Redwings Stuff!

Hi Red! My school came to Redwings in Essex a while ago. I just wanted to see if Gladiator is okay because I just adore him. Thanks for reading Red!

Hello. Gladiator is so cool - he is a good friend of mine. He told me about when your school came to visit and he said he had a great time! He's very well, thank you for asking. He absolutely loves getting attention and is so pleased that you asked about him! I hope you can come to visit him again! Thank you!

Hey Red! I have got a question about fundraising. I have loads of ideas but I haven’t got anywhere that I can put a stall. Do you have any ideas? Please help me! I REALLY want to help!

Hello - that’s brilliant that you would like to fundraise for Redwings! You could ask at your school if you can have a stall that you could run during lunch breaks and before and after school. You could ask your local council if you would be allowed to put up a stall at local events. If you can’t find anywhere that you can have a stall then you could fundraise in other ways like doing a sponsored silence or something more creative! If you would like any more advice then please email fundraising@redwings.co.uk. Thanks for your question!

Hey Red, how do Redwings look after so many horses, ponies, donkeys and mules!? I really thank the staff for protecting them. I love all the horse family! But is it hard work!?

Hello my friend! Thank you for your message - it is very kind of you! Well, we have lots of very dedicated members of staff that work very hard to look after all of our equines. We have lots of staff who work on our farms during the day and we also have a team who work throughout the night to make sure all the equines are okay. We even have a ‘rehabilitation’ team who work with our more nervous equines so that they learn to trust humans again. It can be quite hard work but it is also very rewarding! There is lots more things that go on here at Redwings to make sure all the equines are in good health... but its too much for me to try and list here! Thanks for your lovely question.

Hello Red. I would like to know what you have for tea. Do you have sugar cubes? In my book about horses it said that horses like you are very fond of them. What is your drink?

Hello! For tea I normally have hay… I also have hay for breakfast and lunch and I eat grass in between! No I don’t like sugar cubes! They are really bad for me and give me a tummy ache. They are also very bad for my teeth. I prefer a nice carrot or an apple… Yummy! My drink is definitely water! Thanks for your question.

I am from Peartree school and next week we are going to be baking cookies and selling them and then the money will go to Redwings. Our school has adopted Boo, Choccy, Tufty and Oliver Twist. I hope you enjoy the money we are going to send you next week. Love from Sophie and the rest of Peartree School xx

Wow that is so great. Thank you so much for all your support! Do I get to eat one of the cookies?!

How do you send horse's pictures in?

Hello there! If you would like to send a drawing of a horse to us, you can post it to Young Redwings Editor, Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Norwich Road, Hapton, NR15 1SP. If you would like to enter our photography competition, you can email your entry to young@redwings.co.uk. Hope this helps!

What breed is a Redwing?

A Redwing is actually a type of bird! I hope this answers your question!

Hi Red! I just wanted to know how old you have to be to volunteer at Redwings? And I think Dolly is amazing!

Hello! Sadly Redwings does not take on volunteers. You have to be 18 to work here though, so maybe when you get to that age you can apply for a job! Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering here. Maybe you can see if there are any other animal sanctuaries that need volunteers, or maybe you can help out at your local riding school. Thanks for your question! Oh and I will pass on your message to Dolly… she’ll be very pleased!

What do you do first when a horse/donkey comes in?

Hello! What a good question. Well, when a horse or donkey first arrives at Redwings we put them into ‘quarantine’, which means they are not close to any of the other horses and ponies at Redwings. This is so we can make sure they don’t have any infectious diseases. If they don’t have any, then they can be turned out into a paddock with a group of other horses or donkeys. If they do have a disease, then we give them lots of vet treatment until they are all better. Thanks!

What does Wings look like?

Hello my friend. My buddy Wings is a grey donkey! Sadly he is very shy, so he doesn’t like to appear on the Young Redwings website. If you come to one of our adoption horses’ birthday parties, or come to our Hapton Open Weekend then you are very likely to meet Wings!

Hey Red, I saw this pony being kept in a paddock with no grass and junk everywhere, what should I do?

Hello! The best thing for you to do is to ask an adult to phone our welfare helpline on 01508 481008 or send the team an email on welfare@redwings.co.uk. Thanks for your question.

Q. I have a few questions to ask. 1) How can i get a box with rosette badges to sell and send the money to Redwings? 2) Where is the nearest centre? I’m in Kent. 3) When you come to the centre, how much do you have to pay, and is everyone welcome or is it only for 'adopters'? And thank you for helping these wonderful animals :D. I think your amazing and want to help by selling badges.

A. Hello! Have a look at the ‘Fab Fundraisers’ section of the website to find out how to get hold of a badge kit. We have a centre in Harlow, Essex, called the Ada Cole Rescue Centre, which is probably the closest to Kent! It’s free to get in and everyone in the world is welcome! Thanks for your lovely comments – you are very kind!

