Have you thought about re-homing a SWEP pony?

Jim- Bob

 

 

Have you thought about re-homing a SWEP pony?

Do you need a companion for your 4 legged friend?

SWEP looks for long term, loving loan homes for our ponies to go to once they are ready. Our ponies make great companions and they come in all different shapes, sizes and colours, each with their own character! 



Daniella



Spot



Our rehabilitation yard is currently at bursting point and we really need your help to find great homes for our ponies. If you can help us please contact loanpony@swep.org.uk or visit our Website at www.swep.org.uk 

Exeter Livestock centre sales 12/11/13

Our welfare officer attended Exeter livestock centre on 12th November 2013. There were 27 horses and ponies for sale, The top priced paid was £380 for a 7 year old bay gelding, while welsh mountain filly foals were selling for only £70. Most horses were left unsold returning back to their owners. No meat dealers were present and the sale went smoothly.

Horses and ponies were moved around the centre in a calm safe manor with minimal stress to the equines. Hay, water and bedding were provided for a few horses but not provided by all......

 Our welfare officer stayed until the end of the sale, assisting loading and ensuring that all horses and ponies were moved and handled correctly onto the transport.

Road Traffic Collisions

Ponies left for dead by drivers on Dartmoor.

 

Over the past few weeks, SWEP have seen a significant increase in the amount of Road Traffic Collision's involving ponies, foals and other livestock grazing the moorland.

SWEP have attended in the past two weeks far too many ponies which have been hit by a vehicle and left for dead on the side of the road, many of these ponies are not killed on impact and are left suffering.

One particular foal SWEP were called out to recently was a young (4 months), very stressed foal who was unable to get to his feet, he was in a lot of pain. Our welfare team attended straight away and got the foal veterinary attention immediately, unfortunately the foal was put to sleep as it had suffered severe spinal damage and was unable to walk, his suffering was unbearable and the foal would never have recovered.

SWEP are asking drivers to SLOW DOWN on moorland roads, be aware that now evenings are drawing in, animals will be wondering on the roads and extra care must be taken. Hitting an animal not only takes their life but could also take yours too!!

Please do not just drive on if you hit an animal, this could cause not only suffering to animals but also can cause further accidents. Please report anything you may see to:

Police: 101

South West Equine Protection Office ( 9 – 5 ) 01822 854823 OR our welfare officer Becky Treeby on: 07717311251

Late newborn foal...

Our welfare team received a call by a concerned member of the public. The lady who reported had been walking her dog along the moor in the Whitchurch area and noticed  very young foal who appeared to have just been born that day.  November is a very cold time to have new-born foals on the moorland and our weather conditions have been harsh.
Our welfare officer went out straight away to see the foal and ensure mum was taking good care of the foal, which she was.

On arrival the mare was being followed by a small chestnut stallion, our welfare officer encouraged the stallion to change direction and the mare and foal were able to seek comfort and shelter in the bracken and bushes. The pony and foal's owner was contacted, we have agreed to monitor the pony and take into consideration weather conditions over the next few weeks.

If you have any concerns about ponies on the moor please do let our welfare team know by calling the office on 01822854823 or alternatively you can call our welfare officer on 07717311251

Yet another Road Traffic Collision.........

On 05/11/2013 our welfare team were informed of a pony which had been hit by a car,  left on the side of the road on the Yelverton  to  Princetown road.  Our welfare officer attended the scene.

The spotty Stallion was approximately 2 years old, no herd visible in area. The pony had a obvious broken knee but no other visible injuries. I would assume a broken leg did not kill the pony outright so would have been left to suffer by whoever hit this poor pony.

If you see anyone hit a pony or any other livestock or you yourself hit a pony PLEASE call the police on 101 OR Our welfare Officer: 07717311251 OR  Dartmoor livestock protection officer

Truro Dispersal Sale

On Saturday 26th October 2013, Our welfare officer attended the Lodge & Thomas unreserved dispersal sale of 40 part bred or section D welsh cob horses and ponies.
The ponies and horses were the dispersal of the Arvorek stud, these included mares and foals, broodmares, ridden ponies and stallions.

On arrival our welfare officer Becky, introduced herself to the Auctioneer. The Auctioneer was welcoming and informed Becky that there were no animal welfare representatives at the sale. The sale was bankrupt stock from the stud and everything must sell. Lodge and Thomas do not usually do horse and pony sales and they assured me there would not be another.

