05 February 2021

#CoronaChronicles 2021: Week Five

Here at the Sanctuary, every horse, pony, donkey or mule who comes through our gates, whatever their needs, is offered a safe home with us for life. It’s one of the things that makes Redwings so special.

Our teams dedicate a lot of time and effort to get to know every single horse, and each one is treated as an individual with their own care plan – and this hasn’t changed despite the challenges of the past year.

It means that if and when a horse or donkey needs some specialist attention from our vet team, they already know them inside and out, and can adapt their treatment and care to give our four-legged friends the most effective and stress-free experience possible.

This week we’ve been told about brave Trixie, a six-year-old Trotter cross, who has been receiving treatment for a painful hoof abscess at our Horse Hospital in Norfolk.

Trixie came to Redwings in 2017 having been found abandoned and wandering Harlow common in Essex. She was also straying into a nearby residential area putting herself and road users in danger.

Having had little or no handling experience before being brought into the Sanctuary, Trixie can still be very nervous and becomes stressed when stabled. Knowing this, our nurses placed her on one of our special care woodchip paddocks while she underwent assessments and treatment.

However, being outside all the time is tricky when you’re wearing a poultice on your foot! So our inventive nurses went the extra step and made her, in their own words, a “moon boot” to protect her bandages. As you can see, she was quite happy to model her latest accessory. We wish Trixie a very speedy recovery.

Trixie recovering and wearing a moon boot

Our Horse Hospital and vet team are funded entirely by donations. You can support them in their life-saving work by calling 01508 481000 or clicking here.

Another wonderful way to contribute to the care of our hospital patients is through purchasing an item from our Amazon Wishlist for our vets and nurses. There’s an array of gifts you can buy, at various prices, including thermometers, bandages, brushes, overalls and even essential stationery (they get through a lot of pens!).

Take a browse of the full list by clicking here.

If you’d prefer to take a leaf out of Trixie’s book and would like to raise money for the Sanctuary while looking fabulous at the same time, why not have a go at our online fundraiser, the Redwings Mane Event – Restyled?!

You may remember last summer we launched this fun event which asked, while the hairdressers and barbers were closed, for you to donate the cost of your usual appointment, send in a photo of your lockdown locks and we would match you with a similarly coiffured Redwings resident.

Well, with all of us currently resorting back to DIY haircuts at home, we thought we’d bring the event back to help raise further vital funds for our horses and have a little fun at the same time!

Click here for all the details and to have a go!

We always like to finish each #CoronaChronicles with something to make you smile and, if the Redwings Mane Event – Restyled wasn’t enough, we’re sharing this heart-warming video of our horses and donkeys at Redwings Oxhill in Warwickshire who recently enjoyed some enrichment activities courtesy of their kind carers.

Whether it’s teasing carrots from dangling lead ropes or hunting for hay and treats in cardboard boxes, these simple games go a long way to satisfy our rescued residents’ curiosity, keep them entertained and promote good mental wellbeing.

We hope you enjoy your weekend as much as they are! Thank you #RedwingsAngels