Pony Killed on B3212

Today we received yet another call to tell us a pony had been killed on the B3212, the road that runs from Yelverton to Princetown. Yet again we call on motorists to SLOW DOWN and stick to the 40mph speed limit. This speed limit has been set in place for a good reason. Livestock hit by cars and other vehicles suffer dreadfully, usually from internal injuries. Their death is very often prolonged especially if the incident has not been reported.

Pony With Eye Injury

We were called by a dog walker who was concerned about a pony near long Ash with a pussy eye. Our welfare officer attended and inspected the pony and it's eye. The pony was lying down and quite tame so she was able to get a proper look at the affected eye. The eye socket was oozing pus and it looked like the eye had been punctured, probably by a stick or twig. The ponies owner was informed and came out immediately, they agreed that the pony should be removed from the down and treated as soon as possible.

Be Aware of Ponies on the Roads!!!

We are calling on all motorists who use the roads across Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor to be extra vigilant and be aware that there may be ponies on the roads. During the winter months the ponies are tempted onto the roads as they hold some heat and if they have been gritted the ponies will lick the salt from the road surface. With nutrient output from vegetation on the moor being low they will seek essential minerals from other sources, the salt on roads being one of those sources. With the nights drawing in earlier the ponies, especially darker coloured individuals, will be harder to spot. Even more so if it is raining or foggy.

Please drive carefully and responsibly, for your safety and theirs.

Pony Killed in RTA on B3212

We recieved a call to inform us a pony had been killed in a RTA late at night on the Yelverton to Princetown road. The owner was informed and would remove the body.

There is a 40mph speed limit on this road and we urge drivers to stick to this. It has been inforced to protect the livestock, which includes the ponies.

Four New Arrivals

We were asked some time ago by a Cornish farmer if we could take in his final four ponies as he was giving up his herd of minature shetlands. We agreed and waited for the gentleman to get back to us. After a few weeks we arranged collection and bought the ponies back to our rehabilitation yard.

The four were three skewbald colts (photo to follow) and a young black mare. We soon learnt that the boys were timid and the little girl was brimming with character and confidence. As you can see from her photo she was halter trained and leads beautifully.

We will work with all four ponies and they will hopefully be ready for rehoming shortly.

Unclaimed Mare & Foal Come to the Sanctuary

The mare and foal who were left unclaimed after the Merrivale drift have been taken in by SWEP. The Reeve, who temporarily took them in, and the Commoners did all they could to try and establish an owner however no one came forward and the pair were signed over into our care. Both ponies are healthy with a good, calm nature. The foal is a colt and will be weaned shortly, he will live with a small group of other babies who have recently been weaned. The mare will be moved in with a group of mares, the mothers of the weaned foals.

We believe this particular mare is in foal, so we will inform our readers of any suprise arrivals when and if they occur.

Hallworthy Stockyard Horse & Pony Sale

Today saw the third sale of horses and ponies at Hallworthy stockyard, along with rare breeds of cattle and sheep. Thirty nine equines, including four donkeys, were due to go through the ring but the final number was thirty two. Two sellers did not arrive and a few booked in late. The quality of the horses, ponies and donkeys was high, however sales prices were low. The auctioneer said that the later sales often see low sales prices due to being so close to Christmas.

Spirits were high and all but three of the equines sold, two only went unsold because the seller did not want to part with them at such a low price. All pens were appropriately stocked and all animals had access to water, all handing and loading techniques were acceptable and there were no welfare issues.

Exeter Horse Sale - 13/11/2012

The quality and standards at todays horse sale at Exeter was high with many of the horses and ponies making good prices. The pens were clean and not crowded in the slightest.

Trapped Mare & Foal at Teignhead Newtake

Our welfare officer was contacted by an anonymous caller who reported a mare and foal were trapped on a large area of ground at the edge of the swollen river. Both were in a bad way and needed assistance.

Our welfare officer and her trusted helper went out at first light to find the pair and assess the situation. They were unable to reach the area by vehicle as it was on the other side of the swollen river and there had been a light snowfall, leaving snow on the ground. The pair picked their way safely to the ponies, it soon became apparent they were in a bad way with the mare being extremely weak. She could not walk and when our welfare officer reached her she collapsed. She was covered by a thick overcoat in an effort to keep her warm, but it was obvious she was not going to make it. She was emaciated, covered in ticks and her milk had run dry. Her foal was of weaning age but he was looking for reassurance from his mother.

