Fifteen young colts who were in a shocking state when they were rescued in a swoop on a horse centre in Wales have been receiving TLC in Devon are well on their road to recovery.

The Mare and Foal Sanctuary, based in Newton Abbot, took in the 15 very young colts as part of a multi-agency rescue led by the RSPCA.

Others involved were the World Horse Welfare, Redwings, Bransby Horses, The British Horse Society, The Horse Trust, Blue Cross and The Donkey Sanctuary.

The horses were rescued from the Whispering Willows Equine Rescue Centre in Gowerton, Swansea. Sandra Jane Kaverneng-Stolp who ran the sanctuary, appeared before Swansea Magistrates’ Court last week.

After pleading guilty to four counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal between October 12 and November 13, 2019, by failing to adequately explore and address the poor condition the horses were in, she was disqualified from keeping equine animals for 10 years.

Newton Abbot’s Mare and Foal Sanctuary provides specialist care for all horses and ponies, but has particular experience in the care of mares in foal, orphaned or abandoned foals and youngstock.

On arrival, the young horses were in need of immediate veterinary care. They were underweight, malnourished and suffering with severe parasite burdens.

Further veterinary tests showed many of the ponies had significant liver damage and growth development issues, likely to have been caused by insufficient nourishment and early separation from their dams.

The Mare and Foal Sanctuary’s chief executive, Sarah Jane Williamson said: ‘The number of horses and ponies in need of crisis intervention continues to grow due to increasingly complex circumstances.

‘Through collaboration between experienced equine welfare organisations who are members of The National Equine Welfare Council, we can achieve more for animal welfare together.’

Syra Bowden, director of Equine, said: ‘A vitally important part of our work is to educate people about how to properly care for horses, including the costs in terms of time and money.

‘This includes advising smaller equine welfare organisations who despite their size, have the same responsibility as larger charities like ours, to meet the needs of every equine in their care.’

The youngsters taken in as part of the Whispering Willows rescue will now have a sanctuary for life at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary and, due to their young age, are in the process of being trained to be rehomed through their Sanctuary at Home scheme.