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.