Phone reception was minimal so our officer went to find signal and made a number of phone calls to try and contact the owner. Contact was not made so she made her way back to the ponies and her helper then went back to his 4x4 and drove to the owners farm to alert him of the ponies plight. The owner and some of his helpers were on the scene soon after. After much deliberation it was decided it was unsafe to try and move the ponies due to the treacherous conditions and the swollen, fast moving river. The mare was suffering so it was decided to put her to sleep there and then. The foal was understandably distressed, and again after much thought it was decided he should be put to sleep at the scene also. To move him would have caused further stress and it was unsafe for foal and people to move him. If he had been left to fend for himself he would have died within days.

We feel all involved did all they could to alleviate any further suffering, and had the conditions been better the outcome would have been more positive.

Abandoned Stallion

We received a call to report a moorland stallion had been abandoned in a field. After some discussion the owner of the field decided to keep the pony.

Moving Connie

 

We were asked by the RSPCA if we could take in an 18 year old, 16.2hh ex-eventer. We were informed that if she was not off the premises of her temporary abode she would be put to sleep. Because we mainly deal with smaller ponies and are close to saturation point at our rehabilitation yard we had to decline, however we offered to assist in moving the mare, named Connie, from Newquay to her new home eight miles up the road to St Eval.

A transport company had tried loading Connie for two days to no avail , she was lame, due to having no shoes and severe sand cracks and was clearly distressed. We were informed that she had gone over backwards on at least one occasion and would not load, no matter what methods they used. It became apparent that our methods were very different and the differing methods were causing confusion and further distress to the mare. After a short dicussion it was decided the transport company would leave and we would attempt to load Connie using our natural horsemanship methods.

Our attending staff continued to work quietly and patiently with Connie for a further two hours, in which she had ventured up the ramp and was half way on at points. Under normal circumstances we would have left her to calm down and return a couple of days in a row in order to gain her complete trust, however with the end of the day restriction we knew we had to get the mare moved. The attending RSPCA inspector had discovered that Connie used to load onto a large 7.5 tonne lorry, our lorry is much smaller at 3.5 tonne. Our welfare officer swiftly organised for a larger lorry along with a farrier to attend in the hope that Connie would load onto the larger vehicle, shoes would be fitted in the hope some pressure would be taken off her hooves.

The larger lorry and farrier arrived with two hours, the farrier managed to get shoes on her poor feet and we attempted to load her onto the larger lorry. A futher hour of work and Connie was still reluctant to load. Time was running out fast and our team had to make a decision, get Connie moved or allow her to be put to sleep!! It was decided to walk her to her new home.

Our team took it in turns to walk with Connie, whilst being escorted by the farrier in a car. It took an hour and three quarters to arrive at their destination, by this time it was almost 7pm and light was fading fast. Connie walked beautifully and only became lame again in the latter stages, however we were all thrilled that she finally arrived at her destination where she will now retire.

Our attending staff worked tirelessly and patiently with Connie for 10 hours, we were not reimbursed by the RSPCA for our time, petrol, staff wages or the emergency farrier costs.

Hallworthy Market Pony Sale - 16/10/2012

Our welfare staff attended Hallworthy pony sale where 159 ponies, including a consignment of gypsy cobs. As with many of this years pony sales around half of the ponies who went through the ring sold, with the gypsy cobs reaching the highest prices. Our welfare staff stayed until all ponies had been loaded. One pony needed to be withdrawn due to it becoming extremely distressed. The owner lived close by so the mare was immediately loaded and taken home. A group of ponies who had sold were staying the night and being collected the following morning so we assured they had access to fresh water, thick bedding and hay. There was a worry that a pony had been abandoned, however the owner returned to collect once they had realised the pony had been left behind.