The horses at the sale I have to say were very poor condition, very skinny, cracked hooves and generally looking withdrawn. However Lodge and Thomas did everything they could to move horses and ponies to and from the ring with minimal stress, however the metal gates clashing were startling a few younger ponies.  Stallions were extremely stressed, box walking franticly, rearing and calling to mares near by, however the stallions were separate from the mares and foals.

 

Water was provided at the start of the sale by Lodge and Thomas for all equines going through the sale. Bedding was down in all pens. Everything was sold to private homes and no meat dealers were present.  Our welfare officer watched the horses and ponies load onto their new homes trailers and off to their new homes.

RTC - Cadover road

On 24th October our welfare team received a call from a walker who had spotted a young foal stressed and unable to stand. One particular lad who found the foal, removed his coat to wrap the foal in to keep him warm, despite freezing temperatures out on the moor in late afternoon, he reassured the clearly seriously poorly foal until our welfare team arrived. SWEP would like to say a big thank you to the two lads who spent their afternoon making a very poorly foal comfortable in its last hours after a serious RTC injury. They went out of their way to ensure this foal received our help and then continued to aid our Welfare team once they were on sight - Much appreciated.

On arrival of the welfare team, it was obvious the foal needed emergency veterinary attention, immediately. Our welfare team arrived with thick warm rugs to keep the foal warm and well covered.
 The vet was called and we waited 25 minutes which seemed like forever, the veterinarian concluded the foal was suffering severely through spinal damage from impact with a vehicle and the best course of action was to put him to sleep humanely by lethal injection.
The foals owner was informed and SWEP removed the foal from the moorland straight away.
Rest in peace little foal.

 

Pony Killed in RTA on Roborough Down

This dead yearling pony was reported to our Welfare Officer at 9am on Tuesday 15th October, she went straight out to check it was indeed dead and not suffering. On arrival it was apparent the pony was dead, however it was still very fresh. This foal had obviously been hit at great speed, it had bitten it's tongue clean off, it's neck was broken, it had severe lacerations on one of it's hind legs and it had bled heavily.

Our welfare officer reported the body to DLP who assured her the body would be removed asap, however she returned at 3pm and 5pm and the body was still there. The Welfare Team returned at 10am the following morning and the body was still at the side of the road, a man in a passing vehicle stopped to talk to them as he found it quite distressing the body was still there and had not been removed. The area is always busy with walkers and cyclists, some with children, so we feel it should have been removed sooner; plus it is a legal requirement for dead stock to be removed within a reasonable time.

A member of the Welfare Team called DLP to again ask for the foal to be removed, a message was left. The Welfare Team returned at 3pm that day and were glad to see the body has been removed.

The area where the foal was killed is not known for people driving to fast and it is very rare a pony is hit and killed there, however this incident proves that more care is needed on Dartmoor's roads. This foal would have suffered terribly and his mother was still hanging around the day after. Anyone who hits and kills any livestock on the moor, and this includes ponies, should report the incident to the police. If anyone has any information as to who is responsible for this pony's death please call us on 01822 854823/ 07990823864/ 07717311251 or the police on 101.

Chagford Pony Sale

Our Welfare Team attended the annual Chagford pony sale, this market is a little nicer than the others as it is outside and the pens are on grass with wooden fencing. There is none of the clanging and clattering of metal gates, which causes great fear in many a young pony. The ponies were appropriately penned before the auction took place but there was no water provided. When our Welfare Officer asked if water could be provided she was told that the ponies would not be there long enough to warrant it.

There were around 220 ponies of various ages present, most were moorland ponies fresh from the drifts but there were a few halter broken and ridden ponies. There was a good attendance, but not half as many people as in previous years and not many ponies sold. It was a sorry sight seeing pony after pony being run through the ring and not being bid on, a lot of the ponies that did sell were bought by a meat man.

Watching behind the scenes as the ponies were being moved and prepared to go through the ring was slightly shocking. One drover was seen kicking and slapping ponies, hitting them with his cap and wrestling with frightened young ponies to try and separate them. He was seen at one point with a can of beer in hand sorting ponies and looking very red in the face. We do not think that this is acceptable behaviour, the market is a traumatic enough time for these ponies without being man handled by a potentially intoxicated drover. When the auction was over this same man walked passed our Welfare staff and the smell of alcohol was very strong. Another drover was seen wrestling ponies which caused them to panic, it wasn't all bad though as many of the other drovers were quiet and calm and moved the ponies around with minimal fuss.

