Bryn and Peter Pan – Two Young Colts Given a Second Chance in Wales
In spring 2026, two young rescue colts arrived at Lluest Horse and Pony Trust in Wales under very different circumstances, but both in urgent need of intensive rehabilitation, care
, and a safe future.
Today, Bryn and Peter Pan can regularly be seen grazing, resting and exploring side by side, something that once felt far from certain.
Bryn’s Rescue and Rehabilitation
Bryn arrived at Lluest in March 2026 in one of the worst conditions we have seen in a young pony.
Estimated to be around six to eight months old at the time, Bryn had originally been rescued from a South Wales common by another welfare charity on 1st March. He was suffering from severe scouring, likely linked to a heavy worm burden, and had been independently assessed by two vets as a Body Condition Score of 0/5 — as severe as it gets.
He was so weak that he was often unable to stand without help.
Before arriving with us, Bryn had already injured his right eye while struggling to get back up, causing a significant ulcer which required immediate veterinary treatment on arrival.
Although hidden beneath a thick winter coat, there was almost nothing between skin and bone.
Bryn was transferred into our care as the demands of his condition became too much for the resources available elsewhere. Cases requiring this level of intensive rehabilitation and round-the-clock physical support are incredibly demanding for small welfare organisations.
For the first two weeks in our care, Bryn needed regular lifting and support throughout both the day and night. In the early days, it often took two or three people to carefully help him back onto his feet due to how weak he was. As he slowly began to regain strength, one person was eventually able to assist him alone. Staff and volunteers living onsite selflessly took turns checking on him every few hours to ensure he could rest safely and avoid further injury whenever he became stuck lying down.
Alongside intensive nursing care and veterinary treatment, Bryn was placed onto a carefully managed refeeding programme. In severe starvation cases like his, introducing nutrition too quickly can be dangerous, so every stage had to be approached slowly and carefully.
We are hugely grateful to TopSpec for donating feed to help support Bryn during the early stages of his rehabilitation and recovery. Their Stud Balancer helped provide the carefully balanced nutrients needed to support both Bryn’s recovery and growth as a young pony, while Fibre Plus Cubes and TopChop grass helped provide the highly digestible fibre so important when carefully refeeding severely underweight equines. UlsaKind was also included to help support digestive comfort and maintain a healthy stomach environment during his rehabilitation.
Slowly, Bryn began to regain strength.
After weeks of intensive care, he eventually reached an incredible milestone — getting up completely unaided.
Now, after 8 weeks of rehabilitation, Bryn has improved to approximately a Body Condition Score of 2.5/5, with 3/5 considered ideal. Most importantly, he is now able to behave much more like a normal pony his age.
His cheeky personality has started to shine through, and seeing him grazing peacefully with his companion is something the whole team is incredibly proud of.
Peter Pan’s Rehabilitation Journey
On 14th April 2026, Bryn gained a companion when Peter Pan arrived at Lluest.
Estimated to be around six to eight months months old, Peter Pan had been found tethered and was seized to protect his welfare. He arrived in very poor condition with a Body Condition Score of just 1/5 and was heavily infested with lice.
Unlike Bryn, Peter Pan was still able to get up and down independently, and his rehabilitation had already begun in the fortnight before he came into our care.
He was able to join Bryn on a similar rehabilitation routine and the pair quickly formed a close bond.
Since arriving at Lluest, Peter Pan has gone from strength to strength and is now back to full health. Both boys have started their vaccinations and had their first trims with the
farrier as part of their ongoing rehabilitation.
Their friendship has become a lovely part of both recovery journeys, and they are rarely far apart.
Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation in Wales
Cases like Bryn and Peter Pan highlight the realities of our equine welfare and rehabilitation work in Wales.
Young ponies arriving severely underweight, neglected, abandoned, previously tethered, or suffering from preventable welfare issues are sadly not uncommon. Rehabilitation takes time, specialist feeding, veterinary care, safe handling, careful monitoring, and an enormous amount of physical and emotional commitment from staff and volunteers.
Lluest Horse and Pony Trust is a Welsh equine welfare charity specialising in the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of vulnerable horses, ponies, donkeys and mules.
Support Our Rescue & Equine Welfare Work
The rehabilitation of Bryn and Peter Pan has only been possible thanks to the kindness and support of donors, volunteers, vets, supporters, and companies who help us continue this work.
Cases like these require intensive nursing care, specialist feeding, ongoing veterinary treatment, rehabilitation, and countless hours of hands-on support day and night.
If you would like to support equines like Bryn and Peter Pan, donations are always hugely appreciated and go directly towards their rescue, feeding, veterinary treatment and rehabilitation.
Regular monthly donations are especially vital. They give us the stability and confidence to continue saying yes to vulnerable equines who have nowhere else to go, even when they arrive needing intensive and costly care like Bryn did.
Some supporters also choose to leave a gift in their Will to help protect vulnerable equines long into the future. Legacy gifts, large or small, can make a life-changing difference to charities like ours.
Thank you for supporting the horses, ponies, donkeys and mules in our care.