A cake maker based in the Great Yarmouth birthplace of author Anna Sewell is sponsoring a rescue horse she is calling her own Black Beauty.

Kirsty Fielder, owner of Kirsty's Cakery, is an avid supporter of Norfolk's Redwings sanctuary..

Her business is located in the historic Anna Sewell House – the birthplace of celebrated author of the children's novel Black Beauty.

Like Sewell, Kirsty, 34, from Gorleston, is passionate about horse welfare and so turned to Redwings Horse Sanctuary to offer her support and search for a Black Beauty of her own.

At the time of approaching Redwings, the sanctuary was introducing their newest addition to their Adoption scheme – Maya, a black Friesian mare – based at the nearby Aylsham visitor centre.

Maya arrived at Redwings in 2010 as part of a group of seven equines rescued from a farm in Essex. The RSPCA had been called to investigate reports of a dead horse in a field at the site and, as well as the deceased horse, found Maya and her friends Nala, Bea, Paddy, Inca, Sunshine and Oscar kept in squalid conditions.

Kirsty said: 'We are so pleased to have Maya as our Black Beauty, it's great to be supporting a horse who, like Black Beauty, has had a tough life but has now found a happy home at Redwings. We are looking forward to plenty of staff outings to visit her'.

The owner of the cakery added she plans to visit her adopted horse with her family next Monday.

A picture of Maya will take pride of place in the new upstairs 'Black Beauty room' due to open next month.

Kirsty said: 'You can't have a place like this and not be invested in the past.'

She plans to source some historic pictures of the building to provide an exhibition that will showcase its story.

The owner added: 'I thought there shouldn't just be a picture on the wall, we felt we needed a real Black Beauty.'

Press and Communications Manager Lucinda King said: 'Maya's courage and gentle nature make her the perfect Redwings Adoption star and it is wonderful that she has attracted such a proud sponsor as Kirsty – it's a perfect partnership.'