult question and I will have to be careful what I say! I don’t want to annoy any of my friends! My favourite breed changes all the time, but this week my favourite breed is the Suffolk Punch. They are the oldest breed of heavy horse and are always chestnut in colour (although it should be spelled ‘chesnut’ when referring to Suffolk Punches). The Suffolk Punch is a rare breed, meaning that there are hardly any left in the world. We don’t have any Suffolk Punches here at Redwings, which is sad!

Hi Red! I've wanted a horse/pony all my life but my Mum said I can't have one. How can I persuade my Mum to let me have one and if she lets me what sort of horse/pony should I get?

Hello! Well I have to say that horses are very expensive to keep. Did you know that they cost about £3000 a year to look after?! They also take a lot of looking after… They have to have their feet trimmed by farrier every 6 weeks and have to take wormers every six weeks too. Instead, you could ask at your local Riding School if you could help out a few days a week, or you could see if there are any animal sanctuaries near to you that are willing to take on volunteers. Or you could sponsor one of our ponies for £12.50 a year! You can visit your pony and write to them whenever you like!

How do you send horses pictures in?

Hello there. If you would like to enter a photograph into our photography competition then you can email your picture to young@redwings.co.uk! If you would like to send in a drawing that you have done then you can post them to Young Redwings Editor, Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Norwich Road, Hapton, Norwich, NR15 1SP. Thanks!

How many bones do horses have in their body?

Hi! Suprisingly, horses don't have that many more bones than a human adult! An adult has 206 bones, where as a horse has an average of 210 bones! A horse has: 37 bones in its skull, 54 in its back, 36 ribs, between 15 and 21 between its tail and spine, 40 in its front legs, and 40 in its back legs! Thank you for your question!

Hi Red. How tall does a equine have to be until they can be called a 'horse'?

Hi! Offically an equine must be over 14.2 hands high to be called a horse. An equine which is under 14.2hh would be called a pony. An equine is measured from the ground up to its withers (which is the top of it's shoulder). A 'hand' is the same as 4 inches - so a horse is any equine over 56 inches tall! There are some exceptions to the rule however. All Arabs are always called horses, whatever height they are. The same goes for Morgans and for Icelandic horses too! Thanks for your question!

Who is the oldest horse at Redwings Ada Cole?

Hello there. The oldest donkey at the Ada Cole Rescue Centre is Cordelia. In fact, nobody is sure of her exact age, but it is accepted that she is well into her 30s. The oldest horse is Sapphire, who I mentioned in the question below. She is 29 years old, and came to Redwings in 1990 after she was bought from a meat market. Thanks for your question!

Who is the naughtiest horse at Redwings Ada Cole?

Hello! Well this is a very difficult question. I have been told that the adoption favourite Misfit can be very naughty! He likes to run around a lot, and chase his new best friend Disney. I have also been told that Sapphire, who is a Shire, can also be very naughty! Once I saw her giving her carers the run around when they wanted to put a rug on her. She's getting on a bit now - she's 29, but loves to run about and is very cheeky!

Red, are Shetlands one of the smallest ponies in the world?

Hello and thank you for your question! Shetlands actually are NOT the smallest breed of horse! There is a breed which is even smaller, called the Falabella. They are never taller than 8hh (which is 32 inches high!). They were originally bred in Argentina.

The smallest pony in the world, at the moment, is named Thumbelina. She is only 17 inches tall! Thumbelina is a miniature Shetland, but is actually a ‘dwarf’ pony. That means that she was born with a medical condition meaning that she is much smaller than the average miniature Shetland. Hope this helps!

Can I ride my adoption horse?

Hi there! Unfortunatly none of the adoption horses can be ridden for many different reasons. For example, Darcey has poorly front legs because of her past, so she can never be ridden. In fact, most of the horses at Redwings are not ridden. Ones that could have a ridden-life go on to be re-homed!

How many teeth do horses have?

Us horses have many teeth! We have 40 teeth - 12 front teeth, 24 molars (which run along our cheeks), and 4 tusks which are between our front teeth and our molars!

Horses are designed to eat all day - which is why we have so many teeth! Our teeth never stop growing, and that is why we need to have a visit from the dentist at least once a year! Thank you!

Are ponies, mules and donkeys popular in Britain?


Hi there, and thank you for your question! All three are popular in Britian. At the moment donkeys are especially popular. In fact, they are so popular that there are not enough in Britian to fulfil the demand, and people are actually importing them from other countries. The trouble is people do not realise how much care a donkey needs or that they actually have a very high life expectancy. You can click here to find out more about donkey welfare! Donkeys and mules are also very popular in countries such as China and Mexico where they are mostly used as working animals rather than pets.

