Goodnight to our Angel Morgana

Today, it is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of a true angel and little miracle pony, Morgana. Many of you will have followed Morgana’s recovery journey along with Merlin and 15 of the most critically ill ponies and donkeys we saved from one of the largest cases of mass animal cruelty ever seen in the UK. To our supporters, we thank you all for your continued donations and well wishes on their recovery journey and therefore are even more saddened to have to share the loss of such a lovely pony who deserved so much.

When we rescued Morgana three years ago, she was incredibly sick and was immediately rushed to the Royal Veterinary College in the hope her life could be saved. While others in a similar condition sadly never made it out of hospital, Morgana was a fighter and continued to overcome several challenges and underlying health issues despite her prior neglect. She had been left emaciated, suffered severe gut damage due to parasites and had significant lameness. We never imagined she would make it more than 6 months; however, with immense love, and the onsite surgeries we were able to provide her with, she gained weight, became extraordinarily mobile and our team of experts were successfully able to manage the gut damage and occasional flare ups of her lameness.

Morgana always had battles with her health but with a real team approach she remained happy and comfortable for even longer than we could have imagined. With every struggle she faced she seemed to bounce back and was even given the nickname ‘medical marvel’ which only made everyone who knew her love her more.

Initially she was very fearful and struggled to control her impulses around food; often becoming aggressive due to her past starvation.  Her trainers worked incredibly hard to help her control these impulses and slowly she turned into a sweet and happy pony who really enjoyed her interactions with people. It was also heart-warming to watch her become a mother figure to our rescue ponies Dobby and Seren.

Always first to the gate, Morgana loved to greet her trainers with a cheerful whinny.  She was forever hoping that someone had something tasty to offer her and we will miss seeing her happy little face waiting for us. Through her interactions she taught many vet students how to assess horses and look at the whole picture. She was much loved by all the team but especially by her main trainer Esther whose compassion and behavioural training knowledge allowed her to build a magical bond with Morgana that grew each and every day.

Sadly, early this year her lameness worsened and after investigation it was clear she had sustained a significant injury to her stifle and developed arthritis in the joint. To our surprise she made a great recovery but we knew it would only be a matter of time before it caught up with her and sadly it did. She was a true medical marvel and lived a great life well beyond the time any of us dreamed possible.

Though it will take time to recover from her loss, we, like all our loyal supporters, can take comfort in the fact her last days were not spent alone and in pain, but rather happy and loved with her friends and in the arms of those who cared. It is thanks to you, our generous supporters that we have had the good fortune to provide her with the resources she needed to live three incredibly happy years.

Morgana, we never met a pony with such a zest for life despite all your challenges. We are so proud of how hard you fought and the pony you became.  Although you have sadly lost your battle, your friends will continue to fight and we will continue to fight for all the rescues in our care. Rest in peace dear friend.

If you would like to donate in memory of Morgana and help continue to support her friends and other rescues please click on the link below.

Donate in memory of Morgana