THE Mare and Foal Sanctuary has launched an urgent crowdfunding appeal to buy mud control mats for its Veterinary and Welfare Assessment Centre in Devon.

It comes after national coverage of a high-profile partnership operation brought a 13-strong herd of Icelandic horses into the charity’s lifelong care.

The charity is seeking at least £10,000 towards a £20,000 project to install 700m² of specialist matting across field entrances and training arenas at the Beech Trees centre in Newton Abbot.

The mats will provide dry, stable footing through the winter months and allow staff to keep handling sessions running safely, despite challenging weather conditions.

Training previously unhandled and semi feral ponies is central to moving them through the Sanctuary and preparing them for rehoming or longer-term placement, helping to free up much-needed space at the assessment centre for more rescued ponies.

More solid, drier surfaces mean staff can work consistently with the horses, speeding their rehabilitation.

The charity also says that it’s vital from a welfare perspective that the ponies always have the opportunity for a dry area on which to stand to provide better hoof health as well as comfort.

Amy Dearlove, Sanctuary Manager at Beech Trees Veterinary and Welfare Centre, said: ‘Installing mud control mats in the fields is a vital step to support our winter training programme, improve equine welfare, and ensure health and safety for staff working in challenging conditions.

‘These mats will allow us to safely and consistently work with feral ponies over winter which is crucial for progressing their training and enabling them to move out of quarantine.

‘During winter, muddy and uneven ground makes this work difficult’.

The Beech Trees centre has handled a high volume of admissions this year, with 17 rescued intakes, one foal being born on site, and 20 ponies returned from the charity's rehoming scheme.

This means that 38 different horses and ponies have been cared for at the site in almost ten months.

The charity says rescues continue into winter, making usable outdoor spaces critical to sustaining its work.

The mats are a practical, relatively low-cost intervention that reduce slips for both animals and handlers, keeps routine veterinary and farrier work on schedule, and prevents training delays that can slow a horse’s progress.

The example of a four-month-old Icelandic colt who is currently cared for at Beech Trees illustrates the need for this matting.

Arriving completely unhandled with his dam Mavis and another mare and foal, he was initially shy and hesitant.

After patient, consistent handling by the sanctuary team he has flourished, enjoying grooming and beginning headcollar training.

Emma Platt, Digital Fundraising and Activities Manager, said: ‘We are hugely grateful to all our supporters because without their help we simply couldn’t rescue and improve the lives of hundreds of equines.

‘Mud control mats have already made an incredible difference to the ponies and team members at our Yelverton Moorland Rescue Facility, so we know the huge benefits they bring.

‘We hope this crowdfunder builds on the recent public interest in the Icelandic welfare operation and helps create safer, more productive surfaces at Beech Trees to speed recovery and move vulnerable horses on to their next stage of care’.