The reasons why SWEP are apposed to rough handling, wrestling, hitting and kicking as a way of moving ponies around is because it makes the fearful of humans and can cause them to be difficult to handle and bring round in their new homes, if they are lucky enough to be bought. We have many ponies who have come to our rehabilitation yard that have been so traumatised by the market experience that they have taken months to come round and trust humans. Rough handling can cause them to be head shy, bite and kick as well as show avoidance behaviour. Some ponies never get over the experience and never trust humans. Many of these ponies have the potential to make children's ponies, however if they have a traumatic start in life they often end up in rescue centres because their behaviour is deemed difficult.



Once the auction was over the ponies were again separated and loaded into the waiting lorries and trailers, this was done in a much calmer manner and there were not issues. We were a little worried about a very small spotty pony (see above picture) who was in a pen with some much larger ponies, however he was soon ushered out by his owner and loaded onto a trailer with a small group of ponies the same size as him.

Staff from another organisation and SWEP staff asked for a stallion to be removed from a pen of mares and foals as he was covering them, he was bought by the same person as the mares but we felt he needed to be removed and kept away from them as they were in an enclosed area and getting stressed, this was eventually done and the stallion was put in a pen well away from the mares.

Pony Killed in RTA involving 4x4 Near Wotter

We were informed that a pony had been killed in a collision with a large 4x4 on the stretch of road that runs past Lee Moor and Wotter. This stretch of road is a notorious livestock collision area, this is because many drivers insist on breaking the speed limit of 40mph. This poor pony never stood a chance against a speeding 4x4.

Our Welfare Assistant went out to investigate but the pony's body had been removed, the farmer is always quick to remove dead livestock from this road.

Poundsgate Pony Drift

SWEP were aware that there would be a drift today and were informed it was near Poundsgate but our informant thought it was all over. A member of the Welfare Team travelled out to be sure. On arrival she became aware of a small group of ponies galloping away from where the drifters were congregated, they were being pursued by a group of horseback riders. These ponies were rounded back up by the whooping team of riders who then galloped them back across to the holding pen, the group had a number of mares and two foals.

Tavistock Dartmoor Pony Sale

SWEP's Welfare Team attended this mornings Dartmoor Hill Pony sale at Tavistock livestock market. 94 ponies were due to go through the ring, however only 57 were present and went through the ring. A couple of sellers did not arrive and some sellers did not bring all the ponies they had listed. On arrival the market was extremely quiet and not at all bustling due to the low numbers of ponies and potential buyers, very different from last year when around 186 ponies were up for selling.

Initially our Welfare Team thought all was well, the ponies were grouped together in relevant sizes, mares and foals were kept together and handling was done with a minimum of force.

Everyone was asked to enter the sales ring room as the sale was about to begin, bidding would be in guineas and not in pounds sterling as it was last year. Bidding was painfully slow and many of the ponies did not sell, those that did sell varied in sales price from 10 guineas to 240 guineas. The strange thing was that looking around to try and establish who was bidding no one could be seen! It wasn't until a little later that our Welfare Officer over heard an argument between a seller and market staff that the reasoning for this became clear. The seller questioned why ponies that sold were put back in the pen with the unsold ponies. The seller was then told that the ponies had not sold. Our Welfare Team took records, including prices of all the ponies that sold and the two in question were on that list; the seller was then offered half the price of micro chipping and passport.

We were a little concerned about the ages of a few of the foals, some looked to be under the age of 4 months; the minimum age to be allowed to go through a sales ring. A representative from another welfare agency said he had raised these concerns with Trading Standards staff who questioned the foals owners, these owners said that these foals were born in April. We cannot prove that this is not true so we could not take it any further.

