A wide-angled image of the indoor arena at Calvert Exmoor's Equestrian Centre. Three members of staff are walking and smiling towards the camera, holding a horse on either side of them.

Sponsor a Pony

Transform lives by supporting accessible riding at Calvert Exmoor. Sponsor your favourite pony and make a real difference.

Sponsor a Pony

The on-site Equestrian Centre helps people with and without disabilities experience riding and carriage driving, with help from some truly amazing horses and ponies.

We believe everyone should have a chance to enjoy riding and carriage sessions. It is this ongoing belief that constantly drives us to provide the best stable sessions for residential guests. These sessions include sensory work such as grooming, horse-riding for people of all abilities, ages and skills, plus carriage-riding for wheelchair users.

The Equestrian Centre also provides private riding lessons for those with and without disabilities, arena hire for those who need it and whatever else we can to encourage riding for all.

None of this would be possible without the amazing efforts of the crucial horses and ponies who support so many people. Now it’s our turn to support them too.

Your pack

From just £30 a year you can contribute towards the care of your favourite pony or horse and in return, you will receive:

• A certificate recognising the commitment you have made
• Either a horse keyring or fridge magnet with a photo of the pony or horse you have sponsored, together with a photograph
• Annual updates on your chosen pony or horse
• Be named on our Equestrian Centre sponsors walls
• An opportunity to visit your horse or pony in the stables at one of our open days or organised tours

Open sponsorship form (in a new tab)

Why sponsor?

If you share the same belief in accessible riding for all and would like to help look after the ponies, please consider sponsoring.

By sponsoring a pony, you can directly support our work and make all of the above (and so much more) possible!

With your support, the equine friends, staff and volunteers at Calvert Exmoor can help children ride for the first time, offer the chance for adults to overcome their fear of horses, increase personal growth and learning through riding, and allow people in wheelchairs to take the reins to drive a horse and carriage.

Each animal costs nearly £8,000 every year to ensure they receive the very best care and attention.

If you are as passionate as us about bringing people with disabilities and horses together, please set up a sponsorship today.

How your sponsorship helps

Feed

A big 80kg bale of hay costs us £30. Rodney will eat an average of 10kg per day depending on the time of year. We also use 2 bags of hard feed (special food) per month which cost £14 each.
Tack and rugs

A set of tack – saddles and bridles – for our ponies and horses can cost in the region of £400 to £500 each. To check and refurbish our saddles annually costs £20 per saddle. When we have to purchase a new rug, these cost us around £50 to £60 each.
Farrier

Every 8 weeks we pay £49 per horse to have their feet checked and treated.
Worming

Every year we de-worm our equine friends at a cost of £32 each.
Vaccinations

They are vaccinated every 2 years at an average cost of £15 each.
Upkeep of the carriage

Our carriage is very important and we can easily spend around £130 per year on maintenance.
Dentistry

We need to have their teeth checked on an annual basis at a cost of £60 per set of gnashers.
Physiotherapy

It is of great importance that we have all our equine friends’ backs checked regularly; £60 for each animal.
Vet callout charge

Should we need to call out a vet in an emergency, there would be a call-out charge of £45 before any treatment, or if out of hours this charge is £65.
Memberships

It is crucial for us to keep up with our memberships to accredited bodies. These include BHS at £380 per year and RDA at £190 per year.
Annual licences and insurance

We pay £260 per year to keep our licences up to date. We also have to insure our ponies/horses annually under the overall Charity umbrella.
Maintenance costs

With £8,000 a year energy bills, £7,000 a year field maintenance and £70 a year in accessible hoist maintenance, this is a hefty sum!

Sponsor A Pony

Sponsorship Form

Introducing our horses and ponies…

The equine at Calvert Exmoor are very special. They are endlessly patient and work extremely hard to ensure guests and visitors can maximise the potential of the amazing therapeutic benefits of being able to ride, drive a carriage or just touch the animals.

Here you can read their profiles to learn about each friendly character.

