Ensuring Safety, Welfare, and Progress for Our Ponies This Winter
Installing mud control mats in the ponies’ field at our main rescue intake centre in Devon is an urgent and essential improvement. It will support our winter training programme, safeguard equine welfare, and ensure the health and safety of our staff working in challenging conditions.
Most of our new rescues this year are unhandled or feral ponies who rely on consistent, gentle training to prepare them for Sanctuary life. During winter, muddy and uneven ground makes this work difficult and hazardous. By laying 700m² of mud control mats in field entrances and training corals, we can create a dry, stable surface — allowing safe, year-round handling and care. This simple, practical solution will reduce the risk of slips and injuries for both ponies and handlers, improve welfare standards, and make the site safer and more efficient.
Moving horses through our intake centre is also key to transferring them to a sanctuary site, helping to free up much-needed space for more rescued ponies.
Why This Matters Now
Our veterinary and welfare assessment centre, Beech Trees, is the heart of The Mare and Foal Sanctuary’s operations and the first port of call for all new arrivals. This year we have handled a high number of admissions with 17 rescued intakes, one foal being born on site, plus 20 ponies returned from rehoming. This means that 38 different horses and ponies have been cared for at the site in almost ten months.
Rescues continue throughout the winter months, so maintaining safe, usable outdoor spaces is critical to sustaining this vital work.
To address this, we plan to install mud control mats—specialised surfaces designed to reduce mud buildup and provide dry, stable footing, keeping horse areas clean and safe. While this improvement was originally highlighted for inclusion in our 2026 capital budget, worsening weather and ongoing rescues have made the need immediate. The project is estimated at £20,000, covering 700m² of matting, sand, and equipment hire. Our team will carry out the installation themselves to keep costs as low as possible.
Meet One of Our Residents
This summer, we rescued a beautiful four-month-old Icelandic colt, alongside his dam Mavis and another mare and foal. Completely unhandled on arrival, he was shy and uncertain. Thanks to our team’s patient care, he’s now blossomed into a confident young pony who enjoys grooming and has started headcollar training — small but vital steps towards a bright, secure future.
His journey reminds us that every facility improvement directly benefits ponies like him. With your help, we can ensure they continue to receive the care and training they deserve, even in the toughest winter months.
How You Can Help
We are seeking at least £10,000 to help fund this vital project. Your support will allow us to get started right away and make a real difference this winter, offering you a unique opportunity to contribute directly to something specific and urgently needed.
Every contribution will make a real difference: your gift will help us purchase and install at least half of the required mats, providing immediate safety improvements and vital budget relief for our unplanned spend.
- Average cost per m² (from three comparative quotes): £28.50 + VAT
- Total mud control mat cost: £19,952 (excl. VAT) / £23,942 (incl. VAT)
Every pound raised beyond our target will directly support the wider work of The Mare and Foal Sanctuary, ensuring every horse and pony in our care continues to receive the highest standard of welfare.
Together, We Can Keep Our Ponies Safe, Warm, and Thriving This Winter
Please help us reach our £10,000 goal and make this essential improvement a reality.
Your support today will make a lasting difference — for our ponies, our people, and the future of our sanctuary.
Your donation will be used to help purchase mud control mats as part of this essential project. If we raise more than our £20,000 full target (the total estimated cost of the mud control mats), any surplus funds will be directed towards our general running costs so that we can continue to provide lifelong, loving care to horses and ponies in need at our four sanctuaries in Devon.
If we do not reach our fundraising target, we have reviewed our 2025 capital plans and can delay other works to free up funds for this vital work to be progressed. In all cases, your donation will be used to support the ongoing care and welfare of our sanctuary residents.