Q. Hi Red, it’s me, Steph J. I have heard about Jaffa - how is he and his Mum? Hope all is well.

A. Hi! Jaffa is really well. He is nearly two years old now! He was born at Redwings after his Mum, named Cookie, was rescued from a site in Birmingham. When he is old enough he might be re-homed! Thanks for getting in touch. Everything down here is going swimmingly!

Q. Dear Red, I hope my question isn’t too hard. Where were Peter Pan and Oliver Twist born? What time, what day, what month? Were they injured when you got them? Thank you and please say a big thank you to the staff for letting me be a member. Bye! Thanks.

A. Well this is a very specific question! I can tell you that Oliver Twist’s birthday is on 1st June. He was not injured when we got him, which is really good. A nice lady rescued him from a horse sale and helped him to get back to health, then he came to live at Redwings because of the care he needs for his twisted face.

Peter Pan was born at Redwings on 17th April 2008. He was not injured when we got him because he was born at Redwings!

Mares normally give birth to foals in the middle of the night because, in the wild, this is when they feel most safe. Thanks for your question and you are very welcome to be a member!

Q. What colour is your mane?

A. Hello! Well my mane is a pale-yellow colour that is called ‘flaxen’. It’s mostly only chestnut-coloured horses and ponies, and palomino-coloured horses and ponies, that have flaxen manes and tails. Thank you for your question!

Where does Rebecca live? Can I see her? (Rebecca is featured on our Meet the Residents page!)

Hello my friend. Unfortunately Rebecca lives at one of Redwings' sites in Norfolk which isn't open to the public! This is because she can be a little bit nervous from time to time, and needs specialist handling. I will let her know that you asked about her though, she will be very pleased! Thanks!

What is Felicity's, from Oxhill, favourite treat or food?

Well Felicity has kindly told me that her favourite food is Ginger Biscuits! All donkeys absolutely love Ginger Biscuits. Apparently, wild donkeys eat a lot of ginger. They sniff out root ginger plants and then gobble them all up! If you visit Felicity and would like to bring her some yummy ginger biscuits, then you can give them to a member of staff who will gladly share them out between Felicity and her donkey-friends! Thanks for your question!

Hi Red. If I visit a Redwings centre am I allowed to give a horse a snack by the fence or even touch it?

Hello! Of course you are allowed to touch one of my horsey friends if they come up to the fence! Lots of my friends love a good stroke! But, unfortunately, you won't be able to give my friends a snack. Some of them are on very special diets, and that means they aren't really allowed to have any extra food. Some of my friends can be prone to an illness called Laminitis (which you can read about in the Horsey Ailments feature which is on our 'Special Features' page), which they can get if they over-indulge on naughty foods. If you would like to bring any yummy treats with you, like apples or carrots, then you can give them to a member of staff who will share them out equally between my friends. Thank you for your question and I hope that you can make it to one of our Visitor Centres soon! Take care.

How can I get some of the Redwings badges for fundraising? Beacause i would really like to help!

Hello there! You can get hold of a badge display box by emailing fundraising@redwings.co.uk. Thank you very much for wanting to fundraise for us! It's much appreciated!

Red, my fave pony is Moonlight at Oxhill. I know she is chestnut, 13.2hh and 24 years old, but can you tell me anything else about her?

Hello! Moonlight says hello too. Moonlight came to Redwings in 2007 after her owners couldn’t look after her anymore. They loved her a lot, but things happened meaning that they were struggling to cope with looking after a horse. She shares a paddock with lots of other horses, including Conk and Pepper, and sometimes she shares a field with Stig who was in a very bad way when he was rescued. Stig had been abandoned and had a huge wound on his back leg. Luckily it healed up well, but he still has a big scar. Thanks for your question!

What’s your favourite colour and breed? Do you have a favourite horse? We have adopted Darcey, Oliver and Rusty.

Hi! Thank you for adopting Darcey, Oliver and Rusty. They are very grateful! Well, my favourite colour of horse is palomino, because it’s a very shiny golden colour. I don’t really have one favourite breed - I have lots of favourite breeds! I like big heavy horses like Shires and Percherons, but I also like smaller ponies like Exmoors and New Forests! I don’t have a favourite horse, but I met one the other day who I like very much! Her name is Bella, and she is a Hafflinger so she has a really cool long mane! She is also palomino…

Thank you for your question!

Hi Red. How do you look after all of these ponies? Do you like it? And I can’t wait to come to Redwings soon.

Hello! What a great question. Redwings is very lucky, and has it’s own team of vets who give special treatments to all of the equines that need it. We have very dedicated staff that carry out the day-to-day care of all of the equines (we have over 1000 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules!). There is even a team of staff who work all through the night - they check on all of the equines to make sure they are all okay. You can have a look at our website (www.redwings.co.uk) to read about all our work! We’re looking forward to seeing you soon! Thank you for your question!

Hi Red I was wondering if I could ever feed, groom or even muck out some of the ponies or horses at redwings I am 9 years old and my Grandpa knows someone from Redwings who was on the news.