Lame Mare Near Cadover

We received a call from a worried walker who had seen a lame grey mare near the lakes close to Cadover Bridge. Our welfare assistant went out to find the mare and assess her condition, by the time she arrived the mare and her group had moved to the mire on the other side of the road.
It soon became apparent the mare was lame in her hind rear leg, when standing she was reluctant to put weight on the leg and when walking she did so with a limp. There were no signs of swelling or obvious injury. Although obviously lame she was able to keep up with her group and graze.

Our welfare assistant attempted to track down the mares owner, which is proving difficult as she and her herd mates don't have any obvious means of identification. We will continue to look for her owner to report her lameness and try and seek a positive outcome for this mare.

Chagford Pony Sale - 11/10/2012

The weather was not favourable, however the sale went well with over half the 250 ponies who went through the ring sold for good prices. Our welfare officer was present from beginning to end and watched the ponies being loaded off and on the trailers and boxes.

Pony Dies in RTC on B1212, Nr Princetown

 

During the early hours of Sunday 7th October, 2012, a motorcyclist was involved in a collision with a young pony on the B1212 near Princetown. The motorcyclist received serious injuries and his bike was a total write off, the pony was killed by the impact.

We are calling for all vehicle users on the moorland roads to please use caution and stick within the speed limits, especially after dark when it becomes difficult to see the dark coloured ponies. The majority of road users in the South West are aware that livestock roams the moor day and night so it is important to be on the lookout for them. The ponies have recently been drifted, sorted and some released back onto the moor where they will make their way back to their areas of origin along with the rest of their herd. It is not unusual to find ponies on the roads when the temperature drops as the use the tarmac for warmth, they will also lick the road surface and the soil on the sides of the roads in order to obtain trace minerals.

Not all ponies are road wise, especially the youngsters, and if they are separated from their herds they will often dart across the roads in order to join the others

Tavistock Autumn Pony Sale 2012

 

 

This years annual pony sales at Tavistock livestock centre went without a hitch. There were no welfare issues to report and all ponies present were in good health. Just over half of the ponies who went through the ring sold, with many reaching higher prices than last years sale. The majority of ponies sold were fillies and were coloured. 

Young Mare with Overgrown Feet

We received a call from a concerned walker in regards to a young pony with very long feet. Our welfare assistant went to assess, after some time the pony was located and her feet were a little long however at present they are not cause for concern. Due to the excessively wet summer we are seeing many cases of moorland ponies with longer than usual feet, this is probably due to the fact the grassy areas have been soggy and not had chance to become hard. It is when the ground is hard and if the ponies walk on the tracks and roads that their feet get worn or snap naturally. However we will monitor this pony.

Unclaimed Ponies From Holne Drift

After all the ponies had been sorted and claimed after the Holne drift 20 were left unclaimed. The commoners got to work trying to track down their owners, they were advertised for a two week period, as is required, in order to track owners. A number of the ponies were claimed, a few were rehomed and we were asked if we could take the remaining seven.

The group included two mares and their foals, a yearling filly, a young colt and an older colt. If we hadn't agreed to take the ponies in they would probably have been shot. We will work with these ponies at our rehabilitation yard, the colts will be handled and castrated and the foals will be weaned once ready.

Merrivale Pony Drift

Our welfare officer attended the drift on horseback in order to assess the entire process. Everything ran smoothly from beginning to end. All ponies, apart from one mare and foal were sorted and claimed by their owners.

The unclaimed mare and foal were moved to the Reeves premises and we are working with him and the commoners to try and establish an owner.

September Update

As well as responding to calls regarding moorland ponies we are involved in a number of calls regarding privately owned equines. We respond to every call we recieve, in many private cases we visit the site that has been reported, establish ownership and discuss the worries of the caller and establish a resolution. We never disclose who the caller is, many private investigations are resolved swiftly. However we do not report these private calls on our blog.

We also attend the monthly Exeter equine sale to ensure welfare needs are being met.

In September we responded to four private call outs.

Hallworthy Moorland Pony Sale - 1st Sale

The standard at todays first annual pony sale was high and the initial attendance was high during sale of riding horses and young stock. However interest dwindled when the moorland ponies entered the sales ring, many went unsold other than some of the larger ponies.

A pony with a large sarcoid was refused entry by the auctioneer but was bought outside the ring and signed over to SWEP's care. She has recieved treatment and is recovering at our rehabilitation yard.

