You may remember we recently reported that the last rubbish-collection ponies on the Gili Islands of Indonesia had finally retired. It’s safe to say these ponies have fully embraced their new lives of leisure - retirement clearly suits them!

Mamba and Rainbow are loving life at Stud Horse Riding stables.

Mamba is a gentle, quiet soul who adores his daily grooms, a steady supply of carrots, and any attention he can get. In the paddock, he loves to play with his friends, though he somehow always ends up with a few scrapes and bruises from his adventures. Mamba’s ears never fail to prick up at the sight of the carrot bag, and he especially enjoys leisurely walks to the beach followed by a good roll in the sand.

With Rainbow, the team’s focus remains on building trust. Catching him can still be a challenge, but progress is being made - he now allows staff to get closer and they have been able to shorten the rope on his halter. Like Mamba, he’s a big fan of carrots! While Rainbow is beginning to enjoy his daily grooms more, he remains a little nervous and overly sensitive. At present, light sedation is still necessary for hoof trims, but hopefully with time and patience, Rainbow will become more relaxed and trusting.

Chocolate is doing well at Horses of Gili stables. His gait is now normal following previous lameness and, despite being blind in one eye, he’s able to get around easily. He’s been gelded and is learning to trust again. Chocolate is not yet friendly towards other horses, so staff are doing a lot of groundwork to help him burn off excess energy. He’s also fearful of humans so it’s a long process teaching him to trust again. The team are hoping Chocolate can soon become friends with another gelding so they can have free time in the paddock together.

The timing of these rescues could not have been more perfect. With Gili Trawangan now in the height of its busy season, the daily volume of rubbish has jumped from an average of 12–15 tons to around 20 tons per day.

The motorbikes are running at full capacity to keep up and, thanks to your amazing donations, Animal Aid Abroad were able to provide the team with enough bikes to handle the extra workload. This not only keeps the island cleaner during its busiest months, but also ensures the welfare of animals since they are no longer needed for heavy rubbish-collection duties.

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported our mission to ensure these special ponies could finally retire. Following their harsh lives of drudgery and hard labour, they certainly deserve to enjoy life to the fullest!