Devon stars line up as equine Mare and Foal Sanctuary launch new centre

Josh Widdicombe, Angela Rippon and John Nettles are among the well-known names sending messages of support as The Mare and Foal Sanctuary opens a major new welfare and education centre near Totnes.

A new chapter in the care of vulnerable horses and ponies is beginning in Devon as The Mare and Foal Sanctuary officially opens the Rosemary Kind Barn at Coombe Park on Wednesday 30 September.

The purpose-built centre, one of the most significant developments in the charity’s 38-year history, provides 13 stables for rescued horses and ponies with complex needs, alongside dedicated spaces for specialist care, education and community work.

The new building replaces the former American Barn, which was demolished in 2020 after subsidence left it unfit for purpose. Horses have been accommodated in temporary stabling since then while the charity developed a permanent replacement.

Among the first residents is Inula, a draught cross who arrived at the Sanctuary in 2019 following a large multi-agency rescue involving more than 100 horses. She was underweight and malnourished and suffering from life-threatening liver problems. An X-ray also revealed an air-gun pellet embedded in her foot, indicating she had previously been shot in the hoof.

Inula is now receiving specialist care at the new barn.

She is joined by Iris, a Shetland cross born at the Sanctuary in 2011. Her mother, Matilda, arrived unhandled following a local drift sale and is now 34. Iris lives with Equine Metabolic Syndrome and has a history of laminitis, while Matilda has chronic dental problems requiring careful management by the Sanctuary’s care team.

Their stories reflect the range of complex welfare needs the new centre has been designed to accommodate.

But the Rosemary Kind Barn is about more than stabling. The facility brings together the Sanctuary’s equine welfare work with its therapeutic and educational programmes, allowing children, young people and adults to work alongside rescued horses and ponies in a safe and supportive environment.

The charity says these programmes can help people develop confidence, resilience and essential life skills while building an understanding of horses and their needs.

Rhodri Samuel, Chief Executive of The Mare and Foal Sanctuary, said the opening represented an important moment for the organisation.

“It brings together within one site our care for the welfare of horses and ponies, our therapeutic equine-assisted work with children and adults and our deepening respect for the land and the natural world,” he said.

“Seeing the horses settled in a place built around their needs is a proud moment for everyone here. It’s the foundation for decades of care and wellbeing to come.”

The barn is named in honour of Rosemary Kind, who founded The Mare and Foal Sanctuary in 1988. She died in 2022.

Today, the charity cares for around 550 horses, ponies and foals across sites in Newton Abbot, Totnes, Holsworthy and Yelverton. The surrounding land at Coombe Park is also being managed with wildlife and biodiversity in mind, with tree, hedgerow and wildflower planting forming part of the wider development.

Stars support new centre

The new centre has attracted messages of support from several high-profile figures associated with the charity and Devon.

Comedian Josh Widdicombe, who is from Dartmoor, recorded a message congratulating the Sanctuary on the opening.

“As someone from Devon, from Dartmoor in fact, I know how important the horses and ponies are, not just to the landscape but to the people,” he said.

“So, it’s great they’re having a place where they can be cared for so well and where people can find peace and connection.”

Broadcaster Angela Rippon, a patron of the charity since 2018, also welcomed the opening.

Rippon, who grew up in Devon, said horses had been “a constant thread” throughout her life and praised the time, patience and understanding required to help horses arriving at the Sanctuary after difficult experiences.

“The Rosemary Kind Barn represents an important new chapter for The Mare and Foal Sanctuary,” she said. “It will strengthen the charity’s ability to care for horses, ponies and foals in need, while supporting its education and wellbeing work for years to come.”

Fellow patron John Nettles, who has supported the Sanctuary since 2014, also sent his congratulations, praising the organisation’s dedication to rescuing horses in urgent need and giving them the chance of a brighter future.

Actor and former Strictly Come Dancing champion Flavia Cacace also sent her best wishes, describing the building as a “safe and calm space” for some of the Sanctuary’s most vulnerable ponies.

Five years in the making

Construction of the new centre began in 2020.Dawn Vincent, Director of Fundraising and Communications, said the project had faced delays and challenges but received significant backing from donors and supporters.

 More than 1,200 people contributed to the initial appeal, with further supporters funding the tack room and contributing through a Crowdfunder campaign.

“The support from our major donors, stable sponsors and individual supporters has been extraordinary,” Vincent said.

“We’re completely indebted to everyone who has helped bring it to life. The ponies are getting the best care, and this will be a centre of excellence for years to come, where people can understand horses better and make stronger connections with them.”

The official opening on 30 September will be attended by invited VIP guests, and the Sanctuary will not be open to the public that day. Members of the public wishing to see the new building and meet some of its residents will be able to book guided tours.

For The Mare and Foal Sanctuary, the Rosemary Kind Barn represents the culmination of five years of planning and construction and provides a permanent, purpose-built home for horses with complex needs.

It also creates a dedicated setting where people can learn, connect and develop alongside rescued horses and ponies – bringing two central strands of the charity’s work together under one roof.

For more information about The Mare and Foal Sanctuary, its horses and opportunities to visit, go to mareandfoal.org.