Milo and Minnie were two young horses living their life wild and free on Dartmoor until one day they were chosen for a cruel fate. They were to be sent to Italy where, after a long journey in cramped conditions and sweltering heat, they were to be slaughtered and their hides turned into handbags.

Thanks to one compassionate animal lover, who contacted us, we were able to intervene and rescue the pair. Their life on the moors had been harsh. Survivable but harsh. Leaving them undernourished and with ticks and fleas.

That was 14 years ago and today Minnie and Milo feel like part of the Woodlands furniture. Passers by, or visitors, will see them grazing, chasing each other or rolling about on the ground. Two happy equines who now form part of a herd that combines Merlin (our miniature horse) and our donkeys Derek and Dolly. They are unlikley bunch, but all saved from unthinkable fates.