Benson

Height 14hh • Cob • Skewbald • Gelding
Born 2005 • Joined Calvert Exmoor 2019

With an unusual but recognisable white marking on his right shoulder that looks strangely like a kangaroo, Benson is a friendly and playful member of the team
Benson loves to be ridden but he’s also a backup carriage-driving pony, excelling brilliantly in both jobs
You wouldn’t think he had a cheeky side, with how good he is with guests, but when he’s out in the field, he’s a bit mischievous around the other ponies!
Benson is a super reliable and helpful pony, so it’s always a pleasure to involve him in every aspect of Equestrian Centre life…

Bertie

Height 14.1hh • Cob • Piebald • Gelding
Born 1999 • Joined Calvert Exmoor 2010

Bertie is our longest reigning (pun intended) pony and is a familiar face that everyone can trust, providing countless riding sessions over the years
Bertie’s previous owner tried to carriage ride him from England to Belgium – luckily they gave up and Bertie came to us instead for a more relaxed life!
He may be classed as a pony, but he’s strong, stable and has a big stride, which, with his boundless experience, means he can be ridden by both adults and children
While Bertie is an older fellow compared to the rest of our ponies, he’s still playful and cheeky with his friend Moses and maintains his status as a true Calvert legend!

Gordon

Height 16.1hh • Irish Draft Cob • Grey • Gelding
Born 2011 • Joined Calvert Exmoor 2023

Gordon is a big handsome horse with a soft heart – and a touch of vanity too!
Gordon enjoys being groomed and is very gentle and friendly with a soft white coat
He has to be the centre of attention and acts like he’s in charge. But the other horses keep him in check. Gordon seems to have a soft spot for Ruby, maybe love is in the air?
We don’t know much about Gordon’s past but he came from a loving family in Wales and instantly settled into our stables and hearts pretty quickly

Harold

Height 16hh • Cob x Shire • Bay • Gelding
Born 2010 • Joined Calvert Exmoor 2024

Harold is brand new to Calvert Exmoor
He joined us from a local village where he lived with two donkey friends
He is not a fan of hosepipes!
We will put more details here shortly as we learn more about his personality…

Henry

Height 15hh • Cob • Dark bay • Gelding
Born 2007 • Joined Calvert Exmoor 2013

Henry is easily considered one of the most useful ponies on site, as he has the perfect height and strength to be ridden by adults and children
He is a real gentleman and enjoys being pampered by the stables team as well as the other horses too
However, Henry has a condition called Laminitis, which affects his hooves. This means he has to spend more time chilling out indoors than out in the field
Unlike other horses, he is very happy to relax by himself – but, if you tickle Henry behind his ears or offer him a tasty carrot, you’ll be his new best friend!

Indie

Height 16.3hh • Irish Draught • Piebald with appaloosa spots • Gelding
Born 2009 • Joined Calvert Exmoor 2024

Indie joined us at Calvert Exmoor and we didn’t know much about him apart from his perfect temperment for our equestrian family
He has quickly become great friends with Rodney – they have become best pals
Indie loves hacking out on the longer rides
He’s a sweetheart and at 16.3hh is truely a gentle giant
He is a pleasure to have around the yard, but like a lot the animals he can have a playful side
Indie enjoys a good scratch where he tastes the air in enjoyment and will then give you a muzzle back to say thank you
He also loves cuddles and lots of carrots

Lucky

Height 14.1hh • Irish Driving Pony • Piebald • Mare
Born 2001 • Joined Calvert Exmoor 2017

Lucky is branded with a number ‘6’ on her shoulder from her days as a taxi pony in Ireland. This has set her up perfectly for her job with us as the leading carriage pony – and she is BRILLIANT at it!
Outside of carriage pulling and riding sessions, she enjoys a peaceful and relaxing lifestyle that matches her chilled personality – whatever her day involves, she’s cool, calm, steady and friendly
She never makes a fuss and stands patiently when her harness gear is being put on for carriage rides (which she loves!)