Lame Foal Near Middlemoor

We received a call from a worried dog walker about a piebald foal who was lame, our welfare assistant went out to assess. On arrival the foal was lying down with a large group of ponies, when it stood up it could be seen that his front nearside pastern was swollen and he was reluctant to weight bear on it. Our welfare assistant spoke to the foals owner who was aware of the problem and explained that the foal had been lame on and off for a couple of weeks and he was monitoring it. He wanted to wait for the drift in two weeks to take the foal off the moor to prevent anymore excess stress to the youngster and its mother. Our welfare assistant was not 100% happy with this and decided to seek further advice from our welfare officer. We are currently trying to come to a solution with the foals welfare our priority.

 

 

* We are disappointed to report this foal was made to wait for the annual drift to be taken off the moor, we do not know his outcome.

Mare With Herniation of the Abdominal Wall

 



This pony caused minor alarm due to its underside looking "lumpy", on closer inspection it could be seen that the abdominal wall has herniated. This is likely to be due to the mare being pregnant many times, possibly carrying larger foals. She is an older mare and should not be bred from again, she did not have a foal with her.

Lame Mare Near Long Ash

 

We have received a number of calls regarding this mare near Long Ash. She has been reported as she seems to be lame and having difficulty keeping up with her herd, she seemed to be distressed and has been seen calling frantically. Our welfare assistant has been to assess this mare on two occasions and both times she has been slightly lame but does not seem to be in any distress. She has been with a group of ponies grazing happily both times.

She is, however, slightly lame and seems quite stiff. Her owners have been out to assess her and feel she is in fit condition to stay with her herd, they feel it would distress her more to load her onto a trailer and move her. They will monitor her over the next few weeks, we will also be monitoring this mare. If her condition becomes worse we will ask for her to be taken off the moor.

We think she may have a sticky stifle joint, which is why sometimes she looks extremely lame and unable to walk comfortably. When a sticky stifle joint becomes trapped the locking mechanism of the leg kicks in and it could look to some people like the leg is broken or unable to take the weight of the animal. Usually the joint will pop back into place and the pony will be a little stiff, if it continues a small operation can be performed to cut the tendon and freeing up the joint.

 

Emaciated & Severley Neglected Ponies Rescued

Back in December of 2012 we were contacted by Devon & Cornwall Police and asked if we could take in 7 emaciated and neglected ponies, they had been seized and the owners had been arrested. There were 8 ponies, however one had to be put to sleep in the field. We agreed and the ponies were bought to our rehabilitation yard where we started caring for them. The first thing we did was have another vet check them over and take blood tests. The ponies were extremely weak and could barely walk. Slowly, with a specially formulated diet and worming regime the ponies began to gain strength and put weight on. We began handling them, as they were very nervous and frightened, and they were halter trained.

Within a few months it became apparent that one of the ponies was not recovering as well as the others. He began stumbling and resting his head on walls and spending a lot of time lying down, he had put on weight but suddenly started rapidly losing it again. Our vets ran some more tests and the results showed that the pony had irreversible liver damage and the decision was made to have him put to sleep. His name was Blaze and he was only 2 years old.

The remaining ponies have made a miraculous recovery, the are all fit and healthy, they have all been castrated, have been seen by a farrier and are fully inoculated. Considering the Awful treatment and conditions they were made to live in the remaining ponies are confident and affectionate.

The owners of the ponies were charged and after a court case they were prosecuted and banned from owning or caring for equines. We are happy with this outcome as we feel it is the very least these ponies deserve. Our dedicated staff and volunteers will continue to care for these ponies and we are sure they will soon be in loving homes.

Top : Alan, Middle : Dave & Marmite, Bottom : Spot





Ragwort!!!

We have noticed alot of Ragwort on road verges, fields, gardens and paddocks this year. We wanted to remind everyone how dangerous this plant can be and that it needs to be pulled up from the root. Horses and ponies will eat the plant, sometimes without even realising it. It is just as dangerous in a dry/ dead form, as the alkaloids that damage the liver are still present.

Please do not leave it to chance and pull it up!! However once pulled do not put it on the muck heap, bin it or burn it.

