Grey Mare Update

The golfer who informed us of the grey mare with a plastic gutter stuck on her leg has informed us that she is indeed back on the golf course and looks a lot happier. She is no longer limping.

Colliford Lake Callout

SWEP received a call from South West Water in regards to 12 ponies around the Colliford Lake, near Bodmin. When our welfare officer arrived the ponies had been removed. This area is experiencing on going problems amongst the local farmers. The area close to the lake is known as Redhills and there are more ponies grazing than the land size can take. Hay is some times put out and has seen on previous visits, it is an area that SWEP is monitoring.

RTC Princetown to Yelverton Road

A SWEP member of staff reports a dead pony on the road from Princetown to Yelverton, a possible RTC. The Livestock Protection Officer was informed and arranged for the body to be taken away. We are still experiencing high numbers of RTC call outs, which proves that motorists are still driving to fast and without due care and attention across the moors. This is a criminal offence as is not reporting an RTC with any type of livestock.

Dead Pony on Princetown to Tavistock Road

A dead pony was reported on the Princetown to Tavistock  road near the main car park. The DLPS was informed and was asked to ensure the body was removed. Our welfare officer visited the site to try and identify the ponies owner but the pony had no identifiable markings, it was obvious the body had been there for some time. It took a second phone call before the body was removed from the site.

Appearance of Herd Between Okehampton Camp & Belstone

SWEPs welfare officer went to check on a small herd of ponies that "appeared" in August, 2011, between Okehampton Camp and Belstone. The owner of these ponies is currently unknown, but our welfare officer is monitoring the herd along with a local commoner.

Mistletoe Joins the SWEP Team

Mistletoe has settled into the yard

Back in the autumn of 2011 SWEP was asked to help find homes for a local farmers herd, he had decided he could no longer keep them but he did not want them to end up going to the meat man. We managed to assist with the re homing of all but one. The one left was a very nervous filly who is now in SWEPs care, she will now be worked on at the rehabilitation yard until she is ready to be re homed, she has been named Mistletoe.

05/03/2012 : Mistletoe has settled into the rehabilitation yard. She is still a little nervous but she is slowly becoming braver, she will now approach certain people and allow them to stroke her nose a little. We will keep working with her and are confident she will become a confident young lady.

Grey Mare with Cough Update

The owner of the grey mare and coloured pony at Longash was asked to remove both ponies which he successfully did today. Whilst in the area our welfare officer was a little concerned about a man who was walking 15 dogs on his own across the Downs, only 5 of these dogs were on leads. It was reported to the Dartmoor Livestock Protection Officer.

Call Out to Two Ponies at Long Ash

SWEP received another call regarding the coughing pony at Long Ash and a coloured pony that looked "a funny shape", in the same area. Our welfare officer went to see the ponies for herself and noticed that the coughing grey mare seemed fine and was happily grazing with her foal. The coloured pony did have a swelling on its under belly but was happily grazing and walking with ease, keeping up with the herd. Our welfare officer spoke to the vet about the swelling, they recommended the pony be monitored. She then passed the advice onto the ponies owner who was also looking at the ponies.

Call Out to Coughing Pony at Long Ash

We received a call concerning a grey mare who was coughing and looked unwell at Long Ash. Our welfare officer spoke to the ponies owner who assured that he would check on the pony straight away, he reported back that he could not catch the pony but would keep an eye on her.

AHVLA Meeting

Two SWEP representatives attended an AHVLA meeting about the on going welfare of ponies on Bodmin Moor. There was a lot of positive feedback and less welfare reports. Animal Health vets are now carrying out regular stock counts and checks and our welfare officer has offered to help with these if it is required. All keepers of stock in the area have received a letter explaining the condition their stock needs to be kept in. There are to be speed restrictions introduced to the Pensilva Road to try and cut down the amount of RTCs. A letter from Bodmin Commoners Council will also go out in regards to not feeding the ponies on the Moor.

Dartmoor Commoners Meeting at Two Bridges

Two SWEP representatives attended a Dartmoor commoners Council meeting at Two Bridges. The main issue was the problem of dogs not being under control on the moor and livestock being worried and attacked. There has been large numbers of stock being lost due to dogs and RTCs.

