Our lovely Charlie is a Shetland pony in his late 20s. He has Cushing’s disease (which affects his hormones) and has suffered with laminitis his entire life (an extremely painful condition that affects ponies’ hooves). As Charlie got older, his owner had two options: send Charlie somewhere that could meet his requirements or put him to sleep. His owner looked all over for a sanctuary that would accept Charlie, but it wasn’t easy. Charlie’s prime condition meant some sanctuaries didn’t deem him poorly enough to need rescuing, but his medical requirements meant he couldn’t go to a normal home either. It was through word of mouth that Charlie’s owner finally found Far From – and he even visited us before bringing Charlie along. He still visits Far From every few months and is always welcomed here. It is a joy to see an owner so dedicated.
Charlie’s owner cared for him brilliantly and he is a loving, happy pony with no mobility issues. As you can see in the pictures above, he looks a lot younger than his age!
We travelled down to Charlie in Somerset to see if the old boy was fit for travel and all agreed that Far From would be his new home. He arrived with his owner after a calm and successful journey. This little pony is phased by nothing and takes everything in his stride. He’s not had companionship for several years and for the majority of his life has not been able to share a field with his companions due to his laminitis.
At Far From, we have 6 ponies that have come to us suffering from laminitis. Here in the Welsh mountains, there’s very little fructan (a type of sugar that can directly cause laminitis) in the grass, meaning it’s a great home for ponies who suffer with the disease. Charlie will now spend his days in larger, more suitable paddocks, running around with his new best friends. At night, he shares a barn with Mable the sheep, goats Janie and Tilney and two of his other herd members, Freddie and Flossy.
We’re pleased to say that Charlie is loving his new life, meeting all his new friends with an amicable, placid temperament.
Welcome to muddy Wales, Charlie. Those socks won’t stay white for long, but you’ll have so much fun in your new home with your Far From family
Like most of our wonderful rescue animals, Charlie requires endless TLC and medical care. We’ve got the cuddles sorted, but we rely on donations to keep Charlie’s diseases under control. Please consider gifting Charlie some medicine, a farrier visit or even a stable rug (among other things)!
We opened the Far From Holiday Retreat in order to provide us with funds to enable us to continue our work with these beautiful animals. During the Covid crisis alone we have taken in eight horses, five pigs and a feral farm cat! All new arrivals must be microchipped and passported (and normally they aren’t), vaccinated three times, rasped, wormed and given a general health check by the vet – with the majority requiring many more visits to ensure that they are happy and healthy.
If you are unable to come and visit us, you can still help us to continue our work by supporting us financially. We have included a couple of options below.
Ponies are used to eating small meals throughout the day and breaking up the treats will help maintain their eating schedule. Almost any fruits – and many vegetables – are safe treats for healthy ponies. Apples and carrots are traditional favourites especially with our miniature ponies!
Salt is the one nutrient that ponies will self-supplement to balance their diet and is a real treat for Charlie! He gets very excited when he gets a salt lick and becomes great entertainment for him and us!
Charlie is in his late 20’s and has Cushing’s disease and has suffered with laminitis all his life. This medication is crucial to keep him going!
We use fly spray for our horses and ponies, especially in the summer months. Flies are a general nuisance, but for some of our horses their bites can lead to reactions and persistent itching and discomfort, so this really is a lifesaver as they are highly effective and long-lasting
All our miniatures have come to us either with or struggle with laminitis. Making sure minis get their vitamins is really important. Now because we have the landscape that these miniature are designed to live on, they probably don’t need all the supplements.
Every equine needs their hooves trimmed every 6 to 10 weeks (depending on the horse). To have a happy, healthy horse it is essential to have a fully qualified, caring, reliable farrier to complete this task.
Pro earth is designed to make sure they get all the vitamins they need. Because they can’t be on lots of grass, they are either in large bare paddocks or tiny paddocks with very little grass
Charlie is nearly 30 years old, so it is important to keep him warm and Cosy during his long winter nights in the barn. This stable rug is ideal and would be a massive help as he only has one turnout rug at present.