Another troubling sight was that of a young foal being taken from it's mother after being bought after the official sale, the foal was dragged out of the pen and taken to be microchipped. It was then put in a pen, on it's own where it was seen pacing and trying to get through the bars; obviously extremely distressed. Our Welfare Assistant did question the foals age and was told it was 5 months old, she also questioned whether it should have been separated in such a manner; this was shrugged off by a staff member, (photo below)



As always our Welfare staff stayed to ensure all the remaining ponies were loaded correctly and that none were left. There was a pen of 12 young foals left and after a discussion with a young man our Welfare Officer was informed that these foals were going to the zoo to become zoo meat. Our Welfare Officer spoke to the owner and offered to buy these foals, it was agreed that she would buy the 6 youngest looking. A price was agreed, however the auctioneer was alerted to the fact it was a SWEP representative who was buying the foals, he then informed the owner who then retracted the sale. Our Welfare Officer tried to reason with her but she would not agree to the sale, we can only assume that this owner would rather these foals go to the local zoo to become lion fodder than go to loving homes.

The picture above is of a foal attempting to suckle from another youngster, this behaviour is due to stress. These youngsters would have been drifted off the moor at the beginning of the week and then separated from there mothers. They would then have been loaded into a trailer and bought to the market, where they then go through the market process. This experience is extremely stressful for these young animals.

Foals were also seen licking water off the railings and drinking from small puddles, our Welfare staff asked if some water could be provided for the ponies as they were obviously thirsty. They were told that they were behaving in this manner because they were stressed, our Welfare Officer asked again if water could be provided to which she was told the ponies would be gone soon. If they were still there at lunch time then they would put water down for them.

 

We are investigating todays findings further

Merrivale Pony Drift

Our Welfare Staff monitored the annual Merrivale pony drift, Our Welfare Officer watched as the ponies were drifted off the moor and our Welfare Assistant watched as the ponies were sorted and moved.

Our Welfare Officer did speak to a few people in regards to driving their quads to close to young foals, we noticed at least three foals under the age of 4 months.

Our Welfare Assistant watched the ponies being sorted into owners groups and moved on, two groups were drifted back to the owners farms. One group was herded by horseback riders, quads and motor cross bikes. The other group by men on quads, one man fell from his quad trying to stop a mare and foal who had broken away from the group, this same man then threw his stick at the mare and foal!! We assume in an attempt to move them along, this behaviour is totally unacceptable and this man should have known better.

After the second group of ponies were moved on everyone left leaving 32 ponies in the pound with no access to water. Our Welfare Assistant spoke to the landlord of the local pub to see if he knew when the ponies would be picked up, he assured her that it would be later on that evening. She waited to see if this did indeed happen, whilst waiting she checked the ponies over and could see the majority of the belonged to a very responsible owner. Within the hour the owner arrived and their ponies were drifted back onto the moor. The remaining eight were very quietly and calmly loaded onto a lorry and taken away.

Collection of Four Abandoned Ponies From Cornwall

Tuesday 26th September was a very busy day for The Welfare Team, as well as collecting the frightened little foal from Bolventor we also collected four privately owned ponies who had been abandoned in a field in Cornwall. We had managed to track the owner down who signed them over to our care. They are now safe at the rehabilitation yard where they will be cared for and worked on until they are ready to be re homed.

Abandonded Foal Roaming The A30 Near Bolventor

This little foal found itself roaming an extremely busy stretch of the A30 near Bolventor in Cornwall. The police had been called two nights in a row as the foal had caused a number of near miss accidents, one such involved an articulated lorry that jack knifed.

The foal was eventually caught and moved to a near by livery yard and we were contacted by Devon and Cornwall police, who asked us if we could take the foal in. We agreed and collected her the following morning, when we arrived she was very frightened but unharmed. Our Welfare Team calmly loaded her onto the horsebox and took her back to the rehabilitation yard.

She is around two months old and although she is able to eat solids she still needs regular feeds of milk. She has been named Verity and she will now receive all the care, love and attention she needs and deserves.

We have received information that a meat dealer may be responsible for dumping the foal after buying her mother at a near by market the previous weekend. If this is true this person endangered the lives of road users and this foal, if anyone has any information regarding how this young filly came to find herself on this busy stretch of road please do not hesitate to call our welfare Team on 01822 854823/ 07717311251/ 07990823864 or contact the police on 101 quoting log number 631250913.

Peek Hill Pony Drift

Our Welfare Team attended the final stage of the Peek Hill pony drift, the ponies had been drifted into a holding, where a public footpath runs, adjacent to a local farm. Most of the ponies were owned by the land owner who was keen for them to be separated calmly and quietly. The land owners are fantastic pony owners who castrate their colts and run them as geldings on the moor along with the mares.