Pony with Broken Leg on Bulland Down

A call came into the office regarding a pony on Bulland Down with a suspected broken leg. A gentleman who walks there on a daily basis noticed the pony was having difficulty walking. Our welfare officer contacted Bodmin Commoners Council who then contacted the ponies owner. The pony was removed from the Downs but unfortunately had to be shot due to its injuries, This was the kindest thing to do in the situation. Our welfare officer visited the area afterwards to ensure these actions had been carried out correctly and to ensure the other ponies in the area were healthy and in good condition. There have been many reports of dogs chasing stock (including ponies) in this area.

Update on Ponies in Roborough Down Pound

The unclaimed ponies are still in the pound and have no grass left to graze on. Our welfare officers took them a selection of hay and haylage and will chase up the quarter man and find out how long they are likely to held in the pound for. Some of the ponies belong to a local owner who sorted his and released the mares he wanted to keep back onto the down. The others were taken to his land and given hay.

15/11/2011: All ponies left in the pound have now been claimed and have been removed by there owners.

Roborough Down Drift

 Our welfare assistant happened to pass the Roborough Down pound today and found it was full of ponies and owners. She watched as the ponies were separated and loaded onto lorries and trailers and taken away to the farms and holdings. The separation stage was done with minimal fuss and took a few hours. The welfare assistant stayed until all the vehicles, owners and helpers had gone, however 24 ponies were left in the pound. On further investigation we found out that these were unclaimed or their owners were unknown. The quarter man would need to contact any pony owners and try and find out who they belonged to before the case was handed to the Commoners Committee, who would then decide the ponies fate. Most the time in these cases any unclaimed ponies would end up being destroyed and desposed of. The ponies had fresh drinking water but not lot of grazing to sustain them. We will keep a close eye on these ponies.

Baby Ben Joins SWEP

SWEP received a call from a very distressed lady who needed to re home a 5 week old cob x colt she had acquired from a horse sale. She had not realised how much attention and time a foal of this age would need in order to hand rear. We agreed to take Ben into our care and he was signed over to us and bought to our yard. Ben had been cared for extremely well and was much loved. He did have weak pasterns, but this is not uncommon in young foals and should correct it self in time. We will continue to hand rear Ben and are confident he will grow into a big strong boy.

05/03/2012 : Ben has now been weaned and castrated, he continues to grow at a steady pace and his pasterns have corrected themselves. Ben has been halter broken and leads well, he was a little pushy but has been taught boundaries and has responded well. He is an affectionate fella and will soon be ready for re homing to a knowledgeable home who will give him the time and discipline he needs. We currently think he will make 14.2 - 15 hh, but he could grow bigger!!!

RTC at Wheal Tor, Cornwall

Another dead pony was reported after an RTC at Wheal Tor, the dead pony was quickly removed. Also reported was a broken gate at Pensilva Moor, this was reported to a Bodmin Commoners Councillor who assured us it would be fixed promptly.

Grey Pony with Plastic on Her Leg Update

The grey pony with the a plastic gutter stuck on her leg was today removed from the moor along with her foal. A SWEP representative called the quarter man to find out what had happened to her and was assured that the plastic had been removed and she had been given an antibiotic injection, in case of any infection. She was also wormed and will be released back onto the Downs the following day.

Concerned Golfer Calls SWEP

We received a call from a concerned golfer from Yelverton golf course in regards to a grey mare who had a plastic gutter cover stuck around her hind leg, just above the hoof. A welfare officer went to meet the gentleman who took them to the area the pony was last seen. The welfare officer eventually located the pony and took photos of the plastic, which was very tight and had started to cut into the skin. She was showing signs of distress as she would not put any weight on the leg, she was holding the leg up and walking with a very obvious limp.

Hallworthy Market

SWEP representatives attended Hallworthy Market today. Prices were again low and many ponies were left unsold. We were concerned for three young ponies so purchased them and bought them back to our rehabilitation yard. The first pony was a very small black miniature Shetland colt, he was a lot smaller than the other ponies in his pen and quite timid. The second pony was again a lot smaller than the others in his pen and extremely frightened, also a colt. He was underweight and we were concerned that he would not survive a long journey in the back of a lorry, the third was a filly who although a good size was extremely frightened and was showing signs of trauma. We will work with all three ponies and they will be re homed when ready.

