Rehome a Hugs Horse/Pony
Interested in rehoming a Hugs horse or pony?
Rehoming a rescue horse is incredibly rewarding. Our list of horses available to rehome are below and on our Facebook page but there may be others that are undergoing their rehabilitation programmes and will be available soon.
If you are interested in rehoming a Hugs horse or pony please complete the rehoming application form (on the left to download) and submit online using the button to the right. Once we have your application we will be in touch for the next step of the rehoming process.
Please ensure you complete the entire form so we can find the right match for you. We cannot progress applications unless this form is completed in full. If you have any problems or questions regarding the form, please email rehoming@hugsfoundation.org.uk.
Thank you for your interest in giving a rescue horse/pony a loving home!
Horses and Ponies Available for Rehoming
(more photos of our available horses to rehome can be found on our Facebook page)
Ella
Ā
Height:Ā
Breed: Moorland pony
Date of Birth: Estimated summer 2019
Arrived at Hugs: 2019
Suitable for:Ā Potential children’s pony, companion
Likes/Dislikes:Ā Loves being with people. She is good with the farrier, being caught and is well handled.
Ella arrived at Hugs totally wild with a few other moorland rescues. She isĀ progressing with her training, being a very brave girl and having all her feet trimmed by the farrier. This might seem like a small training goal for some but āEllaā (cruella when naughty) was incredibly nervous on arrival and quite defensive with it, kicking and panicking with human interactions. Over time she has become one of the friendliest ponies at Hugs, often being the first over for nose tickles and entertaining. Could you offer her a loving home?
Branston
Ā
Height:Ā To make approximately 13hh
Breed: Dartmoor pony
Date of Birth: Estimated June 2019
Arrived at Hugs: 2019
Suitable for: Potential children’s ridden pony, in-hand work, companion.
Likes/Dislikes: Loves carrots and removing his head collars and fly masks!
Branston was orphaned at the Dartmoor drifts and was too young to be away from his mother. He had a huge worm burden and rainscald and would likely have faced the bullet if he hadn’t come to Hugs. Branston is an incredibly sweet, handsome guy and is generally good to handle etc but he is still nervous and can be jumpy with loud noises and quick movements. He usually wears a headcollar in field, will come straight over to see if you have food! He is good with his front feet and will pick up backs but needs encouragement.
Bramble
Height:Ā
Breed: Dartmoor pony
Date of Birth:Ā
Arrived at Hugs: 2018
Suitable for:Ā Potential children’s pony, companion
Likes/Dislikes:Ā
Bramble came to us in 2017 and was VERY nervous. He is a very handsome 2 year old Dartmoor gelding. He is now good with the farrier and to lead but is still nervous of being caught in the field/large space. He is inquisitive and would benefit from a one-to-one setting as building a relationship with someone will be the best way for him to trust humans and then be able to be caught easily.
Bramble would make the perfect pony for someone looking to build that perfect bond. He is currently in a foster home having one-to-one training and attention, helping build his confidence further.
Margaret - Reserved
Ā
Height:Ā
Breed: Dartmoor pony
Date of Birth:Ā
Arrived at Hugs: 2019
Suitable for:Ā Potential children’s pony, companion
Likes/Dislikes:
Margaret was rescued from the 2019 Chagford sales. Chagford saw 258 ponies sold out of 300+ ponies entered. Unfortunately this meant that some were left unsold š and therefore with an unsecured future. Margaret was one of 4 lucky ponies that Hugs came back with last year! 3 colts and a young skinny filly. Although they are supposed to be a minimum of 6 months old when they come through the sales many are much younger and Margaret was the youngest of the bunch aged, by our vet, as only around 7 weeks old when she came to Hugs, far too young to be away from her mum. She was going unsold in the auction and because of her age (She should have been relying on her mother’s milk to survive at that age) and the stress she had been under, she was extremely skinny and in very poor condition. All four had HUGE WORM BURDENS! They were all terrified and extremely stressed from being separated from their mothers during the drifts and going through the busy sale. We did a lot of handling work with them so they got used to having headcollars on (to make administration of medication easier!) plus we slowly got them used to being stroked and brushed. We are continuing to work with this little herd (and a few other youngsters we have rescued) and they are now ready for rehoming. Please get in touch if you could offer a loving home, they will make fab childrenās ponies and companions. Margaret was incredibly lucky this winter and went to a lovely foster home. She has returned to Hugs with a new confidence and lovely manners. She’s good to catch, groom and with her feet.
