GERONIMO, a rescued Devon pony, has found a loving new home through the Mare and Foal Sanctuary's Rehoming Scheme.

The Sponsorship Pony recently left The Mare and Foal Sanctuary’s Totnes yard to live with the member of staff through its successful Rehoming Scheme, after she helped him rebuild his confidence after losing an eye.

The 17‑year‑old skewbald moorland pony first arrived at the Mare and Foal Sanctuary in 2018 as part of a merger with another equine charity.

A year later he needed his left eye removed due to ongoing problems.

After surgery and recovery at the Sanctuary’s Beech Trees Veterinary and Welfare Assessment Centre in Newton Abbot, he moved to the charity’s Coombe Park yard in Totnes, where he joined its Sponsorship Pony scheme and began taking part in education sessions.

The charity’s equine assisted sessions give vulnerable children and adults a safe, calming space to build confidence, trust and emotional resilience through gentle, structured interactions with rescued horses and ponies.

Horse Care Team member Georgie Moore was assigned as Geronimo’s groom three and a half years ago, and the pair have been inseparable ever since.

But when they first met, Geronimo was a little withdrawn.

‘I noticed he was quite shy and timid, and I thought we could definitely improve this for him, for his overall wellbeing’, Georgie explained.

She began gentle clicker training to help him feel safe and confident with the world around him after his surgery.

Clicker training is a reward‑based method where a small ‘clicker’ sound is used to mark the exact moment a horse does the right thing, followed immediately by a treat, helping them quickly understand and repeat the behaviour.

Georgie said: ‘It started off with just target training in the stable, and that grew into taking him into the arena, and he learned to touch a target with his nose.

‘We moved on to cones, then he learned to knock the cones down.

‘Then he learned to push a ball round, so we thought, let's take it a bit further. He started doing turns and to bow.

‘In the arena he would just follow me around and as we started learning new things, it elevated his confidence so much. I'd go into the barn and call for him, and he would make lots of noise and get really excited, and we’d do our routine.

‘It was his favourite part of the day, and it was mine too because it really grew his confidence.

‘He went from being one of the most timid ponies in the yard to the most vocal in the barn.

‘Day by day we developed this wonderful bond’.

Over time, that special connection led Georgie to make a life‑changing decision.

‘I already have rehomed ponies Robin and Willis at home with me’, Georgie said.

‘As I developed this special bond with Geromimo, I just knew that I didn't want to live without him.

‘Robin’s got just one eye as well, so they have the same needs, the same grazing requirements’, Georgie added.

In November, Geronimo made the short journey from Coombe Park to Georgie’s nearby home.

Despite spending around six years at Coombe Park, Geronimo took such a big change in his stride. "He's settling in really well” Georgie smiles. “Obviously, it was a big change for him, but he was great.

He loaded on the trailer well and we only needed to drive a short way down the road. He went straight out into the field with the boys the other side of the fence, and he got settled and was trotting around, seeming really excited.

The three ponies have merged now and they're getting on really well. They're grazing next to each other, and he seems really, really happy. So that makes me very happy.”

Although Geronimo has retired from day‑to‑day life at Coombe Park, he will continue as a much‑loved Sponsorship Pony, becoming the first to pilot the charity’s new Sponsorship Pony Loan Scheme.

Supporters who sponsor Geronimo will now have the joy of knowing they are helping to fund his lifelong care in a home filled with love, alongside two other rescued ponies and a carer who adores them.

You can find out more about The Mare and Foal Sanctuary's Sponsorship scheme here: https://mareandfoal.org/shop/sponsor-a-pony/

If you're interested in becoming a Sanctuary at Home carer, there's more information here:https://www.mareandfoal.org/rehoming/sanctuary-at-home/