05/10/2011: All three ponies are now safe at our rehabilitation yard.  The mini Shetland is called Black Beauty or Stewie, The coloured colt is called Davy and the filly is named Patchy. We will update readers on their progress.

11/2011: Stewie has been re homed. We noticed Davy was carrying his tail at a funny angle and looked uncomfortable, he was still showing signs of shock and trauma from his experience at the sale. Our vet came to check him over and diagnosed a broken tail, this could have happened through rough handling and pulling on the tail. It is not affecting him to badly so the vet is sure he will make a full recovery. This will explain why he is so afraid of people, but we will work with him and Patchy to gain their trust and we are confident they will be re homed as many other of ponies have.

 

Casper & Toby Join SWEP

The pony we purchased at Tavistock market today has been named Toby, on our way back to the SWEP yard we took a slight detour to collect another small pony called Casper. He was signed over to us by a local farmer. Both ponies took an immediate liking to one another and happily investigated the yard once they were unloaded. Both ponies will be worked on in preparation for re homing.

5/3/2012 : Casper and Toby were soon re homed seperately and are now happy and settled in their  new homes.

Tavistock Pony Market

SWEP attended the annual pony sale at Tavistock market. All ponies were appropriately penned, although only one owner had provided their ponies with fresh water. We purchased a pony who was extremely friendly and small. The sale ran smoothly, although many ponies were left unsold. Most ponies sold for 10-15 guineas, only one made 34 guineas (still an extremely low price). A SWEP representative stayed at the sale site until all the ponies had been safely loaded at the end of the sale.

Report of Filly Foal that had Jumped into Livery Yard During Drift

A call came into the yard regarding a black filly foal who had jumped over a dry stone wall into a livery yard, she had a small wound on her fore leg. The owner of the yard had contacted the farmer who said he would come and shoot the pony, the yard owner did not want this to happen so called SWEP. Our welfare assistant went to assess the pony and offered to take the pony to our yard if the farmer was happy to sign her over to us. He was not happy to do this so the livery owner said she would keep the filly. We were happy with this out come.

Call Out to Pony in Distress Near Pewtor

Our welfare assistant received a call to say a brown and white mare close to Pew Tor was showing signs of colic, they were at the sight within an hour and found the mare in question soon after. The welfare assistant confirmed it was the correct pony by speaking directly to the person who had reported it. The pony was up and lightly grazing and showing no sign of distress. Our welfare officer sat and watched for approx half an hour to ensure the mare was ok, which she was.

Dartmoor Hill Pony Foal Badly Injured After Road Traffic Collision

Late on Sunday night (at around 22:30pm) we received a message from a member of the public who had seen a Dartmoor Hill Pony foal get hit by a car near Pork Hill on the main road between Tavistock and Princetown.  The foal had been hit much earlier in the evening and had a badly injured leg.  We were told that members of the public had stayed with the foal for 4 hours in an effort to get the Commoners or someone in authority to attend the foal and get it treated or removed.  Unhappy with what had happened, and as equine owners themselves knowing the seriousness of the injury, the person had decided to contact us.

Our Welfare Officer attended the moor the following morning and found the foal and its herd.  The course of events over the next two days in relation to the foal were so serious that we are asking Trading Standards (who can bring prosecutions under the Animal Welfare Act) to take this forward as a prosecution case.  For that reason, we will not be publishing any more details, photos, video or other evidence of this case at the current time. 

SWEP worked in partership with vets and the authorities to get a resolution for this foal under the Animal Welfare Act.

Callout to a Tame Dartmoor Hill Pony

On Saturday afternoon we were called out to a village on the edge of Dartmoor.  Some private owners of a young Dartmoor Hill Pony had been caught in an unfortunate situation where they had lost their grazing and had been unable to find anywhere in their locality to keep their pony.  They had tried to rehome him themselves but this had not been successful.

Now the pony was on a housing estate and the owners realised that they wouldn't be able to keep him there.  Desparate to find somewhere for the pony to go, the owners rang SWEP and we agreed to take him in.  This pony had been extremely well cared for by his owners.  He is well handled and in very good condition.  He fitted in instantly with the ponies at our rescue centre.  Because he is in such good condition and is so good to handle, we hope it won't be long before he will be on the "Ponies for Rehoming" page.  Here he is settling in at the yard showing off some of his paces:

Farm Sale of Ponies

Two of our officers on their "day off" attended a farm sale of ponies on Dartmoor.  We were pleased to see that the sale had been organised so that all the horses and ponies for sale had food and water and deep straw bedding.  Mares were with their foals and all the horses and ponies were appropriately penned according to size and temperament.

