"©London News Pictures. 21/12/2010. In the past few days the UK has been focused on the disruption caused by the snow; commuters and holiday makers have been experiencing horrific delays.  Elsewhere in the country a small number of our four legged friends are having an entirely different experience.  At the Redwings charity horse sanctuary in Oxhill, Warwickshire, staff are working tirelessly to keep these horses, ponies and donkeys watered, stocked up on hay and sheltered from the elements.   .During the winter months the majority of the sixty seven residents at Redwings will be left out for the winter.  Each field has a water trough that has a tendency to freeze over in the sub zero conditions.  It is the job of Helen and Tom Glen, with their team of dedicated helpers, to keep these troughs topped up.  With the use of a small All Terrain Vehicle, Tom delivers up to eighty buckets of water and forty bales of hay across the thirty-acre site. .Founded in 2004, the sanctuary is now the largest in the UK.  The horses of Oxhill are rescued as a result from extreme cases of abuse, neglect and in some circumstances, the death of the owner.  Ex police horse 'Will Scarlett', named so after moving from Nottingham police force is spending his retirement here after suffering problems with his legs.  Due to the legalities involved with animal welfare cases all of the equines are re named on arrival.  One particular field of Shetland ponies have been named after cheeses - Edam, Gorgon and Zola, to name but a few.  .  The penalty for animal abuse in the UK, if convicted, can range from community service to prison. However, Tom states that ""We have a field of horses and ponies that were beaten with a scaffold pole and the guy only gets 5 months.  There is not enough of a deterrent to stop people being abusive to animals"".  Regardless of the their backgrounds the welfare of these horses is paramount.  The staff are passionate horsemen and women, they strive to turn each rescue into"
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