********** FOUND HORSE **********

HAS ANYONE LOST OR HAD THEIR HORSE STOLEN RECENTLY?

On Saturday 11th August we were alerted to a horse with a headcollar roaming the moor not far from Princetown. The horse had been reported to the police who are currently trying to find it's owner. The horse is now safe at our yard and we are hoping to reunite it with it's rightful owner as soon as possible.

If you have lost or have had your horse stolen recently or you know of anyone in this situation please do not hesitate to call us on 01822 854823.

UPDATE : We are pleased to inform our followers that this horse has been reunited with its relieved owner.

Foal Involved in RTC Near Princetown

Our charity manager noticed a police car near the side of the road and a group of people near a ditch. On closer inspection it noted a farmer, police officer and vet were present with a mare and foal. The foal was on the floor due to being hit by a car. The vet put the foal to sleep and the mare was left with the foal for some time after. The foal was then removed from the sight.

Hallworthy Market

This was a new sale for Kivells at Hallworthy, which included cattle, poultry and tack. The conditions were much better than the pony sales of previous years, with clean straw bedding in all of the pens. There was a large consignment of cobs from the South East. This consignment pushed the prices high and many of the main dealers were priced out.

We are hoping that the current standards continue at Hallworthy, especially when it comes to the pony auctions in the autumn.

(Photos to follow)

Hatherleigh Market

Our welfare officer attended Hatherligh market today. The sale was very small with only a few entries and not many sales. Most were selling from one vendor who took all the horses and ponies back to her property after the sale.

(Photos to follow)

Pony Leaking Milk With No Foal

We received a call from a worried walker who had seen this pony on three consecutive mornings in the same spot. She was slightly hunched and was leaking milk from her udder. She was on her own and a herd was not close by, on the third morning the walker called us to report.
Our welfare assistant went to assess, however by the time she arrived the pony was no longer in the spot. After a short search the pony was found with a group of mares, she was clearly agitated but was managing to graze. She did indeed have milk residue coming from her udder, although the udder was not overly swollen. The ponies owner was informed and came out straight away, he assessed the pony and concluded that she did not look pregnant but could be experiencing a phantom pregnancy. He agreed to monitor the pony over the coming week, as did the welfare assistant.

By chance a few days later our welfare assistant spotted the pony again, her belly had dropped a little and she did not look so hunched up. She was alot calmer and was happily grazing with a small herd. She was not leaking.

Again by chance on 2nd July this pony was spotted near Long Ash garden centre with two other ponies. Her belly looked rounder and she had a yellow waxy looking residue covering her udder. The three ponies were then chased off by a group of ponies.

Another chance meeting with this pony occurred on 4th July whilst looking for another pony reported in the Long Ash area. The bay mare again had a waxy residue, Our welfare officer came to assess. She concluded that the mare did look pregnant but could indeed be a phantom. Both welfare staff have agreed to monitor this mare as she could be having a problem foaling, however it could well be a phantom pregnancy and it will settle in time.

Foal With Deformed Legs Near Samford Spinney

Our welfare officer was called out today by a worried walker who had noticed a foal with what he thought may be rickets. We were soon on the scene and the foal did have deformed legs. The foals owner was contacted and they were aware of the foal along with the other pony owners in the area and the livestock protection officer. Our welfare officer asked for the foal to be removed from the moor and its condition to be assessed. The owner has agreed to do this.
We do not think this foal has rickets but it does have an obvious problem. Many foals are born with weaknesses in their legs, some rectify themselves naturally others with veterinary intervention. Sadly some are not so fortunate.





Collapsed Foal in Drakes Leat

Our welfare officer received a call early on a Saturday morning reporting a young foal that had collapsed in Drakes leat near Clearbrook. On arrival she found the foal, its mother was present and she was nudging the baby in an attempt to get it to stand. She assessed the situation and it was concluded the foal was more than likely sick and the owner was traced and called. He arrived shortly after along with his trailer. Initially he said the foal was just tired because of the amount of crab flies and the heat, however our welfare officer disagreed and asked the owner to remove the mare and foal and treat it accordingly. The farmer finally agreed to do this and between them the pair were loaded onto the trailer and taken away.

The mare has since been seen on the down minus its foal.

