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.