A foal who endured a difficult start to life at the Mare and Foal Sanctuary has had his story made into a documentary film for schoolchildren.
The birth of Little Nev, a chestnut moorland colt foal, was captured by a webcam in a paddock at the charity’s Newton Abbot site.
Although the birth was straightforward the following days and weeks were not as Little Nev struggled to feed from his dam, Nia, and required round the clock care from the team in a ‘foal-watch’ operation.
Nia was one of 68 horses who were rescued from Merthyr Common in a large multi-organisational operation in late 2023. She was pregnant at the time of the rescue and also had a filly foal at foot.
“Little Nev’s story is one we wanted to share with the local schools we work with. The film shows live field webcam footage of Little Nev’s birth and then follows the difficult first month of his life,” said Dawn Neil, head of education and equine assisted services at the Mare and Foal Sanctuary.
‘Serious concerns’
“Nia’s reluctance to allow him to feed led to serious concerns from our sanctuary care team that he may not survive. Fortunately Little Nev’s story has a happy ending, but we think it’s a valuable insight into the fragility of new life and the importance of caring for animals.”
The 12-minute film was made by former ITV Westcountry journalist Claire Manning and equine videographer Phil Jones and has been sent to more than 50 schools.
It is hoped the mini-documentary, which is free to view, will provoke thought and discussion in classes.
“As a Sanctuary dedicated to equine welfare, we’re passionate about educating young people. We offer equine assisted sessions in partnership with our rescued ponies for children, outdoor learning activities and we visit local schools to give talks helping young people understand more about animals and nature,” added Dawn.
“We find that children relate to our horses’ and ponies’ life stories of overcoming difficult experiences. This can bring hope, a renewed sense of meaning and future direction to their lives.”