Humbug
Ā
Height: 11hh
Breed: Unknown but Moorland Pony type
Date of Birth:Ā Unknown but older years
Arrived at Hugs: 2020
Suitable for:Ā Companion
Likes/Dislikes:
Humbug is seeking a lifelong home where he can relax, meet new friends, learn to be loved and gallop over grassy fields. He has come into the rescue with 12 others who desperately needed help. He is an older gentleman who has lived a relatively sheltered life – One field. One herd. One owner. That being said he certainly has a zest for life and since coming here has found a new lease of energy!
Although only 11hh he is one of the top characters in the herd but equally happy to come in for a brush and a haynet. He is still learning about other āimportantā things – like farriers, dentists, vets, food, pigs š· and tractors š! Some he is taking in his stride, other he needs more persuasion with!!!
š„
He would love to be someoneās companion and be loved by someone as he so deserves!
Penelope
Ā
Height: Approximately 12.1hh
Breed: Mini cob
Date of Birth:Ā Approximately 5 years old
Arrived at Hugs: 2019
Suitable for:Ā Potential children’s pony, companion
Likes/Dislikes:Ā Loves being around people. She is good atĀ being caught and is well handled.
Penelope was one of the three nameless cobs from Doncaster who arrived in March 2019. They were in appalling state. Thick matted coats hiding skin and bones. They were painfully thin. Although nervous they all came with a calm disposition and have blossomed into lovely mares. Penelope is a gorgeous mare who is now around 3 and a half years old. She is good to catch and lead. She is still learning about picking up her feet, she loves a good scratchy brush but has a hilariously independent character and will let you know when she’s had enough and she wants to head back out to the field with her friends!
Penelope has seen the farrier, dentist and vet. She has also done a little long reining and took to it very well. She will continue her training with us until she finds her forever home. She just needs to learn about this big wild world and will need a confident handler. She is very beautiful and has a lot of potential. She is quiet and calm in the field and with other horses, so would also make an easy companion. She’s not keen on being alone in the field or stable.
Pickle
Ā
Height: To make approximately 12.2hh
Breed: Dartmoor pony
Date of Birth: Estimated June 2019
Arrived at Hugs: 2019
Suitable for:Ā Potential children’s pony, companion
Likes/Dislikes:Ā He is a loving pony and is good with the farrier, being caught and is well handled but can be nervous so needs someone who will give him confidence and patience.
Pickle was rescued just before the 2019 Chagford sales. Every year many ‘drifts’ occur across the moors. Here the moor ponies all get rounded up by the farmers/owners and separated into their own stock. Each pony can then be checked, have any appropriate medical care etc before either being returned to the moors or sent to the auctions. Unfortunately as the ponies are rounded up into different pens, the can lose their herds in the panic of the hustle and bustle. Sadly many foals lose their mothers either in the rounding up on the moor or in the pens which means a very sudden and stressful weaning. Doing the drifts in October means that many of the spring foals will be 6 months old by then and about ready to become more independent however this doesn’t take into account any late born foals. These babies are very unlikely to find their mothers again and would not survive if returned to the moors by themselves and so are either sent to the auction or they face the bullet. Any ponies left unclaimed that are rounded up also face this fate. Luckily last year for some of these orphaned foals and unclaimed ponies, a very lovely farmer allowed some of them to wait a week or two on her land to try and find homes before they were ‘disposed of’. Hugs were able to help 5 orphan foals and a young mare with a month old filly at foot.