Callout to Bodmin Pony with Large Facial Swelling

Last Friday our Welfare Officer attended Bodmin Moor to assess the condition of a pony reported with a large facial swelling.  Having seen the extent of the swelling, we decided to seek an expert opinion from an equine vet.  The vet considers that it is likely to be a dental problem causing this swelling and that it is unlikely that the condition will resolve itself if left untreated.  The mare is in poorer condition than other ponies out on the same area of moor and she needs treatment otherwise she will be unlikely to maintain enough condition to survive through the winter.

Local residents are very concerned about what will happen to this pony as they have noticed that other ponies removed from the moor by the Bodmin Commoners' Association earlier in the year have not been returned.  SWEP have reported this pony to the Commoner's Association and offered the pony and her foal places at our rescue centre, or alternatively veterinary treatment so that the mare can be treated and then returned to the moor.  The Bodmin pony and foal SWEP seized under the Animal Welfare Act in June are doing well and updates can be seen on their June blog entry

[ 05/09/11 -  The Commoners' responded by saying that if no owner can be found the "animal will be removed by the association for treatment."  I will ask for an update on what happened to the other ponies that were welfare cases removed by the Association in June.  One resident was told by the Commoners' that they "didn't know" what had happened to them ].

Whilst out on the moor our Welfare Officer videoed this foal which is just a couple of days old.  Foals should be born in late spring/early summer but with 9 stallions turned out on this small area of moorland, they are constantly competing for mares.  This means that foals are still being born at the beginning of autumn (and some mares are yet to foal) - which will make surviving the winter much more of a struggle.

Second Pony With Colic on Roborough Down

This afternoon, we received a phone call from a member of the public to report a pony colicking on Roborough Down.  It was a skewbald mare with a piebald foal.  The lady who reported the case said that she had been watching the pony for 45 minutes and it was a serious colic - the pony was described as lying upsidedown with its legs in the air.

Maureen Rolls contacted the local Commoner (Reeve) responsible for the area.  SWEP offered to pay for a vet to attend the pony.  The Reeve attended the pony and was able to establish the owner of the pony.  SWEP still offered to pay for a vet to treat the pony but the offer was rejected by the owner of the pony.  They said that they would monitor the pony out on the moor themselves.  The family who owns this pony were also the owners of other ponies we attended this year such as Hope (see blog entry http://swepwelfare.blogspot.com/2011/05/hopes-story-day-3-rescue.html )

Again, it is likely that this pony had been fed by tourists.  We ask people not to feed moorland ponies.  Some foods and plants cause colic, and some can even be poisonous to horses.  Colic is a very painful condition and can result in the death of a pony - either through the condition itself, or because some owners may decide to shoot the pony rather than pay the vet fees.  Grass clippings are particularly dangerous for horses to eat - the fermenting matter tastes delicious to the horses but causes colic once in the horse's digestive system.

Feeding ponies can also cause other problems, such as aggressiveness towards people, and it can encourage moorland ponies to approach cars, putting them at risk of being hit by cars on the main roads.

Pony with Colic on Dartmoor

Our Welfare Officer was driving across Dartmoor on Sunday and noticed this pony on Roborough Down that was looking most unwell.  After watching the mare for a while, it was clear that the mare was colicking.  She was repeatedly lying down and rolling occasionally.  There were lots of tourists in this area and it is likely that the pony had been fed something that had made it ill.  Colic is a serious condition that can result in the death of a pony.

Our Officer contacted the local Reeve (official Commoner in charge of the area).  He contacted the owner, who came out to the mare within about 15 minutes of the pony being reported to them.  The owner loaded the pony and her foal into a horsebox and she was removed from the moor. 

Report of Lame Dartmoor Hill Pony Foal

Late on Friday afternoon, we received a call from a member of the public to report a lame Dartmoor Hill Pony foal - the caller was able to give a good location for the pony and was even able to email photos of the foal and its mare.

Our Welfare Officer attended the moor and visited the foal today.  It has now recovered from its lameness.