Two trailer loads of ponies were loaded and removed from the area, our Welfare Team witnessed a handler hitting a pony repeatedly on the head with a stick in a effort to get it off the trailer!! This is unacceptable behaviour, sticks should only be used as an arm extension; they must not be used to strike a pony.

Our Welfare Team spoke to the land owners and it was decided we would depart. We will continue to monitor the drifts.

Hallworthy Market Moorland Pony Sale

Our Welfare Officer attended the first moorland pony sale of the year which was held at Hallworthy Market in Cornwall. Hallworthy Market has good facilities for unloading and loading animals and the pens are a good size, most of which have a constant supply of water and had straw bedding down. Most the ponies were penned accordingly, however a mare and foal were penned next to and opposite three stallions. Our Welfare Officer asked for the mare and foal to be moved away from the stallions, this was done.

The main problem with the Market was that there was not enough staff on duty to drove and move the ponies between the pens and sales ring. Members of the public were doing this, some using unnecessary force to move ponies around. Ponies were hit and poked with sticks, one person rugby tackled a foal to the ground. Our Welfare Officer spoke to the people carrying out these actions asking them to stop, most apologised and claimed that the ponies are used to being handled in such a manner!!

217 ponies went through the sales ring, some were sold to good homes, however over half of the ponies were bought by a Welsh meat dealer. This same dealer bought many of the unsold ponies for minimal amounts after the sale, we are further investigating this individual.

Our Welfare Team will be attending all the moorland pony sales this year, as usual.

Dead Foal on Davidstow Common

We received a call from a lady who had come across a dead foal on Davidstow common, she then forwarded our welfare officer a photo of the body. By the time our welfare officer arrived on the scene the body had been removed.

Pony with Colic on Whitchurch Down

Our welfare staff were out looking for a lame pony near Tavistock golf course when they came across a young pony who was clearly colicing. She was lying on her back with her legs in the air on the slope by the Pimple, a few people were walking towards her as they all thought she was dead. Thankfully our welfare staff got her up and moving, every time she tried to lie down she was ushered up and walked on. The ponies potential owner was called and he came out as soon as he could to assess.

As the owner was outside the area it took a little longer than usual for him to arrive on the scene but our welfare team stayed with her and kept her moving. She passed a few faeces during this time and by the time the owner had arrived she was a lot more comfortable and moving much easier.

We agreed that we would monitor the filly over the next few days.

Exeter Horse Sale

Our welfare team attended Exeter Horse Sale at the livestock centre, 31 horses and ponies went through the ring with less than half selling. There was a good attendance but not many buyers.

Foal with Colic on Kit Hill

Our Welfare Officer received a call in regards to a colicing foal on Kit Hill in Cornwall. She went straight out to investigate and did find the youngster, she got it up and kept it moving. Whilst doing this she contacted the foals owner who assured her they would monitor the foal. Our Welfare Officer stayed with the foal, keeping it moving, until it passed some faeces and was less lethargic.

Our Welfare Officer went out to check on the youngster a few days later and it was fully recovered.

Table Top Sale ay SWEP HQ

SWEP will be holding a table top sale at their offices on Saturday 8th September from 10am until 2pm. We will have a variety of rugs, tack, grooming equipment, riding apparel and stable equipment, all of which has been donated to the charity over the years. We will also have books and bric-a-brac as well as cakes. We have a number of tables that have been hired by some of our supporters who will be selling a vast selection of items. Pet & Pony will be open as usual and will be providing tea and coffee.

Staff members from all departments will be on hand to answer any questions anyone may have about the charity and the work we do, we are really excited about this event and are looking forward to meeting some of our valued supporters.

Our office address is Unit B5, Yelverton Business Park, Crapstone, Devon. PL20 7PE. Our telephone number is 01822 854823, if you need directions please give us a call.

Respone to Devon & Cornwall Police's Conclussion into Death of Dartmoor Foal

South West Equine Protection would like to release a response to Devon and Cornwall Police’s press release on 21/08/2013 regarding to the mutilated foal found on Yennadon Down in July 2013.

SWEP stand by our belief that some of the injuries found on the foal’s body were not inflicted by wild animals, birds or invertebrates as has been concluded by Devon and Cornwall police. SWEP’s welfare team is made up of highly qualified individuals who have extensive knowledge and expertise in feral pony behaviour, moorland ecology, habitat management, taxonomy (mammal, plant and invertebrate), ethobotany, veterinary nursing, biological investigation and experimentation experience. They have dealt with many cases of dead ponies; these ponies have been of various ages and have died of many different causes. These bodies have been in different states of decomposition, some have been noticeably eaten by carrion eating predators.