Pickle was around 3 months old when he came to Hugs, far too young to be away from his mum. They all had HUGE WORM BURDENS plus eye infections and severe rainscald! We did a lot of handling work with them so they got used to having headcollars on (to make administration of medication easier!) plus we slowly got them used to being stroked and brushed. We are continuing to work with this little herd (and a few other youngsters from the sales) and they are now ready for rehoming. Please get in touch if you could offer a loving home, they will make fab childrenās ponies and companions. All the boys are unfortunately still ‘entire’ due to the current lock down their ‘special appointment’ with the vet has had to be postponed. They will be done as soon as possible and in the mean time are available to reserve! Pickle is a lovely chunky boy who will mature approx 12hh. He’s very stocky with a good leg at each corner! Pickle is still quite shy but he is very interested in what’s going on around him and he’s quick to learn. His favorite party trick is to stand with his front legs over the stable door so he can look up and down the barn to see what is going on! He’s a very stunning boy and is going to make a gorgeous children’s pony.
See his training videos below.
Moomin - Reserved
Ā
Height:Ā Around 12hh
Breed: Mini cob
Date of Birth:Ā
Arrived at Hugs: March 2020
Suitable for:Ā
Likes/Dislikes:Ā
Moomin arrived at Hugs in March 2020 with 3 other horses that were rescued from Surrey with the help of another charity and funding from the awesome Network for Animals. They had been abandoned and were in awful condition, covered in dirt with matted coats, lice and intestinal worms. He was an entire boy when he arrived and had a very complicated castration which resulted in a big operation. He has now fully recovered and is ready to find his forever home. He is a handsome boy with blue eyes and a big character and is around 12hh. He featured on our Facebook Live project, A Daily Hug and had his own episode ‘Moo’s News on a Tues.’
Dobby
Ā
Height: To make approximately 12.2hh
Breed:Ā Mini cob
Date of Birth: 2018
Arrived at Hugs: March 2020
Suitable for:Ā Potential children’s pony, companion, possible driven.
Likes/Dislikes:Ā Loves food and nose waffles. He is still learning to pick up his feet and wears a headcollar in the field but can be caught with food. He is very nervous but getting much better each day.
Dobby arrived at Hugs in March 2020 with 3 other horses (including Moomin and Dickinson) that were rescued from Surrey with the help of another charity and funding from the awesome Network for Animals. They had been abandoned and were in awful condition, covered in dirt with matted coats, lice and intestinal worms. Dobby was extremely nervous of people and is slowly building his confidence. He will now be caught and has seen the farrier and vet and was really brave. He is a very sweet boy but will need a home that can continue to build his confidence with people. This will take time but will be an incredibly rewarding experience. Could you offer Dobby a loving home?
Horses and Ponies Available for Rehoming in Future
(more photos of our available horses to rehome can be found on our Facebook page)
Mumma Mo (Moana) - reserved
Ā
Height:Ā
Breed:Ā Mini cob
Date of Birth:Ā
Arrived at Hugs:Ā 2019
Suitable for:Ā
Likes/Dislikes:Ā
The beautiful Mumma Mo! This lovely filly is about 4 years old and has been confirmed pregnant. Moana was one of five rescued to Hugs after being abandoned fly grazing. They all arrived with terrible feet, lice, worms and in poor condition. Luckily for us she’s the friendliest of the bunch meaning we are able to check up on her (and her foal to be) very closely. Moana is MASSIVE! She is due any day! Therefore we are all on Foal Watch. She will be available for rehoming once her baby is weaned. She is excellent to catch, groom and with her feet. Her calm and relaxed attitude means she will make a fantastic children’s pony one day and would easily be a lead rein/ ridden pony. She’s already had all sorts of bits put on her like 8 giant legs to dress up as a spider for Halloween and she didn’t bat an eyelid!
Lady Rose
Ā
Height: Approximately 12hh
Breed:Ā Mini cob
Date of Birth:Ā Around 4 years old
Arrived at Hugs:Ā 2019
Suitable for: She would make a fantastic in hand show pony or possible driven cob one day
Likes/Dislikes:Ā
Lady Rose and her luscious locks to you!! Lady Rose came to Hugs as part of a group of pregnant, abandoned fly grazing ponies. She has now given birth to her beautiful baby Primrose. She has earned her title with her independent and feisty attitude! She is a very beautiful petite mini cob, around 4 years of age standing at 12hh. She would make a fantastic in hand show pony or possible driven cob one day. She has so much potential! Lady Rose is good to catch and lead, She has a lovely attitude and is a very friendly little mare but she will require a confident person to rehome her. She will be available for rehoming once her baby is weaned.