Callout to Lame Dartmoor Hill Pony

We received a phone call from one of the local vet practices to say that they had received a phone call from a member of the public informing them of a lame pony in the White Tor area of Dartmoor.  The caller was well prepared by being able to provide a grid reference for the location of the pony.  Our Welfare Officer attended the moor and found this pony whose front right leg was badly swollen.  Our Officer contacted the owner of this pony who assured our officer that the pony would be removed from the moor later that evening.

Dartmoor Hill Pony Foal Dead After RTC

Our Welfare Officer discovered this dead pony alongside the main Tavistock to Princetown road.  It is a young colt.

This pony appears to be victim of a road traffic accident.  Drivers are required by law to report any accident where they hit a pony to the police, but sadly this rarely happens, and left unreported the pony can died of its internal injuries.  Our Officer reported this case to the Commoners' who should remove the carcass.

Update 17/08/11 - Despite having informed the Commoners about this dead pony on Monday, the carcass is still lying next to the main road as of 7pm this evening.

Update 19/08/11 - After informing the Commoners again about this yesterday, the pony is still lying beside the road as of 8pm this evening.  Our Welfare Officer has left a message for one of the area's Quartermen, again informing them that the pony is still alongside the road and has been there for 6 days.  We rang the National Park to inform them that this pony is lying beside on of the main tourist routes but they said there was nothing they could do about it.

Update 23/08/11 - The dead pony is still lying beside the main road, despite our efforts to get the owner to remove it.

Report of Lame Pony on Dartmoor

Two SWEP officers spotted this moorland pony yesterday which was clearly lame on its front, right leg.  Today, our Welfare Officer visited the pony out on the moor to assess its condition.  There are no obvious wounds.  The pony's right leg is warm and only very slightly swollen, but it is likely to be an injury that will improve without having the pony removed from the moor.  We will monitor this pony over the next few days to see that it's condition improves.

Update 19/08/11- The heat has gone from the leg of this pony, it is able to move around the moor well, but it is still lame. 

Update 23/08/11 - This pony's condition has greatly improved, please see the video below which shows the progress of the pony from the 15th to today

Report of Dartmoor Hill Pony Hit By Car

This morning we received a call to say that a member of the public had seen a pony get hit by a car in the Pork Hill area of Dartmoor, which is on the main road from Tavistock to Princetown.  SWEP phoned the Commoners and tried to raise one of the local farmers to go out to the pony.  Messages were left and we attended the moor to see if any pony in distress was apparent but none could be found.

Update 15/08/11 - This morning we rang the Commoners' to find out if any farmers attended to the report of the pony.  Apparently this was the second report they received about a pony in this area, which had been reported as being black and white in colour.  They were trying to raise someone to go out to the area.

Illegal Ear Mutilations

During our welfare callouts over the last year, SWEP has collected evidence of any foals with ear tags, ear notches or ear cuts.  These ear mutilations are now illegal under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and moorland owners are no longer permitted to carry out these mutilations.  All the evidence we have collected has recently been passed onto the local authority in Devon, who have been very helpful in pursuing this matter.  We hope that this year, we will see a complete stop to these practices.  Any cases we find will be recorded and reported to the local authority.

Callout to Dartmoor Pony with A Deep Laceration

We received 2 separate calls from members of the public about a mare with a deep laceration on her side, and a wound on the front of her leg.  On the 4th August, the SWEP team (on agreement with her owner) went out and drifted this mare and foal into the SWEP rescue centre.

05/08/11 - With careful handling, this mare has now been headcollared and has been treated by our equine vet.  The wound is not fresh enough to be stitched, but the vet was able to clean the wound which had been full of flies and bot eggs.  The mare is also being treated with antibiotics.  This mare and her foal will now be staying with SWEP, along with her companion mare and foal.  These two mares are part of a much larger herd that needs to be rehomed this autumn, and this is why we have taken these cases in with agreement of their owner.  It would usually be the responsibility of the owner of the pony to treat wounds such as this.

30/08/11 - The mare with the laceration (Maggie) has been progressing well and her wound is healing very nicely - see the photo below.  Maggie's foal has been named Minnie.   