After extensive evaluation of the scene and body our Welfare Assistant kept coming back to the conclusion that some things did not add up and it looked suspicious. After discussing the findings with her manager it was decided to report it to the police, we stand by this decision and if we are to ever be called out to a similar finding we will again report it to the relevant authorities.

The police came to their conclusion by looking at photographs provided by SWEP and not by any form of autopsy or examination of the foal’s body, no police officer saw the body until it had been moved into a nearby gorse two days after the initial report. We feel that they cannot come to a definitive conclusion by looking at photographs alone. One thing we can agree on is that we will never know how the foal died or whether the injuries occurred whilst the foal was dead or alive. We hope we are never called out to another case such. We would hope in future such matters and handled much more swiftly by the police than was the case in late July. We feel this would put the Police in a better position to come to a definitive answer as to whom or what may have caused the injuries to the foal.

Dunnabridge Newtake Drift and Pony Check

One of our volunteers was passing Dunnabridge and noticed the Newtake ponies had been drifted in and were being sorted. She let our Welfare Assistant know who went out to have a look.

All the ponies were very calm and in excellent condition, they were all checked for microchips and their passports checked. Any pony that did not have a microchip had one fitted, one of which was a young colt foal. The process was done quietly, calmly and professionally by a vet. The foal and his mum were not stressed or worried.

Once all the ponies were checked and everyone was happy they were released back into the Newtake, again quietly and calmly.

Injured Stallion On Minnions

We received an anonymous call informing us there was an injured stallion on Minnions, part of Bodmin moor in Cornwall. Our Welfare Officer went straight out to assess the extent of the stallions injury.

She soon found the stallion, who was around 15.2hh and in very good body condition. She could see the injury to his left knee immediately and had a good look. Our Welfare Officer has veterinary nursing experience and qualifications so she could assess how serious the wound was. She could see that the stallion was walking well and keeping up with his herd, he had many bite wounds down his sides. She could tell the wound on his leg was approximately a week old due to the amount of granulation tissue forming. The knee was swollen but it was not affecting his movement.

Whilst out on Minnions our Welfare Officer spoke to a few walkers who clarified that this stallion has been seen fighting with a chestnut stallion over the past couple of weeks, this would explain this stallions injuries. Our welfare officer spoke to the secretary of the commoners who had also received a call regarding this stallion and was in the process of tracking down the owner as she had been told the injury was serious.

Our Welfare Officer will continue to monitor this stallion and if his leg does not seem to be healing she will take further action.

Foal With Long Umbilical Cord

A member of SWEP staff noticed a newborn foal with a very long umbilical cord, it was dragging on the floor and the staff member was worried it may get infected. She called our welfare officer who went out immediately to assess.

The foal was a healthy size and looked well, if not a bit wobbly, and mum was happily grazing, so our welfare officer decided to monitor the pair for 48 hours. She called our vet to clarify this was the right thing to do and the vet agreed.

By Sunday 1st September the cord had fallen away and the foal was happily bounding around. The ponies owner has been informed as it is late in the season for a foal to be born, the drifts will soon be upon us and the youngest need to be monitored during this stressful time.

Cast Mare Near Golf Links Road

We received a call from a very worried man who had come across a heavily pregnant mare that could not get up, she was extremely distressed and he thought she may be having difficulty giving birth.

Our welfare team rushed to the scene and found the mare on her side, well and truly cast. She was sweating and having difficulty breathing, she had injured her eye and she looked like she was trying to give birth. On closer inspection we could see she was prolapsing, she was exhausted and frightened.

We called the ponies owners and our vet and tried to keep the mare calm, the owner came straight out and together we managed to get the mare up. She was initially very wobbly on her legs and disorientated but soon found her legs and walked towards the herd. Her owner decided to drift her to a safe spot so they could get a lorry and have her collected, she would be taken to the farm to receive some penicillin and have her eye seen to and a general check over.

We were worried the foal had died as we figured she was down for some time before we were called and arrived on the scene, but thankfully after a while we saw the foal was moving inside.

