Ronnie and Flo's Animal Rescue was born at the beginning of lockdown in 2020. My wife and two teenage daughters, who could all handle horses, were called into action after a Dartmoor pony, Bella, and her American Miniature foal, Waffles, kept escaping from their poorly fenced small barren hilly field, onto a busy main road in search of grass or feed. Running in and out of the traffic this would soon end badly. We took them on board and found somewhere safe for them to thrive. We now have four horses, four ponies, a sheep and two lambs.
I am a retired Police Officer with Complex PTSD and I help out where I can, which normally consists of going around to all the animals, finding their itchy spots and bum rubs, speaking to them, and sometimes singing to them (it sends Sonny to sleep!). The real work is undertaken by my wife and my two hardworking teenage daughters who love spending time with girls and boys.
Since Ronnie and Flo's Animal Rescue inception we have fully funded the rescue ourselves, including the livery rent, feed, haylage, shavings, vets bills, and regular farrier appointments at approx £1000+ every month. However, in the last two years the financial crisis has affected us considerably, as it has everybody. We are now seeking alternative means of funding the rescue as we will never abandon those animals that we see daily running around, having fun chasing each other, and importantly recalling how many of them looked when we took them on.
Asking for small donations is only one means of funding, and we are currently exploring any grants that may be available, and also considering using a few of our ponies to become therapy ponies for those with dementia, in care homes, or suffering mental health issues such as PTSD. In addition we are open to further suggestions in terms of our sustainability.
Bella is now 11 years old and Waffles is 5 years old.
Not long after our first two, came Sonny. Sonny was living on an appalling piece of land with a gate separating him and a roundabout. Passers-by would feed him, but it was generally cake, McDonalds or Burger King. Consequently his health was not good, and his interaction with humans was limited. We located the 'owner' and Sonny was ours. Sonny is a 13 year old cob.
Jack was brought to us as his owners were looking for a good home for him to go to. Jack has EMS (Equine Metabollic Syndrome - similar to human diabetes) and his grass intake has to be monitored. Jack is a 13 year old Welshy Pony.
Next was Onion, who came to us from the RSPCA. She had been one of a number of Shetland ponies that had been rescued in atrocious conditions. Unfortunately due to their poor condition it was some time before she was passed fit to move on. Initially named Onyx, she was quickly renamed Onion. Onion is a 4 year old black Shetland cross.
The following summer we acquired number 6, Stella. Bought from a dealer who had bought her from Appleby horse sales, her destiny was uncertain. To prevent what we suspected would happen we bought her. Stella is a 7 year old Cob with big pink flobbity chops!
Before we had time to breathe we became aware of a thoroughbred at our livery that was about to come to a crossroads. Willow was bred to be a racehorse at the livery, but her quirky and unpredictable manner could not be tamed and she was about to be 'moved on'. And so entered number 7. Willow is a 4 year old thoroughbred, who is still unpredictable, but we love her.
The last horse we acquired was Ronnie. Ronnie appeared to us from out the front door of a terraced house in Dudley. A rope around his neck, he was shivering, soaking wet, coughing with a runny nose, his hooves overgrown and split, and staring at the road. I am convinced that if we had not had him that day he would have died that week. Too small for the horse box he stood on the back seat on the way home, with my wife trying to dry him and keep him warm. A trip to the vets confirmed it was touch and go but fortunately a few days later he perked up and we have never looked back. Ronnie is our little fighter, and so was named after the infamous Ronnie Pickering (YouTube). Ronnie, is a 2 year old Falabella.
Our sheep additions consist of Flo, 2 years old, who was about to go for the chop, Reggie, 3 months old lamb who had been rejected by his mother and was malnourished, and Nessa, a 6 month old lamb bought as a companion for Reggie.