Mare to get 'round-the-clock care' as Devon charity discovers she's carrying secret foal

A horse rescued by a sanctuary in Devon is expecting a surprise arrival.

The Mare and Foal Sanctuary in Newton Abbot has just discovered that a Welsh moorland mare it rescued before Christmas was carrying a very special gift.

‘Nia’ and her filly foal ‘Netty’ were part of a herd of 69 semi-feral Welsh Moorlands taken from Merthyr Common in a joint operation involving several animal welfare organisations.

Scant resources, fighting and unmonitored breeding on the Common had caused serious welfare concerns.

At the time, the Sanctuary Care team looking after her didn’t know for certain that Nia was in the early stages of pregnancy.

Recent tests have confirmed that she’s likely to foal in late summer or early autumn.

Despite the name of the charity, sanctuary births don’t happen frequently.

Head of Sanctuary Care, Sally Burton said: "The birth of one here is quite a big deal for us. We have a strict non-breeding policy to reduce the number of unwanted horses.

"Nia ran unrestricted on the Welsh commons, gave birth to Netty, and we estimate she became pregnant again shortly after the birth."

Nia is now being cared for at the Beech Trees Veterinary and Welfare Assessment Centre in Newton Abbot.

Horse Care Team Member Kayleigh Bull has handler-responsibility for Nia and says the whole Sanctuary team is "buzzing" about the news of Nia being in foal.

She says: ‘We’re all trying to estimate when it’ll happen, and September seems to be the popular choice.

"Equines are pregnant for about 11 months, so we think Nia gave birth to Netty and was covered very soon after.

"Nia is an absolute dream to work with. She’s calm and confident, has lots of character, responds well to attention and affection and is a great mother to Netty.

"It’s lovely for us to watch and I can’t wait to see Nia with a brand new foal.

"As a team we’re making sure that Nia is getting regular vet checks and all the nutrients and vitamins she needs for a healthy pregnancy.

"When she’s ready to give birth, we’ll monitor her around-the-clock and have staff on-site overnight watching our field webcams for any birthing signs because nearly all equine deliveries happen at night.

"Being outdoors is the most natural environment for ponies, so the field she knows best is where Nia will feel most comfortable and stress-free giving birth."