Rescued pony with head injuries begins recovery at Devon sanctuary

Devon equine welfare charity The Mare and Foal Sanctuary is giving supporters a unique  glimpse of its work to help a neglected pony recently found with painful head injuries.

12-year-old piebald Cob Arty was found by the police, abandoned on a road in Somerset, heavily overweight with a headcollar embedded into his skin.

After being rescued by the RSPCA and receiving urgent veterinary treatment, Arty needed a permanent home with specialist care. The Mare and Foal Sanctuary  stepped in to offer him sanctuary for life.

Arty  recently arrived at the charity’s Newton Abbot Veterinary and Welfare Assessment Centre and supporters on social media are now being invited to follow regular news updates, photos and film clips of his recovery.

They will also be able to watch his first steps into a happier new life at one of the sanctuary’s four beautiful equine reserves, meeting new companions and enjoying playing and foraging in a natural habitat.

Director of fundraising and communications, Dawn Vincent said the sanctuary was glad to be able to offer Arty a home.

“Just a few months ago, Arty’s life was very different. He was badly overweight, suffering with mites, and his headcollar had grown into his skin, causing deep wounds. Thanks to the swift actions of our colleagues at the RSPCA, he received immediate care, along with diet control and liver health testing — key steps in managing obesity, which can cause lameness, laminitis, and other serious health issues.

“We’re continuing to assess his health and help him settle into his new life with us. It’s still very early days but Arty seems to be doing really well and his care team says there’s something a bit special about him.

“He’s a very sweet and gentle pony, despite his traumatic past, and he seems to be a real character. He won our hearts very quickly and we can’t wait to see what happens next when he moves out of quarantine. While most of the sanctuary’s equines live naturally together, we need to make sure Arty is fully clear of infections like strangles before he joins one of our herds.”
 RSPCA inspector Steph Daly was first alerted to Arty's plight by police after he had been reported running loose on the road in the Somerset/Wiltshire area.

She said: “When we approached we could see he was wearing a heavy-duty cavesson headcollar, which seemed quite unusual because something that sturdy is usually used for lunging. I’ve got a keen sense of smell and that’s the first thing I noticed; his head was infected, and I could see the collar was painfully stuck to his skin, with the wounds seeming quite deep underneath. We worked quickly to arrange transport and vet care.”

Steph says the stallion, who was later named Arty, behaved impeccably with his rescuers.

She said: “He was lovely to handle and walked straight up to the lorry. I could see what a special pony he is, which made it even more saddening that nobody claimed him when we served an abandonment notice.
“The vet later told us that his head injuries were probably caused by Arty being tethered firmly by his collar and him struggling to break free. But despite the pain he must have been in, he allowed the wounds to be treated without any fuss.

“We love working with charities that put the best welfare outcomes for animals at the heart of everything they do. After seeing Arty in such a poor state when we rescued him it’s so lovely to hear that he’s beginning a wonderful new life with our colleagues at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary.”

 In 2024 the RSPCA investigated 22,503 reports of abandoned animals. This means there were more than 61 abandonment incidents every single day last year, highlighting the ongoing need for awareness and action to protect vulnerable animals.
Dawn said the charity hopes supporters will get behind Arty by sharing his news in coming weeks.

“By following our social media channels and signing up to our e-news people can watch Arty’s progress as it happens.

“Our team is already capturing lovely moments on film and we’re looking forward to discovering how his story unfolds and showing more of the work that goes into caring full-time for a pony like Arty. Our work is funded entirely by the kind donations of our supporters.

“We hope Arty’s story will help us to show how their generosity is transforming the lives of the hundreds of horses and ponies who have safe sanctuary with us."

If you’d like to follow Arty’s journey, you can find The Mare and Foal Sanctuary on FaceBook, Instagram, TickTok and LinkedIn, with updates available on the charity’s website: www.mareandfoal.org

Arty was found with a mare in foal, who is currently still under the care of the RSPCA.