About Beauty

Beauty

Welcome to Beautys' Web site!

Beauty is a black cob mare who is in believed to be in her mid- late thirties. Beauty has been partially and now believed to be virtually blind for at least 15 years.

For these years Beauty lived at the Silverlake Animal Sanctuary in Droxford, Hampshire. In 2007 the founder and owner of Silverlake, Mrs Winifred Skiff had to be taken into a nursing home as her health was deteriorating. Therefore in early 2007 some of the animals were relocated to ensure they received the care they so deserved.

The decision of whether it would be possible to move Beauty, taking her age and lack of sight into account, was not an easy one but Beauty made the last journey she will be making in her lifetime to a new home in the New Forest on March 14th, where she has settled extremely well and will stay until the end of her days.

Beauty is an amazing old mare, one who has already been through such a lot in her life and has even received an Animal Medallion for Vigilance Award from the RSPCA in 1997 for saving Win Skiffs life.

Beauty with Win in the 1990's

Beautys history

	It is believed that Beauty was someones' riding pony as a younger horse and when her blindness developed she came to live at Silverlake. This is thought to be in the early 1990's.
	She was one of a group of horses living at Silverlake at the time.

Beauty with Tubs the pony, Trudy the donkey and John one of Wins helpers in 1993

Beauty in late 1990's

In 1997 Beauty helped her then already elderly owner, Win Skiff, to get out of a boggy area in the field where she fell when out feeding the horses one evening. Beauty allowed Win to get hold of her tail and then pulled Win from the mud. Beauty was awarded the Animal Medallion for Vigilance Award from the RSPCA for this act. It was reported in the local papers that it was believed that she may have been the first horse to get such an award.

Beauty at her award ceremony with Win, John and the film crews.

Beautys certificate

	Beauty became a local celebrity due to her award and featured heavily in the local papers and even made it into the Horse and Hound.
	In October 2004, it was reported in local papers that Silverlake had financial problems due to having had to pay out for vets fees after Beauty was injured in a knife attack. Local donations saved the sanctuary.
	Since this time and with Wins deteriorating health, provision was made for the security of all the animals at Silverlake. This responsibility fell to Rose Milne of Second Chance Animal Rescue in Southampton. Rose has worked tirelessly to ensure that all the animals at Silverlake have been cared for. See the Silverlake page to find out more about the other animals and Win Skiff.
	Beauty was moved to her new home on March 14th 2007. see the latest news section to see how she has settled in.

This site was last updated 14-02-08