With the country celebrating the success of the GB equestrian team in the Olympic Games in winning the Silver Medal, the RSPCA has reported a "fantastic response" to its appeal for people to come forward and foster young horses and ponies.
Launched on 14 May, the aim of the Stable Future appeal was to find foster carers for young horses and ponies that had suffered neglect and cruelty until such time as they were ready to go to permanent new homes. Many of the 270 young ponies in the care of the RSPCA have found foster carers and at least 13 horses have already gone to their new homes.
Tack, rugs and equipment have also been donated. And some generous people have even offered land on which to keep some of the horses.
The presence of Zara Phillips (pictured) in the medal-winning team – the daughter of the Princess Royal – made the story of one such horse particularly apt. Zara is also the name of a 2½-year-old coloured cob which was taken on by Suzette Simms of Gloucestershire.
Suzette saw the Stable Future appeal on the BBC's Countryfile programme and in newspapers the following day, and decided that fostering horses and ponies would be something she'd like to do.
She said: "Zara is very sweet, she knows her name and follows me everywhere. She is a youngster and can be bossy with the other two, but she is nice-natured. I am lunging her and am doing in-hand work which will gradually get her much more used to handling ready for when she can be ridden when she's older.
"I would recommend fostering to anyone. It's a really nice thing to do if you have the time and resources and it frees up rehoming centres so they can take on more horses in need."
The RSPCA is all-too-often involved in cases of neglect and cruelty towards horses, often bringing prosecutions and providing expert opinion in such cases.
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