We were extremely concerned about the mare and foals welfare during the imminent birth as the mare is so large, so we have asked that the owner contact us in a few day to let us know how they were and if the foal has been born. We would like to know the outcome whether it is good or bad news, the owners have agreed to let us know either way and we can visit the foal once it has arrived and if it survives.

******UPDATE******* This mare gave birth to a healthy foal, our Welfare Assistant has seen both mare and foal in the owners field and can report both are doing well.

Update on Filly with Hernia

At the beginning of August this year we reported a young filly who had a hernia. After a discussion with her owner it was agreed she could come into the yard and we would treat the hernia. She was a local pony and after a little reassurance she finally came in on her own accord. She is a lovely girl and is not afraid of us humans, she has already let us stroke her, check her teeth, legs and feet as well as allowing a vet to feel her hernia. The vet felt a hole which will need to be monitored, it is highly likely this pony will need a little operation in order to stitch the hole up. The filly is around 2 and a half years old so it is possible she could be pregnant. She will have a pregnancy test in the following weeks to establish if she is or not, we will decide on her treatment once we have the results.

Report of Deformed Foal on Kit Hill

Our welfare officer received an anonymous call regarding what they thought was a deformed foal, she was in the area so went straight out to investigate. She checked all the mares with foals in the area and came across a very large new born foal that she thought could be the foal in question.

She watched the foal for some considerable time waiting for it to get up and walk, when it did she could see it had very long, gangly legs with big joints.  Because of the sheer size of it's legs and being new born the foal was walking very strangely, it could easily be thought that the foals legs were not properly developed or walking correctly.

Our welfare officer watched the foal walking for some time and filmed it so it could be assessed by other members of staff. The foal was keeping up with mum and suckling happily. We are confident this youngster will be fine, however we will monitor it over the coming months to be sure. The ponies owner has been informed, he said his ponies come down to the farm every evening so he will keep an eye on the foal also.

Foal With Deformed Legs Near Warren Cross

Our welfare officer was called in regards to a young foal near Warren Cross that seemed to have deformed legs. We have seen this problem in foals in recent years in this area so she went out to investigate.

After searching for some time our officer found nothing that matched the foals description, however she did come across a Shetland type pony that was clearly lame. She called the ponies owner who assured her that he would check on the pony and remove it from the down.

In regards to the foal with the deformed legs our welfare staff will carry on monitoring the area to see if they can find it.

Foal Seperated From His Mum

We were called to come to the aid of a young chestnut foal who had been separated from his mum, he was frantically zig zagging across the road on the way to Sheeptor. Our welfare officer went straight out to assess the situation in the hope of finding mum and reuniting the pair. On arrival she found the foal trotting up the road alone, there was no sign of mum or any other ponies close by. Our welfare officer stayed close to the foal and ushered him from the road, eventually he spotted  mum and the two were reunited. The stressed foal quickly suckled from mum to calm himself down and our welfare officer monitored the pair for 15 minutes to ensure they were definitely mum and foal, and that they were calm and happy.

Newton Abbot Horse Sales

Our welfare team attended Newton Abbot horse sales today and were happy to report no serious issues. We would like to have seen some form of bedding in the stalls as the concrete floors are very slippy, this was proved when a cob who was tied up became upset and pulled back. As he pulled back his shod feet slipped from under him and he fell over, luckily his head collar came off and he could right himself. This minor incident also proves why equines should be tied to a piece of baler twine and not a solid railing, we will be raising this with the auctioneers.

There were a few issues with horses with feet in very poor condition, however the animals were in good condition and were bought so hopefully the first thing their new owners will do is get a farrier out. There were approximately 40 horses and ponies through the sales ring and many sold.

Dead Foal Near Plasterdown

We were called out to attend to a piebald mare who seemed distressed standing over a dead foal on the way to Plasterdown. Our welfare assistant went out and located the foal immediately as it was by the side of the road, however there was no sign of the mare or any other ponies in the area. The foal was a newborn, possibly still born as it was still in foetal position and his hooves had signs of eponychium.

The DLP officer arrived soon after and reported the owner was aware and would collect the body.

Dead Foal Caught in Fence

Our welfare team were alerted to a dead foal who appeared to be caught in a fence. They went out straight away, on arrival it became apparent the foal had not been dead long. His front leg was caught in the fence and he appeared to be cast against the sharp gorse. There were no other ponies in the area so establishing the foals owner was impossible. The DLP officer was contacted and she assured us the foals body would be removed asap.