Frances - Reserved
Height:Ā
Breed:Ā Mini cob
Date of Birth:Ā
Arrived at Hugs:Ā 2019
Suitable for:Ā
Likes/Dislikes:
The beautiful Frances (AKA Baby from Dirty Dancing)! This lovely filly is the youngest of the group of abandoned, fly grazed, cobs and has been confirmed pregnant, even though she is still a baby herself (our vet suspects just 2 years old). Luckily for us she’s incredibly friendly meaning we are able to check up on her (and her foal to be) very closely. Irresponsible people using her for breeding at such a young age may cause complications with her pregnancy, such as stress on her body, inability to raise her foal due to her own immaturity and inability to produce milk. She is due any day and currently on foal watch! Franny will be available once her baby is weaned. She’s excellent to catch, lead, groom and for the farrier. She is the tallest of the bunch currently at around 13hh but will likely mature around 13.2/13.3hh. She has a lovely, eager personality and will make a fantastic children’s or small adult’s pony when she is old enough.
Jigsaw Puzzle (AKA Jiggy or Melon) - reserved
Ā
Height: To make approximately 13.3hh
Breed:Ā Mini cob x possible trotter
Date of Birth: May 2020
Arrived at Hugs:Ā Born at Hugs
Suitable for: Potential children’s pony, companion
Likes/Dislikes: Loves scratches and food. He is good with the farrier, being caught and is well handled.
Jigsaw is Frances’s foal and was born at Hugs during the coronavirus pandemic. He is a very sweet boy, the quietest of the four foals we have had. He will make approximately 13hh/13.3hh so will be around the same size as his mum. He is available to rehoming once he is weaned and had his vaccinations around November 2020. We are unsure who his father is as Frances arrived at Hugs already pregnant but we think he will mature into a lightweight cob, like his mum. Once thing is for sure, he’s very handsome.
Primrose - Reserved
Height: To make approximately 12.1hh
Breed:Ā Mini cob
Date of Birth:Ā
Arrived at Hugs:Ā 2020
Suitable for:Ā Potential children’s pony, driving pony or companion
Likes/Dislikes:Ā Loves scratches and food. Hates her fly mask! She is good with the farrier, being caught and is well handled.
Primrose was the first foal to be born at Hugs during the coronavirus pandemic. She is a gorgeous little girl! She is very confident and loves human contact. She’s very beautiful, just like her mum, Lady Rose and she will be available for rehoming once she is weaned (she has now been reserved). We have done lots of work with her and she is really good to catch, lead, brush and pick up her feet. She is proving to be a very kind, sweet personality and we can’t wait to watch her journey to adulthood.
REHOMED HUGS FOUNDATION HORSESĀ
Here are a selection of the horses that we have successfully rehomed.Ā
Molly-June Successfully Rehomed
Look at her with her new mummy in the show ring!
Bonnie Successfully Rehomed
“Adopted from the wonderful Hugs Foundation our lovely cob mare, Bonnie, who has become the best friend of a little girl isolated from her school friends. with no siblings and also unable to attend her usual riding lessons. Bonnie has done us and Hugs proud.”
Bonnie’s adoptive owner
Bumbles Successfully Rehomed
After almost a year and a half at Hugs Bumbles was adopted by a lovely home where he had a lot of adventures, going to the beach etc. He began a little training with them and he got used to wearing some tack. Unfortunately, Bumbles returned to us through a change in circumstances, which was no fault of his own. However, in June 2020 Bumbles found his forever home. We are so excited to watch his journey and see how he progresses, he has turned into the most handsome, fun pony to have around and will be hugely missed on the yard.