Pony With Overgrown Feet Near St Breward

We were called out by worried members of the public in regards to a pony with extremely overgrown front feet. The pony was in a group of three, one person who reported them believed they had been abandoned as they were very friendly. On arrival the two older mares were indeed very tame and let us handle them and check their feet, teeth and condition. The young colt was timid and would not allow us near to him. He was, however, in an acceptable condition and his feet were OK. Whilst in attendance a local farmer passed us and assisted us with our enquiries. We had a conversation with the Bodmin moor livestock protection officer who assured us the ponies would be removed from the moor. The owners of these ponies could not be identified so the local farmer who helped with our enquiries offered to take the ponies in and see to their feet.

Abandoned Stallion Injured in Fight Near Pondworthy

Our welfare officer was called out to assess a stallion who is believed to have been abandoned and who was involved in fights with moorland stallions. He was covered in bite and kick marks, his hoof was cracked and he had an abscess on his side and he was very frightened. He was drifted into a near by field, with permission of the land owner, and loaded onto a box and moved to a safe haven where he was treated by a vet and given food and water. He will stay at this safe haven to recover and build some strength, he is very underweight and timid. Once he is ready he will castrated and moved to our rehabilitation yard, where we will work on him in preparation for re homing.

UPDATE - We have named this stallion Raven, his abscess has now drained and is healing well. He has been wormed and his other wounds are looking much better. He is eating well and responding to humans.

Abandoned Pony Near Roborough Village

On April 7th of this year we received a report of a pony who had possibly been abandoned on council owned land near Plymouth. A welfare officer visited the field and could see there was a single pony present, as we could not be sure at that time the pony had been abandoned our officer noted her findings and contacted the relevant office on the next working day. The council clarified that the previous tenant had been given notice and it was understood they had removed all their horses and ponies. They sent an inspector to assess the situation and an abandonment notice was left on the gates stating the owner had 14 days to remove the pony, after the 14 days the council would become rightful owners. We can report that the previous owners did not come forward and that this pony now has a new owner and this has been arranged through the council with our assistance. The council gave SWEP staff permission to access there land in order to attend to the ponies needs, she was checked daily and was given access to clean water and food. Her new owners are thrilled to be in a position to offer her a loving forever home, and we are happy that this home is a responsible and knowledgeable one.

Long Ash Mare With Over Grown Feet

Whilst out on a routine check our welfare assistant came across this mare. She was drawn to her initially due to her general condition and on closer inspection it was obvious her feet were overgrown. Once established the ponies owner will be contacted to discuss.


UPDATE : This mare was seen on 10th August, 2012 looking healthy. Her feet are shorter and she has filled out, her coat is glossy.

Dog Attack on Yennadon Down

We were called out to a mare and foal who had been attacked by a Labrador cross dog. Some passers by heard shouting and as they got closer could see the dog latched onto the foal and the owner trying to get the dog off, the mother had run away and was calling to her foal. The dog was eventually separated from the foal and the owners loaded it into the car and drove away. The gentleman who called us said he ushered the foal back to the mare and once closer could see she had also been attacked. Members of SWEP staff attended the scene and with assistance from a group of our volunteers and local pony owner the mare and foal were drifted to a nearby small holding, which the land owner very kindly let us use. We contacted the mare and foals owner who was with us within 10 minutes. He signed the pair over to SWEPs care, we immediately called our vets. On arrival the vet made the decision to put the foal to sleep as its injuries were so severe, this was done quietly and quickly and the mare was able to smell and lick her foal. The pair were then taken to our rehabilitation yard.

Soon after we received a call from the owners wife who explained the mare was one of a small group of ponies she had been given by her mother and she was a much loved mare. We agreed that the pony should  be returned to her owners and she was collected soon after. It was clear when the ladies arrived that the mare knew them and that she would be much better off going back home. We were assured that she would never be bred from again due to her injuries.

This again raises the issue of out of control dogs on Dartmoor and why it is so important to keep dogs under constant control and preferably on a lead. A dog may behave impeccably at home or on its usual walks, but anything can happen without warning.

UPDATE - The dog involved in this incident has been put to sleep.

Some of these pictures may be distressing, but we feel they need to be published in order to highlight the damage dogs can do