A foal who was born at the Mare and Foal Sanctuary, which took in his heavily pregnant mum when she had nowhere else to go, is celebrating his first Christmas at the sanctuary.

Solar was born at sanctuary near Totnes earlier this year when the charity provided a safe place for his for his mum, Sandy, to give birth with access to vet care should she need it.

Sandy was heavily pregnant with nowhere else to go after her owners lost their grazing site.

Normally a horse or pony would show signs that she was about to foal, but Solar was born unexpectedly one warm night in the middle of June. 

Reflecting back on the day, Solar’s groom Sarah Wharmby said: “He was a bright young foal and Sandy was an excellent mum from the start.

“She looked after him and made sure she was between us and him.

“They were both checked over by the vet and there were no concerns.”

This Christmas, the Mare and Foal Sanctuary is raising money to make sure other pregnant horses in need can have a safe place to foal.

Christmas at the sactuary is a special time of year, when all the horses and ponies are given extra treats and lots of cuddles.

In the New Year, Solar’s handlers will start looking at gradually weaning him and developing his training.

Like many foals, Solar has needed a little help learning the ropes.

Anna Haines, the sanctuary’s equine behaviourist, who has been working with Solar said: “One of the things that can happen with foals is that because they are so gorgeous and cute everyone wants to give them lots of attention, but if we accidentally give them attention when they are showing unwanted behaviour like nibbling at clothes it can quickly escalate into something more serious like biting.

“This is why we step in early to prevent something like that from happening.”

Luckily, Solar has a hardworking and knowledgeable team around him to help him to develop into a fantastic young horse.

He is often seen playing with his friends in the field and enjoying life at the sanctuary.

The Mare and Foal Sanctuary is expert at helping all horses and ponies but is particularly experienced at supporting pregnant mothers and their foals.

The sanctuary has four sites across Devon, including a dedicated vet facility at the site where Solar was born.

Together with a huge number of carers who look after horses and ponies at their own homes and stables, the sanctuary provides lifelong care to more than 600 horses and ponies.

To make a donate or to find out more visit www.mareandfoal.org