Prince Successfully Rehomed
Prince came to us after unfortunate circumstances led him to being abandoned by his owner. He had a very cheeky character and was incredibly handsome. He is one of the very lucky ponies that found their forever families during the coronavirus pandemic. We love seeing his updates, he looks very happy in his new home, which is what Hugs is all about, finding ponies their happy ever after.Ā Ā
Gatsby Successfully Rehomed
Merlin and Hettie Successfully Rehomed
The pair are getting on amazingly well. Merlin is just starting cantering, in an open field too! This is what makes our hard work worth it, rehabilitating these horses and ponies and finding them loving homes Bringing animals and people together for their mutual benefit and happiness and alleviating suffering is what Hugs is all about.š
“What lucky people we are to have such wonderful horses and what a cracking team that you guys are at the wonderful hugs.”
Merlin and Hettie’s adoptive owner
Annie Successfully Rehomed (on right in photo)
Annie and her friends were in a poor and sorry state. Underneath her thick matted coats was just skin and bone. The little herd were constantly being monitored by Hugs staff, on four feeds each a day and had three paddocks of grass to graze to help build their strength up and start gaining weight.Ā Annie was only a year old when she came to us and had an awful start to life. When she arrived at Hugs she didnāt know how to be caught, groomed, led… let alone someone touch her feet!
Along her rehabilitation journey she learnt all these things. She also had rugs on and even became so relaxed that we dressed her up as a Christmas present for our Christmas open day!Ā She is just FAB and in July 2020 she found her forever home. Good luck Annie and her new family, we canāt wait to watch you grow up and see what your future brings š.
See her journey in the video above.
Biscuit Successfully Rehomed
Biscuit was rescued just before the 2019 Chagford sales. Every year many ādriftsā occur across the moors. Here the moor ponies are rounded up by the farmers/owners and separated into their own stock.Ā Biscuit was around 2 months old when she came to Hugs, far too young to be away from her mum. They all had huge worm burdens plus eye infections and severe rainscald! Unfortunately for Biscuit, her immune system was very run down and she was covered in infected scabs from rainscald so she was clipped and had medicated baths to treat in and help kill the bacteria. Luckily she fully recovered with no permanent damage. We did a lot of handling work with the rescues so they got used to having headcollars on (to make administration of medication easier!) plus we slowly got them used to being stroked and brushed. Biscuit found her home in August 2020. She is growing into a stunning pony with a very confident cheeky character. Sheās always interested in whatās happening and we canāt wait to see what she gets up to with her new family.
Gandalf Successfully Rehomed
Fern Successfully Rehomed
āOur new companion pony did not take long to settle in and she is now the boss. Hugs provided all the information about Ferns character and everything was spot on. She has been an absolute delight and we all love her very much already. She is about have some training and hopefully be ridden in the near future. We promise to give regular updates on her progress. ā¤š“ā
Fern’s adoptive owner
Natasha Successfully Rehomed
Idris Successfully Rehomed
Huckleberry Successfully Rehomed
As Huckleberry became braver and stronger he absolutely flourished. He was great with the children who visit, looking after new ponies, causing mischief with his friends and he even had a little trip out to Pets at Home before his departure where he was definitely a huge hit with the public!
Dear little Huckleberry has certainly landed on his hooves having a special and loving new home to enjoy. He is now a very successful little show pony and finally has a loving family.
April
See her story in the video above.
Boris Successfully Rehomed
DJ Successfully Rehomed
Dude Junior was also rescued from the 2019 Chagford sales. We spotted DJ in one of the holding pens and had to do a double take! We checked the listing and realised he came from the same area as a certain ācoolā individual and we think he must be some sort of sibling to our awesome Dude and we had to help him.
He was rescued with 4 others, all of which had huge worm burdens, were terrified and extremely stressed from being separated from their mothers during the drifts and going through the busy sale. We had to handle them a lot in the beginning so they got used to having headcollars on (to make administration of medication easier!) And they were slowly introduced to being stroked and brushed all over. Dude Junior was very lucky, over the winter, to find a lovely foster home and returned to Hugs with excellent manners and ready to rehome! He is, of course, still a baby but he has a lovely attitude and is going to make a wonderful childrenās pony. Good luck DJ and you new family!