Tributes to Breeze, the orphaned foal who helped shape our equine welfare practice

Breeze had to be put to sleep by our veterinary team following a severe episode of colic, a serious and often unpredictable condition that can affect any horse. He had been in our care since 2013, when he was signed over to us as a day-old orphaned foal after his birth. 

Breeze became well known in the media and later on social platforms across the world, after photographs were shared showing him as a foal sleeping alongside a giant teddy bear called Buttons, used by our staff to give him comfort and security while he received round the clock care.  

Despite our work and more than a decade of skilled handling and training, Breeze’s early deprivation and hand rearing meant he was never suitable for rehoming. He spent his life under the dedicated care of our specialist teams, who adapted their facilities and approaches to give him the safest and happiest life possible. 

Nikki Anstey, Equine Training Lead at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary, said Breeze had a profound impact on how we work with complex ponies. She said: ‘He was somewhat of an icon of the Sanctuary. He came to us as an extremely poorly little pony. He was not able to be socialised with other horses for an extended period due to his lack of immunity and had to be hand reared. There were many sleepless nights, bottle feeding him every hour and having to lift him up and lay him down as he was so weak.  

‘His personality started shining through at a young age and he will always remain one of the most influential ponies that I have ever encountered in my career at the Sanctuary. We always had an understanding, and he was incredibly loving and affectionate, despite his complex behavioural needs. I don’t think any horse, or person, could have ever taught me as much as he did.’  

Breeze lived at several of our Devon sites over the years, including our Yelverton Moorland Rescue Facility. Yelverton Team Leader, Lucy Jewell, said: ‘Everyone at Yelverton is truly sorry and devastated to hear the news that Breeze is no longer with us. During his time at Yelverton he was a firm favourite for us all and was the pony who always made you smile. We will cherish our memories of him and forever hold him in our hearts.’  

Sally Burton, Head of Equine Expertise at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary, said our teams had done everything they could for Breeze, and that his case continues to inform our approach to equine welfare. ‘Breeze arrived with us as a critically vulnerable orphaned foal. His lack of colostrum, isolation from other horses and need for intensive hand rearing meant he grew up with significant behavioural and health challenges. He could never be rehomed safely, so our responsibility was to give him the best quality of life we could within the Sanctuary.  

‘Our teams adapted the environment around him, used the latest evidence on behaviour and welfare, and brought in external specialists when needed. Breeze pushed us all to raise our standards, to think differently about how we support horses and ponies with complex needs, and to champion good practice across the wider equine sector.  

‘We are deeply saddened by his loss. Colic is a broad term for abdominal pain and can be caused by a range of problems in the gut, from gas and impaction to twists in the intestine. It can affect any horse, no matter how well they are cared for, and it remains one of the most serious emergencies we see. In Breeze’s case, despite prompt veterinary attention and intensive care, it was not possible to save him.’  

Anna Haines, The Mare and Foal Sanctuary’s Equine Behaviour Lead, explains how Breeze’s early experiences shaped the support he needed: ‘There is a lot of evidence to support the fact that early life stress or trauma is associated with a wide range of adverse effects on brain development and can have long lasting effects on the individual. This can alter psychological and behavioural responses to the environment, particularly any perceived environmental threats and challenges, meaning that individuals who have suffered significant early life stress such as Breeze did, are likely to find it more difficult to navigate the world than one who hasn’t. This meant that Breeze required very careful behavioural and environmental management at all times, to help him to feel as safe and secure as possible and to allow him to thrive.’ 

We would like to pay tribute to everyone who cared for Breeze over the years, and to the ‘wonderful, patient, thoughtful attention he was given’. He has been described as ‘truly loved’, with that love reflected in the way our teams supported him every day of his life. 

We hope that sharing Breeze’s story will highlight both the realities of equine welfare work and the importance of specialised lifelong care for horses and ponies that cannot be rehomed. We’d like to encourage equine owners and carers to talk openly about planning for serious health issues like colic, including considering insurance, how they would transport their horse to surgery if needed, and whether that is the right decision for their horse. 

We’d also like to thank all our supporters. Generous donations have made it possible for us to give safe, meaningful lives to horses and ponies who may not have survived without specialist care and understanding.