How many breeds of horses are there in the world?

There are over 300 different breeds of horses in the world, each with different abilities and temperaments. Below I have listed a few of my friends and which breed they are.

Finnegan is a cob

Misfit is a Shetland

Boo is a Arab.

Those are just a few of the different breeds we have living here at Redwings. Hope that answers your question!

What do you get up to on Christmas day Red?

On Christmas day I am greeted by all our lovely staff who feed me and look after me. I am also out in my field with my friends and we spend the day eating yummy hay and then having a lovely nap to rest. I will also play with my friends in my field, we love to run around and have lots of fun. So we do have a fantastic time on Christmas day and even our lovely carers come and look after us, it is a full time job looking after us horses. We are very lucky to have them looking after us! I hope you have a lovely Christmas and have lots of fun!

Why are some horses half-shaved?

Some people decide to ‘clip’ their horses in the Winter time. It is normally only horses which are ridden a lot which are clipped. This is because horses would sweat so much when they are ridden that it would take a long time for their coats to dry afterwards. Sweat is water, and water evaporates, which means that a sweaty horse can get cold very quickly. Sweating can also lead to a horse losing weight - which is not very good at all!

There are many different types of clips. Some people completely take off all the horse’s body hair. If a horse is in light work their owner may just clip the underside of their neck and their belly. Horses which have clips should wear a New Zealand rug when they are outside grazing in the field!

How do the horses get better?

This is a very good question! It all depends on what is wrong with a horse when if first comes in to Redwings. At Redwings Horse Sanctuary we have our own very special Horse Hospital! Horses that need it can get round-the-clock veterinary care. They have lots of very special equipment like X-ray machines and our very own operating theatre.

Some horses might have really bad injuries when they first arrive. My friend Stig had a really sore wound on his back leg. One of Redwings’ surgeons had to do a ‘skin graft’ - which basically meant that some of Stig’s healthy skin was taken and put over the wound. It needed lots of care, but after a few weeks the wound healed.

You can read some of our Rescue Stories here! Please remember though, that some of the stories can be quite upsetting and there are some quite graphic photographs here too. Thank you for your question!

I have a year old Shetland gelding. He hates his feet being cleaned out. He tries to go down on his knees when his front ones are being done. Also he turns his head to try and bite me, so i have to tie his head close to the fence. I try to do it daily so he will get used to it more, but it doesn't seem to be working. Do you have any good ideas as i will need a farrier soon to file his hooves down.

It sounds like your pony is in some pain. It sounds like you should ring the vet and ask him or her to check your pony's feet.

If your vet says everything is okay then you may just need to keep trying. You could tie a haynet up to distract the pony while you pick his feet out. Also make sure you do it with lots of patience and try and talk to him while you are doing it. But I think the best thing for you to do is to phone the vet. Thanks for your question!

Sometimes I see horses and ponies tied up on a grass verge near a road or motorway - is that legal? I have contacted the RSPCA a few times and they say they will check but the horses are still there. It looks dangerous and cruel, this can't be right can it? Thank you

Unfortunately, tethering by the side of the road is legal. It only becomes illegal if the horse strays onto the road and becomes a danger to road-users. It is generally the police who deal with these offences – so it may be worth contacting your local police, on a non-emergency number, to get advice on whether anything can be done. It may also be worth getting in touch with your local MP to express your concern - especially if tethering by the side of the road is quite common in your area.

It illegal to tether a horse in a way that causes unnecessary suffering. Sadly this means that no legal action can be taken regarding unsuitable forms of tethering unless there is veterinary evidence that the horse is actually suffering.

You can have a look at the RSPCA website to see what the law is concerning the tethering of horses. You can also have a look at Redwings' website for advice. The RSPCA actively campaigns for the laws regarding tethering to be changed. Thank you for your question!

Do horses think in the same way as us?

This is a very interesting question! Us horses are similar to you humans in some ways. Horses and humans can suffer with psychological problems like anxiety or depression. When it comes to instincts, humans and horses are quite different. Horses are ‘flight’ animals which means that, when they are in the wild, they will run away from predators. Humans, on the other hand, are ‘fight’ animals who will stay and fend off attackers. Horses also love wide open spaces so that it is easy for them to runaway, whereas humans prefer small closed spaces where they will feel more secure. Horses are also more alert than humans – they only sleep for 2 or 3 hours a day. I hope this helps!

I am doing a fundraiser activity with my friend at school. How do I get hold of a fundraising pack?

If you would like to fundraise to help me and my friends, please have a look here. Or email us at fundraising@redwings.co.uk!