Poppy

Poppy

Poppy the stunning Shire horse came to Redwings when her mum sadly passed away on Christmas Eve and left her all alone.

Location: Caldecott, Norfolk

Height: 17.2hh

Breed: Shire

Colour: Bay

If you would like to support our work, you can donate in memoriam for a one off payment from just £5.

Poppy the stunning Shire horse came to Redwings when her mum sadly passed away on Christmas Eve and left her all alone. She became very sad and desperately missed horsey company, so her worried owners if we could offer her a home at Redwings, where they knew she would never be lonely again.

Poppy spent four very happy years living at our Caldecott Visitor Centre, where she struck up a special friendship with fellow Shire horse Gemma. Poppy and Gemma were inseparable and were also identical; they could only be told apart by Poppy's mismatching white socks!

Poppy also made many human friends too. She was incredibly popular among the Redwings care teams and visitors alike, especially as she adored cuddles and would delight her fans with her funny tricks.

Very sadly, and very suddenly, in 2017 Poppy passed away. One evening, her carers noticed she was showing signs of colic – stomach pain that can be a symptom of something very mild or extremely serious, as it sadly was in Poppy's case.

Poppy received pain medication and colic treatment, but when her condition worsened she was taken straight to our horse hospital for surgery. Upsettingly, the severity of the colic meant she was simply too ill to survive the anaesthesia and she passed away before we could operate.

Poppy's loss was deeply felt, but we will never forget this wonderfully stunning and friendly girl.

Adopt a new friend today

Adoption pack

Receive a wonderful adoption pack

Sponsor a horse or donkey from as little as £2 a month via direct debit or make a one-off donation and you’ll receive a wonderful adoption pack.

What’s included

  • Three postal updates a year from your new friend including one at Christmas!
  • Your Adoption Star’s photo and rescue story
  • Quarterly email updates with photos from your Adoption Star Friend
  • An invitation to their birthday party – yes really!
  • A certificate of adoption
  • A factsheet all about your chosen animal
  • A bookmark featuring your Adoption Star

You will also receive our twice-yearly newsletter or children’s magazine so you can keep up with all the latest news from Redwings!

How adoption works

1. Pick a horse or donkey to sponsor

Whether you’re a fan of a good sing-song or love nothing more than snooze, find your perfect Adoption Star partner for yourself or your loved one!

2. Set up your adoption

For gift adoptions we will need to get a few extra details to know who to send adoption star updates to.

3. Receive your adoption star pack

Your wonderful adoption pack includes a special certificate, stunning photo of your new friend and their story.

4. Get regular updates

We'll keep you up to date on how you're supporting our vital work including sending your adoption star updates with photos and stories throughout the year.

How adoption works video still

Adoption scheme FAQs

We aim to send your pack as quickly as possible and you can usually expect it to arrive within five working days. However, delivery can take up to 21 days, especially in busy times, so please be patient.

You can renew your adoption here or call our supporter engagement team on 01508 505246.

The majority of our adoption stars all live at one of our visitor centres around the UK. 

Opening times vary, you can find all the details here. Entry is free of charge and as part of your adoption package you'll receive an invite to their birthday party at the centre where they live - yes really!

Of course you can! Adopting a horse or a donkey for a loved one or friends makes a thoughtful and unique gift – perfect for Christmas, Easter or birthdays!

When you come to purchase your adoption, you can choose to have the adoption pack posted directly to the recipient, or you can opt to have the pack posted directly to you so you can give the gift at a time of your choosing.

After many years as well-loved Adoption Stars, we feel it’s only right that these wonderful residents have the chance to enjoy a peaceful retirement in their golden years.

If your Adoption Star retires, it doesn’t mean you still can’t sponsor them. It just means we won’t be accepting any new sponsors for that particular Adoption Star. You’ll still receive updates from your four-legged friend and can give them a cuddle at the visitor centre where they live.

There are more detailed FAQs about all aspects of our adoption scheme which you can find here.

Alternatively you can contact our friendly Supporter Engagement Team by calling 01508 505246, or by info@redwings.co.uk. Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday between 08:30 and 16:30. Please note that our offices are closed on bank holidays. 

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