Meet the Family

There are many animals living at the Ray of Hope Animal Sanctuary: here is the story of a just a few.

MAX

I am a six year old horse and was heading for the horse sale market. I was raised as a drive and ride horse but driven very hard as a two year old.

I stands 15.3 hands high and my best friend is Jet: a small Shetland Pony.

JET

I am a Farabella - a miniture Shetland - rescued by the Ray of Hope and I used to be a stallion. I've been castrated now but I'm happy and content now...

HENRY

I am a Welsh driving show pony. Unfortunately I have a bad lung and could not drive anymore. My owners were going to put me down because they couldn't afford to care for me any longer but was offered a new home at the Ray of Hope.

PETER

I am a miniture Shetland and being older than I feel I was unwanted by my owner. I suppose at 38 I am getting on a bit and I've lost my back teeth.

Still, Ray of Hope water down my food and I enjoy my daily grub.

REBECCA

I am a cheeky donkey and became homeless when my owners marriage broke up.

I don't really think that I am a donkey - being a horse seems much more fun. A touch of ashma but the Ray of Hope give me medicine to make me feel better.

WILLIAM

I am a Shetland pony and am happy at the Ray of Hope after my previous owner gave up on trying to sell me.

I can be a bit bossy - all the people I was sold to returned me - and I am a wonderful escapologist but life has settled down since I've been here...

BUBBLES

I am Toby's stable mate and am 18 years old. A Shetland pony, my previous owner wanted to shoot me because I suffer from laminitis.

The farrier comes along every three weeks to help keep me mobile and I'm feeling great!

POSY

I am a Shetland pony and am twenty years young. Unfortunately my owners were too old to care for me and so I came to live at the Ray of Hope instead.

I was very timid when I came to the sanctuary but after making new animal friends everything has come out for the good!

TOPSY

I am Posy's companion. I'm twenty years old and a fellow Shetland. I suffer with Laminitis and am kept on a strict diet but am doing very well.

The only problem is that I'm not allowed to eat the tasty, rich long grass - it brings on my laminitis and makes me poorly...

TILLY

A lot smaller than most of my friends: I ran away from my owners because the Ray of Hope was such a cool place to be - no matter how often I was returned to my owners, I'd always come back to see my new friends at the sanctuary.

In the end, I came to live here and work hard to keep the mice at bay. I have an important role here and am actually the brains behind the sanctuary, running the operation from my caravan office where I can watch over the other animals.

TOBY

I am a thoroughbred horse, and nobody really knew my age: I was sold by my orriginal owners who said I was ten - I'm actually 23 but was flattered to be seen as a ten year old...

Quite a stink was caused with the RSPCA and the police as well - the owners didn't want to keep me, because I was older than they thought and was a bit skinny, so I came to the Ray of Hope.

I'm given a special diet, my weight is back up and I'm happy living with Bubbles and the new arrival - our supperstar, Anne's Bank.

ANNE'S BANK

I am a retired race horse. In my time, I won seven races in England and Ireland and loved getting new rossettes for my stable wall.

A bit old to race, I bred foals for my owners until I was too old for that too.

My next job role was going to be in the dog food industry: fortunately after nine foals I came to the Ray of Hope Animal Sanctuary instead and now a grand old lady of fifteen live happily with my new friends.