Hello, and thank you so much for your generous offer. It's very kind of you to want help at Redwings. I'm really sorry to say that Redwings doesn't take on volunteers. Maybe when you are 18, you can apply for a job at Redwings and get paid to feed, groom, and muck out our horses and ponies! Thank you and take care!

My favourite horse is Pepper at Redwings Oxhill Centre. I know a lot about him e.g:
he is a Dun Cob gelding, he was born in 1994, he was running free and his owner fed him on garlic and yoghurt. But please could you tell me more? Did he have any illness or problems?

Hello! Pepper says he's very pleased that he is your favourite horse and that you know so much about him! His best friend is Conk, and both have lived at the Oxhill Visitor Centre since 2007. Pepper had lots of handling problems when he first came to Redwings. He really hated it when the farrier tried to look at his feet, and would try to kick the farrier. But, he has had lots of handling training since and is much better than he used to be! Thank you for your question!

How many people does it take to look after all the horses in Redwings?

Thank you for your question. We have around 250 people working for Redwings, so quite a lot of people. All these people are spread over our different centres and departments. For example, we have lots of staff who work on the farms and some in the offices and centres. We also have a nights team who check on all the horses during the night, even when it is very wet and cold. They, like all our staff, do a great job. Thanks again for your question. Bye for now.




How much do your ponies cost to rehome?


Thank you for your question, there is no charge to anyone loaning a horse through our Guardianship scheme but anyone interested needs to be prepared for the fact that it is a big responsibility. Redwings performs a home visit before anyone can be considered for a Redwings horse or pony and they will also check up every six months to ensure that the horse or pony has settled in well and is receiving the correct care. If you are interested in re-homing but are under 18 you have to ask an adult to do the application for you. If you would like to read more about our Guardianship scheme please go to our main website. I hope that answers your question. Have fun!




How much does it cost to adopt a pony?


Hello there! Adopting a pony for one year costs a minimum of £12.50. This payment will go towards the feed and care of Redwings' rescued horses. Once you have chosen a horse, pony, donkey or mule to adopt, you will receive a special 'Nosebag' which includes: a photograph, adoption certificate, adoption story, and information about the centre where they live. You'll receive another special update just before your chosen equine's birthday, as well as two newsletters a year. Or you can choose to have an online version of your 'Nosebag' as an alternative to having a hard copy sent through the post! You can join the adoption club at a Redwings Visitors Centre, or by telephoning 01508 481012, or online. But please get permission from an adult first!

How many horses have Redwings saved over the past year and how many mares and foals have you saved as well?

Over the last year, Redwings has taken in more than 100 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules, with around four sets of mares and foals including Cinders and Gulliver, a lovely mother and foal rescued by the RSPCA. Cinders was very thin and poorly when she was found as there was not enough food to eat, but her foal Gulliver was quite fit and healthy because Cinders had been giving him all her nutrition through her milk and suffering herself, poor thing. Mum and baby are doing very well now though!

How many horses do you have?

We currently have 1150 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules living at the Sanctuary, plus another 550 living out in Guardian homes around the UK. That's a lot of mouths to feed!

I love coming to visit the horses and ponies at Redwings, but please can we ride them when we come?

The horses and ponies you meet at our visitor centres are not suitable for riding I'm afraid. They have all been rescued and they may be very elderly or have poorly legs. Lots of them have worked for many years already or they have been treated very badly before they came to us so we think they have earned a break!

The younger horses and ponies that we rescue sometimes get trained to be ridden by our re-homing team and if they enjoy it we find them a new home with a Guardian family. I think our re-homing team are very lucky indeed!

Where is Redwings?

Redwings Horse Sanctuary has its headquarters in Norfolk but we also have visitor centres in Essex and Warwickshire. In total we have nine sites across the UK and we look after more than 1100 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules. Our welfare team works throughout the UK to help horses and ponies in need. Hope that answers your question!

I would love to work with you at Redwings but I am 13 years old. When can I come and help?

It is lovely that you want to come and look after us! Unfortunately you need to be 18 years old before you can work for us but there are lots of other ways you can get involved. You can tell all your friends about us or why not try raising money for Redwings instead - it's a great to help us and have fun at the same time. Email fundraising@redwings.co.uk to get your free fundraising pack!

I really want to do some fundraising for Redwings but I don't know what to do. Can you please give me some ideas?

Thank you so much for your question, it is great you are interested in ways you can help Redwings. Fundraising can be good fun and a great way to help us horses here at Redwings. There are many ways you can help raise money and at the same time raise awareness of Redwings. You could hold an event at home or in school, for example cake sales, non uniform days or you could do a sponsored event or challenge, like a fun bike ride or sponsored silence. This all sounds like great fun to me! If you would like more information on fundraising then please contact fundraising@redwings.co.uk and we can send you out a fundraising pack. Good luck and remember to have fun!