Callout to a Dartmoor Hill Pony Foal with an Injured Nose

SWEP received a call from a member of the public who had noticed a Dartmoor Hill Pony foal with a very red, sore nose and was concerned that it might have been injured.  Our Welfare Officer attended the moor and found the foal.  In this case, it seems that the foal's red nose is caused by sunburn.  Domestic horse owners prevent sunburn on horses with pale colour noses by using suncream, but this foal is very unlikely to receive any such treatment from its owner. 

Update 06/08/11 - Our welfare officer saw this foal out on the moor today, and its sunburn is much improved.

Wild Dartmoor Pony Rescue - Pony With A Large Abcess

On the 24th July SWEP received a phone call from a member of the public to report a pony with a large abcess on its side.  Two of our officers went out to see the pony on Roborough Down and found that the abcess was the size of a small rugby ball.  After speaking to the owner, it was agreed that we would bring the pony into the SWEP yard.

Today, our team went out onto the moor and were able to drift the pony and her foal, with the minimum of stress, to the SWEP yard so they can start settling in to receive care and veterinary treatment.

Update 26/07/11 - The pony and foal are settling in well.  The vet has seen the mare and has started her on antibiotic treatment.  We will get the mare handleable over the next few days so that the abcess can be directly treated.  Both will now permanently be staying with SWEP.

Pony Killed after RTA on Dartmoor

SWEP received a phone call this morning to report a dead pony near the "pump house" on the Princetown to Tavistock road on Dartmoor.  The pony would have been the victim of a road traffic collision.  SWEP reported the dead pony to the Commoners who will remove the body.

Callout to a Deformed Dartmoor Hill Pony Foal with Wry Nose

On Friday evening we received a report of a Dartmoor Hill Pony foal that was having difficulty breathing, had red legs and had an unusual face.  Our welfare Officer attended the moor today and found that the foal is deformed.  It is about 3-4 months old.  This case is ongoing and more information will be posted when possible.

Update 28th July - Our equine vet has been able to assess this foal.  It has been diagnosed as having a rare condition called "Wry Nose".  This condition is not caused by inbreeding or genetic problems.  The foal is managing well out on the moor with its current condition but the welfare concern is that because of its breathing problems, it will not survive the drifts.  We are currently in the process of ensuring that the foal will be taken off the moor separately when it comes to the round-ups. 

Horse Sale at Hallworthy Market, Cornwall

Today SWEP attended the "Bonanza" Horse Sale at Hallworthy market to oversee the welfare of horses at the sale.  We found a miniature mare and foal entered into the sale that were deformed.  The owner tried to hide the ponies away in another person's lorry but SWEP reported these ponies to the authorities at the sale and the deformed ponies were subsequently withdrawn from the sale.

The rest of the sale ran smoothly and we were pleased to make good contact with the auctioneer.  We stayed until 7.30pm until all the horses and ponies (such as the ones below) had been loaded at the end of the sale.

Callout to a Dartmoor Hill Pony with a Suspected Abcess

20th July

One of our SWEP officers was able to take the above photo of a Dartmoor Hill Pony near Clearbrook.  At first we suspected that this lump might be an abcess, but when visiting the pony on the 21st July, our officers were able to see that the mare is pouching grass and this is not an abcess.  This mare probably has hooks on her teeth.  Monitoring her we found that the lump disappears at times and then re-emerges later in the day.  We will continue to monitor this mare and her condition. 



21st July





Dartmoor Hill Pony foal With Eye Discharge

Our Welfare Officer was approached on the moor by a young foal who had sore eyes and discharge.  As the foal was friendly, our officer was able to wipe away the discharge to clean up the area around the eyes to help keep the flies off.

Report of a Lame Pony on Roborough Down

Our officers responded to a report of a lame foal on Roborough Down on Dartmoor.  We assessed the foal, which did have a minor lameness, but the foal was bright and healthy and the lameness was not hampering its movement.  This will be a case for us to monitor to ensure that the lameness does not get worse.

Report of a Dartmoor Hill Pony in Poor Condition

One of our SWEP officers spotted this Dartmoor Hill Pony in poor condition.  We will continue to monitor this mare out on the moor.  The mare is below the ideal body weight, particularly for this time of year.  Her foal is healthy and the mare is bright and active out on the moor.  This owner has told us before that he would rather shoot ponies in poor condition and get paid for the meat than have to pay for the vet to attend them, hence our decision to monitor the mare for the time being.

