3 ponies poisioned by garden waste....

FEEDING THE MOORLAND PONIES – PLEASE DON’T!

 

South West Equine Protection were this weekend (26/04/2014) called out by Devon and Cornwall Police to 3 pony deaths on Bodmin moor, It is suspected to be as a result of garden waste being dumped up on the moorland and the ponies consuming toxic plant waste.

Due to equines having a complex digestive system, they are unable to vomit to reduce the toxic waste in their stomach. Equines have a one way valve from the oesophagus down into the stomach which does not allow anything to pass back through to the mouth. When a pony eats toxic waste such as garden waste the pony’s stomach will start to bloat and the pony is unable to release the pressure so the stomach ruptures and the horse will die……

A pony which has digested toxic plant waste can show many symptoms, these may include Colic like symptoms, loss of muscle control, disorientation, dilated pupils and eventually become a fatality. Toxic plant waste can include things such as Garden produce, tomato and potato leaves, grass cuttings, laurel and rhododendron bushes etc….. The best idea is not to dump anything at all on the moorland and instead stick it in garden waste bags and dispose of it in the correct manor.  Ponies grazing on Bodmin moor are all owned ponies, therefore the owners of the ponies should be acting responsibly to feed the ponies to ensure there condition is meeting welfare standards, if you have any concerns about a pony on the moor please contact SWEP and we can assist, our website provides an anonymous facility  for you to report any concerns should you wish to report anonymously otherwise you can contact me on welfare@swep.org.uk or 07717311251

Fly tipping is an offence - please do not discard any waste on the moor as it is a hazard to all the stock, should you get caught this could land you with a heavy fine and conviction. If you see anyone carrying out this act please contact the police on 101 with as much information as possible.

 

If you would like to receive any further information about poisonous plants and equine welfare please contact South West Equine Protection. SWEP is a registered charity and was formed due to the demand for a locally based society to follow up concerns about equine welfare, whether moorland, privately owned or abandoned, please check out the work we do on our website www.swep.org.uk

.

 

Foals are arriving

It's that time of year again, foals are appearing everywhere which is even more reason we need people to keep dogs on the lead. We would also ask you to refrain from feeding the ponies as this encourages them to approach people, roads and cars which is what causes more accidents and unneeded suffering PLEASE PLEASE keep our moorland ponies safe. 

Poor condition mare and yearling.....

                                          

Our welfare team received a call by a concerned member of the public. The gentlemen who reported, had been walking his dog along the moor in the roughbrough, clearbrook area and noticed a thin and scouring mare, with the weather conditions being so harsh the ponies do get the worst of it and some suffer more then others however there is plenty of natural shelter on the moorland provided by gorse hedges and bushes etc

On arrival the mare was quiet and approachable, more then the welfare assistant would of liked she was weak and needed worming and feeding, our welfare assistant contacted the owner of the pony and foal from a previous year (which was also looking in poor condition and been on her own a lot). Both mare and yearling were removed by the owner the next morning with help from the welfare assistant. Later that day the mare and yearling was seen grazing in a field happily with sheep as company.

Live Exports from the UK

Dear all,




I am writing this to you in a plea for your help.....




It has recently been aired on the BBC about the Transportation of live ponies out of the UK, these ponies leave the UK with a uncertain fate, well, we say uncertain but I think we all know these ponies are going into the meat trade.


Ponies are being transported with very little care and with no welfare checks at all World Horse Welfare have started a campaign and you can support them and the ponies by following the link below:


http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Live-Export-from-the-UK


Quote from World Horse Welfare:

World Horse Welfare is calling for the legislation meant to protect our most vulnerable horses and ponies from indiscriminate export to be properly enforced as a matter of urgency. We want to help the enforcement agencies to protect horses and ponies, by continuing to provide intelligence and expertise as we have done in the past.

Maureen Rolls SWEP founder has been aware of these irresponsible transporters and has passed this down to our welfare team who are constantly monitoring equine transportation, especially as we attend all the markets across Devon and Cornwall.

When to call......

Unfortunately, due to the severe weather we have seen a HUGE increase in concerns with equine welfare across Devon and Cornwall. 


Unfortunately there are a number of issues, that although we feel may not be ideal for equines, they are not illegal so it is very hard to enforce anything, its more a case of offering advice to the pony owner and monitoring the pony to ensure the equines needs are met..... This is frustrating for both the welfare team and the caller.




Situations you may come across which are NOT illegal:




Wet or Muddy field  -  Yes, it is hard to see a horse/pony in a field of mud with no grass, but it is not a legal requirement to provide your equine with a lush grassy field.


