The Mare and Foal Sanctuary celebrate the birth of their first foal in 2020

Based in Newton Abbot, the Mare and Foal Sanctuary is delighted to announce their first foal of 2020, born to mare Lotte, amid significant changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Lotte was rescued during an RSPCA prosecution case, and following the birth of her colt, Lio, born Thursday 23 April, both are doing well under the charity’s expert care. A livestream of the birth and Lio’s first steps is available to view on the Mare and Foal Sanctuary’s website. The pair will join the 220 resident equines at six sanctuaries scattered across Devon.

With the Mare and Foal Sanctuary undergoing significant changes to its workforce – with 13% of staff working from home and 43% furloughed – the charity is delighted with the new life beginning at their sanctuaries. They’ve also closed all six of the charity’s shops while introducing virtual coffee mornings and yard tours for supporters to continue enjoying the charity’s work. A new appeal has been launched to provide support for the continued care of every horse in every sanctuary.

Sarah Jane Williamson, Chief Executive, said: “We’re a strong team, but the future is uncertain, and we need help from our loyal supporters at this worrying time. We’re thankful that Lotte’s given birth to her foal in the safety of our sanctuary. She was in a very poor condition when she arrived and has needed our expert care. Last year we rescued more horses than ever, in far more complex circumstances. We don’t have extensive reserves and horses are costly animals to care for, especially ours who require specialist handling and retraining or ongoing veterinary medicines and care.”

To learn more about Lotte, Lio and the other horses the sanctuary care for and to find out how you can help, visit mareandfoal.org