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.