July Birthday Wishes for Our Residents

July is a wonderfully busy month for birthdays here at Remus Horse Sanctuary, with a whole group of much-loved residents marking another year of life, recovery, and companionship. Each has their own story, and each one is a reminder of why sanctuary life matters.

Belated Happy 19th Birthday Willow (1 July)

Willow was born here at Remus to her mother Rowan. Rowan came to the Sanctuary in August 2006 aged 18 months. She was so desperately withdrawn and would not mix with the other horses, keeping to herself. Little by little she put weight on and, very slowly, began to trust us. Then, without anyone realising, she produced a foal one night on her own.

Because of her age and the size of the foal, Rowan bled internally for a week. Left on her own, as she would have been, she would have died. The stallion was so big that the foal was too large for Rowan’s small frame, which caused immense complications. She then went down with colic, but thankfully we managed to get her through.

We named the foal Willow, and the pair have remained together ever since. They share a very strong bond and are never far apart in the field. It is hard to think what might have happened to them without sanctuary care. This is what your kind donations and sponsorship help to achieve.

Please click on the link if you’d like to sponsor Willow and contribute to her ongoing care: www.remussanctuary.org/shop/willow

Belated Happy 33rd Birthday Minstral (3 July)

This beautiful mare with striking head markings was found dumped in a field in Braintree. Her stomach was extremely swollen due to repeated breeding and her Linear Alba was torn, causing what is effectively a massive rupture.

When Minstral came in, we did not expect her to survive long, but we were determined to do the best we could for her. Ten years later, she is still going strong. She lives in a paddock on her own but with other horses nearby for company, while remaining protected from being kicked or chased. She is understandably very distrusting of other horses, most likely as a result of her early life.

In 2016, a badly ulcerated eye would not clear up and, on veterinary advice, the decision was taken to remove it after it ruptured. Thanks to the care and expertise of our Veterinary Surgeon Mark Murrell, the Animal Health Trust, and the dedicated nursing of our staff, she came through this trauma well and copes wonderfully with just one eye.

If you would like to sponsor Minstral, and contribute to her ongoing wellbeing, please click here: www.remussanctuary.org/shop/minstral

Belated Happy 9th Birthday Jakie (5 July)

This pony was dumped behind Buttsbury Church at just under a year old. She was completely feral and no one could get within 10 to 15 metres of her. At the time, we had reports of two youngsters dumped in Tilbury which were killed on the road, and another pair loose in Aveley, one of whom was also killed, so we were determined this little girl would not become another statistic.

The only way to safely catch her was by darting, which meant bringing in a specialist team costing over £1000. Thankfully they succeeded, and she began to recover from the stress of being dumped alone in open fields with access to a flooded river and nearby roads, then darted and moved to a completely unfamiliar environment.

She is now a friendly, confident girl, loving life here at Remus with her friends Heidi and Dora.

If you would like to sponsor Jakie, to ensure her ongoing care, please click on the link: www.remussanctuary.org/shop/jakie

Happy 39th Birthday Mopsey (6 July)

Mopsey arrived at Remus with her aunt Damson and her cousin April. The three have spent their entire lives together, and given their age, that is a long time. Damson turned 40 this year, making her the oldest resident at Remus. They had been cared for by their previous owner, but as everyone grew older, it became increasingly difficult to manage them, so the decision was made to ask Remus for help rather than separate them.

They were nervous at first after leaving the only home they had ever known, but they soon settled and are now enjoying life at the Sanctuary together.

To sponsor Mopsey and continue her care, please click here: www.remussanctuary.org/shop/mopsey

Happy 31st Birthday Dolly 2 (18 July)

Dolly came to us after spending 22 years of her life on a tethering chain with many other horses. They were often hungry and thirsty, and like all tethered horses, she was lonely and bored.

On arrival at Remus she could not believe her luck and the freedom she now had. She settled in really well and is a beautiful mare. Dolly loves routine and is very keen to be fed at a set time. She’s known to bang on the gate if food is not delivered quickly enough! She has arthritis due to a serious foot injury when she was tethered, so she walks with a limp.

If you would like to sponsor Dolly 2 to help with her ongoing wellbeing, please visit: www.remussanctuary.org/shop/dolly2

Happy 18th Birthday Hovis (24 July)

Hovis came to us when his owners moved to Wales. The horse he was living with kept picking on him and the situation had been reported to the RSPCA a few times. During transport to Wales, the other horse attacked Hovis, and on arrival the receiving yard refused to accept him.

Poor Hovis was then forced to travel back to Essex, and the transporters were left with a donkey and nowhere to take him. We offered him a home at Remus, and he now enjoys life with his donkey friends. He is best friends with Wesley and Spencer and is very protective of them.

If you would like to sponsor Hovis to help with his ongoing care, please click here: www.remussanctuary.org/shop/hovis

Happy 29th Birthday Laddie (31 July)

Laddie was born and bred by Irish Travellers and later sold on within traveller communities before being purchased by someone who felt sorry for him. He came to us because he was difficult to handle, having learned to attack people in order to protect himself from the beatings he would have experienced in his early life.

Very gradually, Laddie has become more trusting. He lived with Bella until her passing, after which it was decided to integrate him into the donkey herd. At first, he would not engage with the others, but over time the donkeys individually approached him, encouraging him to join in. Slowly, he began to respond, and now he acts like a typical donkey and enjoys the company of his friends. His best friend is Harvey.

If you would like to get Laddie a birthday present, head to the animal treat section of our shop: www.remussanctuary.org/product-category/animal-treats

Wishing all of our July birthday residents a very happy day, surrounded by the care and kindness they deserve.

We have a number of events coming up, please take a look at our Events page to find out more.