AN equine welfare charity has just released incredible webcam footage of the natural field birth of a tiny colt foal at its Newton Abbot sanctuary.

The Mare and Foal Sanctuary’s rescued mare Nia delivered him in a pasture at the Newton Abbot sanctuary last week, without the need for human intervention.

Supporters of the charity were delighted to see the birth perfectly captured on webcam after following the story of pregnant Welsh moorland pony Nia throughout the summer.

The film shows Nia walking to the centre of the field on a sunny evening, lying down and giving birth minutes after.

Nia’s field companion, grey Dartmoor mare Chandrani is seen watching from a distance before trotting over to the new foal and appearing to nuzzle him.

The tiny chestnut foal soon wobbled to his feet and after a little practice at standing up began exploring his surroundings the next day and enjoying some late summer sunshine.

The Mare and Foal Sanctuary has a long history of caring for foals and has expert staff on hand throughout to ensure everything goes smoothly.

Normally the Sanctuary puts its ‘foal watch’ procedure in place whenever a mare is close to foaling and monitors cameras night and day.

Nia foaled much sooner than expected but the team was able to capture the birth as it happened, with as little involvement as possible.

Mares typically foal during the night or the early hours of the morning; an instinct designed to protect their vulnerable newborn foal from predators. In this case the foal was born just before 7 O’clock on Thursday evening with no initial complications.

Following the birth Nia appeared to be finding difficulty in allowing the foal to fully suckle, but Sanctuary staff have been watching the situation closely and are keen for the process to be as natural as possible.

A veterinary practice is based at the Sanctuary and vets are regularly making checks to ensure the foal is developing normally.

Kayleigh Bull, Nia’s assigned handler, says the birth came much sooner than anticipated.

‘Nia just didn’t show the usual signs we would expect before foaling so none of us thought it would happen as quickly’ Kayleigh said.

‘We always believed it was going to be a September birth.

‘I found out the news when the night team arrived, and they popped a little picture in our communication group.

‘It is very exciting, but anyone who works with newborn foals will always be concerned they’re latching well and are as healthy as can be.

‘Nia seems to be doing well and I hope the little foal will become strong and healthy. It’s definitely a real team effort, and we couldn’t wait to share the news and pictures with our supporters.’

Director of Fundraising and Communications, Dawn Vincent, said: ‘We wouldn’t be able to rescue ponies like Nia and care for her beautiful new foal if we didn’t have such fantastic supporters who so kindly donate whatever they can afford.

‘The cost of caring for horses and ponies has spiralled in recent years and we appreciate every penny pledged to us.’