Moses

Height 14.1hh • Cob • Piebald • Gelding
Born 2009 • Joined Calvert Exmoor 2015

Known as one of the cheekiest, Moses is also one of the most important!
One of his favourite games is to pick things up and throw them around – no cone or bucket is safe when he’s about!
Despite his mischievous side, Moses puts on his sensible hat while interacting with guests and during riding lessons
He also has a very special party trick that only one other horse with us can do: he can work alongside a hoist so riders can transfer from a wheelchair onto his back!
This makes Moses very much valued and appreciated by us all

Pixie

Height 14hh • Welsh section D cross • Chestnut • Mare
Born 2011 • Joined Calvert Exmoor 2023

Pixie, along with her best friend, Rosie, joined the Calvert Exmoor family in late 2023 from a nearby stead in Combe Martin
It seems as though she has settled into life here a little quicker than Rosie, being naturally inquisitive who is keen to meet the rest of her new friends
She is a small but stocky pony – with limited riding experience, we will be spending some time building her riding skills steadily and introducing her to guests this year
With the perfect personality and a cool temperament, we know she’s going to do very well here!

Rodney

Height 16.2hh • Black Irish Draught • Dark brown • Gelding
Born 2000 • Joined Calvert Exmoor 2018

Rodney is tall, proud and elegant with a big heart and soft personality
He loves his neck scratches and often tries to scratch you back as a thank you!
He is the strongest horse, providing rides for adults and children around the arena and the reservoir and he loves every minute
Rodney can be a bit of a sassy boy though, as he likes to kick his stable door until he gets his food!
He was a hunting horse on Exmoor in his youth, so being a local, he’s very content and at home with us here…

Rosie

Height 15.3hh • Cob • Skewbold • Mare
Born 2010 • Joined Calvert Exmoor 2023

One of the newest additions to Calvert Exmoor, Rosie and her friend Pixie arrived together from a nearby home in Combe Martin, which is just down the road from us
She’s a very willing, kind-natured girl and loves to be groomed, with a perfect temperament for being ridden by guests – but she hasn’t had much practise in the past!
We plan to take it nice and easy with Rosie and introduce her to regular riding to build her confidence, while learning as much as we can about her while she adapts to Calvert Exmoor Equestrian Centre life – one thing that’s pretty obvious is that she loves food!

Ruby

Height 16hh • Suffolk Punch • Chestnut • Mare
Born 2000 • Joined Calvert Exmoor 2017

Ruby is a Suffolk Punch, which is sadly one of the most critically endangered horse breeds – they’re rarer than the Giant Panda!
She used to work on a farm in Cornwall and was a Mum to 3 foals
A quiet, calm and gentle soul, she doesn’t make a fuss and can come across shy or wary of people, but she loves human attention and even loves listening to the radio in the stables!
She suffers from Sweet Itch, a common allergic reaction to insects on her face – this involves treatment, especially in the summer months.

Saffie

Height 16hh • Irish Draught x Thoroughbred • Dapple Grey • Mare
Born 2012 • Joined Calvert Exmoor 2024

Saffie has joined our team from the small local village of Parracombe where she lived with Harold and their Donkey friends
Her name is Summer Saffier but she is known to all as Saffie
She loves hacking out to Arlington Court on the longer rides, but is also very good being ridden in the indoor arena
Being groomed and cuddled on the yard is one of her favourite thing
As is enjoying the attention and being pampered
She is a social horse who is very friendly with everyone both on the yard and in the field with her fellow equines
Overall, Saffie is such a sweet girl and we are very lucky to have her helping our guests to enjoy their best equine experience.

Smartie

Height 14.2hh • Bay • Welsh Section D • Gelding
Born 2007 • Joined Calvert Exmoor 2023

Smartie actually belongs to Olivia, our very own Riding Instructor, who competed with him at elementary level in dressage for several years until he arrived at Calvert with a more mature and calmer temperament, ready for a slightly different lifestyle
He’s made many friends since his arrival and is known to be a safe, content horse who fits in perfectly with the rest of the Calvert Exmoor family
One of our favourite things about Smartie is his wobbly bottom lip, which bounces as you ride and when he’s excited too!

Sponsor A Pony

Sponsorship Form

Sponsor a Pony

Your pack

Why sponsor?

Feed

Tack and rugs

Farrier

Worming

Vaccinations

Upkeep of the carriage

Dentistry

Physiotherapy

Vet callout charge

Memberships

Annual licences and insurance

Maintenance costs