Guinevere, Harry, Mayflower (in foal), Hazel, Arthur, Penny, and Tuppence came to the attention of SWEP at the beginning of March 2003, when a group of ponies were causing concern to our Inspectors on Bodmin Moor. On Thursday 6th March, with prior arrangement with DEFRA and Trading Standards, SWEP went to Bodmin Moor and took 7 ponies, that the DEFRA Vet felt were in urgent need of attention, off the moor.

When they reached the SWEP yard we realised that one of the ponies was a colt foal and was still suckling its dam. She was Guinevere, not only was she very weak and emaciated herself, she was also still supporting a foal at foot. Over the next couple of days, Guinevere became weaker and was collapsing on a regular basis. This meant that a team of SWEP volunteers were  called in each time she collapsed to lift her up and support her until she could take her own weight.

It was on one of these occasions that a camera crew from BBC Spotlight arrived; they filmed the dramatic scenes, which appeared on television. At the time of filming Guinevere had almost given up, her body was shutting down and her eyes were glazing over. Suddenly her foal whinnied and we all felt sure that was her turning point. She wanted to live for her foal. It still took many weeks of constant care before the team was happy that she was no longer going to collapse.
After such a remarkable recovery it was decided that Guinevere could not, like other ponies, be re-homed. She was to become the SWEP Mascot, as she is the epitome of what the Charity stands for. Her foal, after making a full recovery, has gone to a loving home. All 7 ponies rescued from the moor that day are now in full health; one even produced a healthy colt foal. In time they will all be found caring homes

Our thanks go to the volunteers who put in countless hours saving these ponies and ensuring they have a future. 

       Find out more about the work we do and some of our other    
      rescued ponies in the following pages!