Report of Dartmoor Hill Pony with Badly Overgrown Feet

We received a report from a member of the public about a Dartmoor Hill Pony with very overgrown hooves on an enclosed area of moorland just outside of Tavistock.  Our Welfare Officer visited the moor and found this pony which clearly was in need of having its hooves trimmed.  SWEP rang the owner of the pony who has said that he will "see to it".  We will return to this area to check that the pony is not left with its feet in this condition.

Owners have a legal responsibility to regularly check the body and hoof condition of their ponies - this should be done on a daily basis.

Update 19/07/11 - We are pleased to report that this mare has had her feet trimmed and is back out on the moorland...please see the photos below

Callout To An Injured Dartmoor Hill Pony Foal

On 30th June SWEP received a phone call from a very concerned member of the public who had come across a lame Dartmoor Hill Pony foal which was unable to bear any weight on its front, left leg.  Maureen Rolls attended the foal and was able to identify and contact the owner, who came out to the site.  SWEP's equine vet attended and felt unable to make a firm decision as to whether the leg was broken or not.  It was agreed with the farmer that it was not appropriate for the foal to be rounded up at speed by quad bikes, particularly over the steep terrain, as this would cause more damage to the foal.  SWEP agreed that it would be acceptable for the owner to wait for the foal and its mare to be in a more suitable location from where they could be more easily removed.

Our Welfare Officer visited the foal out on the area of moor today.  This video shows that the foal's condition has improved slightly, and it seems that its leg is probably not broken, but the level of lameness means that the foal still needs to be properly assessed by a vet.  This case is ongoing and updates will be provided as soon as possible...

09/07/11 - Update - Our Welfare Officer visited the moor today and the foal has improved significantly over the last few days.  The video below shows that although the foal is still lame (which can be clearly seen when it is walking), it is now running around and is able to put its hoof to the floor.   It should be able to stay out on the moor with its mother if it continues to improve like this.  We will continue to monitor its condition.

Report of a Dartmoor Hill Pony Yearling in Poor Condition

We responded to a callout to a Dartmoor Hill Pony yearling described as thin and in poor condition, not far from Cadover Bridge.  Yearlings such as this the one in the photo above look very scruffy at this time of year.  This one would be considered acceptable by moorland condition standards to stay out on the moor, but many of these youngsters are colts (young male ponies) who should not have been left out on the moor.

Most youngsters bought off the moor need to be wormed as they can have high worm burdens. 

Another youngster seen today - this one was on an enclosed area of moorland not far from Tavistock

Dartmoor Hill Pony Foal in Distress

Further along the road to Tavistock, our Officer came across a Dartmoor Hill Pony foal that was clearly distressed, running frantically, and calling out as loudly as it could.  It was alone and heading towards the busy main road, where it would risk being hit by a car.  This foal had been caught out - in the sunny weather, foals stop to sleep and sometimes, as in this case, when they wake up, the herd has moved off and can't be seen anywhere.

On approaching the foal out on the moorland, it walked over to our Officer and was brave enough to sniff her hand.  It instantly calmed down and they walked together away from the main road further up onto the moor.  A distance further along the hillside the foal was reunited with its herd.

Suspected Case of Dartmoor Hill Ponies with Strangles

Whilst driving across Dartmoor from Princetown to Tavistock, our Welfare Officer came across a small herd of Dartmoor Hill Ponies that were looking unthrifty.  On stopping to investigate, it was apparent that one mare had a long, drooling, salivary discharge from her mouth, and on closer inspection, other ponies in the herd had nasal discharges.  We suspect that this herd is suffering from Strangles, and anyone who comes into direct contact with ponies in this area should make sure they disinfect their hands and footwear, and change clothing if they wish to take precautions against infecting their own equines with the disease. 

Pony Dies After RTC On Bodmin Moor

We received several reports about this dead pony that was lying dead beside the B3254 road on Bodmin Moor.  The pony had obviously been hit by a car and suffered serious injuries - the condition of the pony on inspection showed it had had blood pouring out of its nostrils, a head injury, and intestinal rupturing and blood from its stomach area.

If the driver of a vehicle hits a pony they are legally required to report the incident to the police.  In many cases the incidents are "hit and runs" and so the pony in distress is not reported, and this is why ponies die as a result of internal injuries.