Lack of Rug / Shelter  - Most equines in the UK can live perfectly happily without a rug all year around, it is not a legal requirement to provide a rug or shelter for your equine. Most will find natural shelter from hedges trees etc.


Lack of food and water - It is not a legal requirement to provide these at ALL times, so, if you see a animal with no food and water, there is no direct action we can take other than offer advice to the equines owner and monitor to ensure the animal is being cared for and not suffering.


Tethering - It is legal to tether a horse providing it is done in the safest possible way, for example away from roads, banks cliffs or anything that may harm or cause danger to the equine.






Please bare in mind, if any of these situations are accompanied by another issue, such as injury or illness, this would be something we would want to know about, this will enable us to assist the equine. Our team is always on hand to discuss any situation or concern you have regarding Moorland ponies or Privately owned equines.


SWEP will ALWAYS do our very best to attend every call out within 24hours and we always have our phones ready to answer your queries, we would rather check your concerns out then leave any equines in need or any of our supporters in doubt.


Becky

A look back over the welfare department.....

Firstly i would like to take this opportunity to say, thank you all for supporting South West Equine Protection, your support has helped us save many ponies and get treatment for those in need.


2013 was a very busy year for the welfare team at South West Equine Protection. We had a variety of calls out from lame ponies, injured and even a pony stuck in a tree.... The situations these ponies can find themselves in at times can be heart breaking but we always act quickly and effectively to get the best result for the pony.


We are a fast growing charity who rely on your support, not just by donating money (although that helps massively) we need people to do checks on prospective homes for our ponies, keep an eye on moorland ponies while out walking..... There is always something to do at SWEP so give us a call if you think you can help!! Helen is always willing to chat to people who want to help!!


As a brief summary and comparison of our last 2 years you will see a significant rise in ponies needing help.,...
In 2012 we were called to help:
31 moorland ponies , 19 Private call outs , 23 Equine sales and 12 ponies were taken in to SWEPs rehabilitation yard.
Last year, 2013 we were called to help:
66 moorland ponies , 21 private call outs , 24 Equine sales and 19 ponies were taken into SWEPs rehabilitation yard.


As you can see there is a huge rise in Moorland ponies needing our help so we are always busy here but we are NEVER to busy to help a pony in need so PLEASE do make sure if there is anything that concerns you let our team know.

Ruby

Ruby is a Bodmin moor pony, she had lived on Bodmin moor for 20 years producing foals every year since she was young herself.  She has seen and been through every weather condition imaginable and has made it to a grand age of 20+. We now want to give Ruby the best chance we can for her future which is why your support means so much to us……

Ruby came into the South West Equine Protection rehabilitation yard in November 2013; We had been monitoring this pony for about 2 months after we received a report of her being in poor condition, she was living in Davidstow woods where there is not much grass and not much chance of building up her condition being left in there.  Ruby was still feeding her foal from 2 years ago, therefore any goodness she was taking in, her foal was taking away from her to maintain its own weight and condition. Ruby seemed to have a very poor body condition, she looked to be in foal again and was losing condition quickly.

The farmer was culling his herd at Christmas due to there being no money in keeping and selling ponies from the moor any more. Once SWEP heard of her fate we spoke to the owner and agreed to take her in straight away. Ruby spent her first few days in the corner of the field, she was just too terrified to even look at us humans let alone have anyone approach her or touch her. We persevered and have allowed her to fully settle before working on her trust issues. She will soon settle fully and no longer be so frightened and we can work towards bringing her around to maybe even like human attention and get her a lovely home to live out her years.

Ruby currently shares her field with our older mares and seems to have taken a shine to them both, we know Ruby will be a fantastic pony when our dedicated staff on our yard have worked their magic.

The moorland ponies over Christmas and New Year

Recently, I visited long ash and the areodrome area of the moorland and checked on the ponies, they were wondering about enjoying the sunshine,  with all this terrible weather at the moment I wanted to ensure all the foals were managing to maintain a good body condition.  I took some photos of the ponies I saw and they were all in very good condition, one had a slightly mucousy nose but I checked on her the following day and she was looking better.  One pregnant mare had slightly long front hooves so we will be keeping an eye on her and making sure she gets seen to if needed. The owner was contacted and he will be taking her off the moor once her foal is born to deal with her feet. Otherwise overall the 20+ ponies I saw were very happy munching away on the grass and bushes.

Here are some photos taken over Christmas and New year.

mmm warm and cosy

Now this bit of twig is something else

ooooo itchy itchy lip