02 July 2026

We love Rehoming - Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash become Redwings Guardians

Stacey Solomon, Joe Swash, Mermaid and Thumbelina

We're delighted that TV stars Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash have recently rehomed miniature Shetlands Thumbelina and Mermaid from Redwings and are helping us spread the word about rehoming a rescued horse or pony!

The couple reached out to us as they were looking to rehome some rescued ponies to join their family. Our rehoming team carried out their usual process of home-checks and assessments, before inviting Stacey and Joe to join us at our Redwings Ada Cole centre in Essex to meet some of our rescued ponies, and spend time with the team learning more about pony care, and our rehoming process.

Stacey and Joe and the team at Redwings Ada Cole

19-year-old skewbald miniature Shetland Thumbelina, and six-year-old piebald miniature Shetland Mermaid were selected as the perfect fit for their family, due to their friendly natures. Both rescued mares, Thumbelina was one of 100 horses and donkeys rescued from Spindle Farm in Amersham in 2008. She was very nervous and underweight when she arrived at Redwings, with her spine and ribs very visible even through her soiled and matted coat. Mermaid came to Redwings in 2024, after her owner reached out for help, as they were struggling to care for her.

Thumbelina when she was rescued

In her post on Instagram, Stacey Solomon said: "We are officially Pony Foster Parents. Meet Thumbelina and Mermaid. They are two girls who were rescued by the incredible Redwings Horse Sanctuary.

Thumbelina was seriously neglected when she was rescued by Redwings who saved her and Mermaid’s owner could no longer look after her. We are so grateful to be able to offer them a home… in the hope that they’re happy and want to stay forever one day.

We have a grass area sectioned off for them and also a dry area. Redwings will check in and visit us and give us all of the guidance we need to be the best pony parents for Mermaid and Thumbelina. One of my dearest friends Lianne from the incredible Hopefield Animal sanctuary is going to be our pony-hand/extra pony Mumma, as we do not take rescuing animals lightly and want to be the absolute best foster parents we can be.

We can’t even describe how incredible it feels to be able to do this. I dreamed of rescuing animals growing up. 7 year old me would not believe where we are today. Welcome to the family girls. We love you so much already."

Mermaid and Thumbelina are now two of over 500 horses and ponies rehomed under our Guardianship scheme, and as Redwings Guardians, Joe and Stacey are responsible for their everyday love and care. Although we always look for long-term homes, Redwings retains ownership, so Redwings Guardians like Stacey and Joe have the security of knowing that the ponies always have a home at the sanctuary if they need it.

Redwings Senior Field Officer Jo Franklin, who carries out our rehoming assessments, said: “Rehoming is a vital area of our work, helping us make capacity for more rescued horses and donkeys that need us, and easing the burden on our sanctuary care, and we are so pleased to support Stacey and Joe as they start the wonderful journey of rehoming a rescued horse! It was our pleasure to approve this home for Mermaid and Thumbelina as it is the perfect set-up for them. As with all our Guardians, we will carry out regular home-visits and support them all the way through, and we look forward to hearing more from Stacey and Joe as the ponies settle into their lovely new home!”