Local residents tell us that 4 ponies have been involved in road traffic collisions in this area of Bodmin Moor alone within the last week.

Report of a Mare and Foal in Poor Condition on Bodmin Moor

We received a report of a chestnut pony with a foal in very poor condition on Bodmin Moor.  The ponies were described as having a depressed demeanour and they were wandering alone, not with a herd.  They were seen out on the moor at the end of last week.  SWEP have been told by the authorities that all ponies in poor condition on all parts of Bodmin are being removed from the commons, so we have contacted the authories to ensure these ponies are among those that have been removed.

More Ponies in Poor Condition on Bodmin Moor

SWEP welfare checks continue to pick up ponies in poor condition  (who are also feeding foals) on Bodmin

Report of Ponies in Poor Condition on Bodmin Moor

Our SWEP welfare officer followed up a report of neglected ponies on a common of Bodmin Moor.  An informant told us that they had found a dead pony on the common just 2 weeks ago and that there were other ponies in poor condition.

One of our officers attended the common and found 2 groups of ponies.  The ponies we found were in good condition but the clear hoof marks in the corral on-site showed that ponies may well have been moved very recently.

Our officer also took the opportunity to check some of the other commons on Bodmin where we have recently found ponies with poor and emaciated body conditions.

Update - SWEP reported this mare and foal to the authorities.  We have been told that they have both been removed from the moor.  We have been assured that they are not going to be destroyed and that they are being properly cared for and are going to be checked by a veterinary surgeon.  We have offered the mare and foal places at SWEP if no owner is found.

Lame Dartmoor Hill Pony Foal

SWEP received a phone call from a member of the public to report a lame Hill pony foal that was with its mother alongside the road from Princetown to Yelverton.  Two of our officers attended and assessed the foal.  The foal was slightly lame but it seemed to be only a very minor lameness, and more like a strain from which the foal will recover on its own.  We will monitor this area and keep an eye on this foal to make sure that it recovers.

Dartmoor Hill Pony Badly Injured in RTC

SWEP received a call from a member of the public at just after 9pm to report a badly injured black and white Dartmoor Hill Pony, between Pork Hill and Merrivale, on the Tavistock to Princetown road.  The informant said that the pony was trying to get up, but each time it tried the pony collapsed in a heap on the ground.  The injuries indicate that this pony has been involved in a road traffic collision.

SWEP promptly informed the Commoners who said they were sending someone out to the pony straight away.

Bodmin Pony Welfare Rescue

On the afternoon of 13th June, SWEP were able to legally seize this emaciated pony and her foal from Bodmin Moor under section 18, part 5 of the Animal Welfare Act.  More photos of this pony can be seen on our blog entry of 3rd June.  Both are now receiving the care and treatment they need.  The mare has no identification marks or microchip and is fairly friendly.  We believe she may have been abandoned on the moor.

SWEP would like to say a huge thank you to all parties and volunteers involved in this operation, which took place at short notice out on the open moorland.

Update 16/06/2011 - The rescued mare has now been named Megan, and her foal has been named Heston.  They are settling in very well at the yard and Megan certainly likes her food!

23/07/11 - Here are Megan and Heston...as you can see, they are both progressing well

05/09/11 - Heston has made friends with an orphan Dartmoor Hill Pony foal that we have at our rescue centre.  Due to Megan's severely emaciated condition when she arrived, despite all the extra feeds and supplements, she was unable to provide enough milk for her foal, and her milk dried up far too early...so Heston has been having extra milk feeds.  Here he is (on the left) with his milk moustache and his friend Fidget the foal.  And below is a photo of Megan who has put on a lot of condition and loves nothing more than to be groomed.

Herd of Bodmin Ponies in Poor Condition

SWEP had received a callout to a pony in poor condition with a foal on another area of Bodmin Moor.  Our Welfare Officer attended the common and found that there are many ponies (possibly as many as 25) in poor condition ranging from between body scores 1 and 2.  Most have foals, whilst others are heavily pregnant.  All have an identification mark linking them to a particular owner. 

It is very concerning to see ponies in such poor condition in mid-summer.  These ponies should be in better condition and if they do not improve, they will struggle going into the winter, especially if we have snow again.