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

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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

Have you thought about re-homing a SWEP pony?

Jim- Bob

 

 

Have you thought about re-homing a SWEP pony?

Do you need a companion for your 4 legged friend?

SWEP looks for long term, loving loan homes for our ponies to go to once they are ready. Our ponies make great companions and they come in all different shapes, sizes and colours, each with their own character! 



Daniella



Spot



Our rehabilitation yard is currently at bursting point and we really need your help to find great homes for our ponies. If you can help us please contact loanpony@swep.org.uk or visit our Website at www.swep.org.uk 

Exeter Livestock centre sales 12/11/13

Our welfare officer attended Exeter livestock centre on 12th November 2013. There were 27 horses and ponies for sale, The top priced paid was £380 for a 7 year old bay gelding, while welsh mountain filly foals were selling for only £70. Most horses were left unsold returning back to their owners. No meat dealers were present and the sale went smoothly.

Horses and ponies were moved around the centre in a calm safe manor with minimal stress to the equines. Hay, water and bedding were provided for a few horses but not provided by all......

 Our welfare officer stayed until the end of the sale, assisting loading and ensuring that all horses and ponies were moved and handled correctly onto the transport.

Road Traffic Collisions

Ponies left for dead by drivers on Dartmoor.

 

Over the past few weeks, SWEP have seen a significant increase in the amount of Road Traffic Collision's involving ponies, foals and other livestock grazing the moorland.

SWEP have attended in the past two weeks far too many ponies which have been hit by a vehicle and left for dead on the side of the road, many of these ponies are not killed on impact and are left suffering.

One particular foal SWEP were called out to recently was a young (4 months), very stressed foal who was unable to get to his feet, he was in a lot of pain. Our welfare team attended straight away and got the foal veterinary attention immediately, unfortunately the foal was put to sleep as it had suffered severe spinal damage and was unable to walk, his suffering was unbearable and the foal would never have recovered.

SWEP are asking drivers to SLOW DOWN on moorland roads, be aware that now evenings are drawing in, animals will be wondering on the roads and extra care must be taken. Hitting an animal not only takes their life but could also take yours too!!

Please do not just drive on if you hit an animal, this could cause not only suffering to animals but also can cause further accidents. Please report anything you may see to:

Police: 101

South West Equine Protection Office ( 9 – 5 ) 01822 854823 OR our welfare officer Becky Treeby on: 07717311251

Late newborn foal...

Our welfare team received a call by a concerned member of the public. The lady who reported had been walking her dog along the moor in the Whitchurch area and noticed  very young foal who appeared to have just been born that day.  November is a very cold time to have new-born foals on the moorland and our weather conditions have been harsh.
Our welfare officer went out straight away to see the foal and ensure mum was taking good care of the foal, which she was.

On arrival the mare was being followed by a small chestnut stallion, our welfare officer encouraged the stallion to change direction and the mare and foal were able to seek comfort and shelter in the bracken and bushes. The pony and foal's owner was contacted, we have agreed to monitor the pony and take into consideration weather conditions over the next few weeks.

If you have any concerns about ponies on the moor please do let our welfare team know by calling the office on 01822854823 or alternatively you can call our welfare officer on 07717311251

Yet another Road Traffic Collision.........

On 05/11/2013 our welfare team were informed of a pony which had been hit by a car,  left on the side of the road on the Yelverton  to  Princetown road.  Our welfare officer attended the scene.

The spotty Stallion was approximately 2 years old, no herd visible in area. The pony had a obvious broken knee but no other visible injuries. I would assume a broken leg did not kill the pony outright so would have been left to suffer by whoever hit this poor pony.

If you see anyone hit a pony or any other livestock or you yourself hit a pony PLEASE call the police on 101 OR Our welfare Officer: 07717311251 OR  Dartmoor livestock protection officer

Truro Dispersal Sale

On Saturday 26th October 2013, Our welfare officer attended the Lodge & Thomas unreserved dispersal sale of 40 part bred or section D welsh cob horses and ponies.
The ponies and horses were the dispersal of the Arvorek stud, these included mares and foals, broodmares, ridden ponies and stallions.

On arrival our welfare officer Becky, introduced herself to the Auctioneer. The Auctioneer was welcoming and informed Becky that there were no animal welfare representatives at the sale. The sale was bankrupt stock from the stud and everything must sell. Lodge and Thomas do not usually do horse and pony sales and they assured me there would not be another.

The horses at the sale I have to say were very poor condition, very skinny, cracked hooves and generally looking withdrawn. However Lodge and Thomas did everything they could to move horses and ponies to and from the ring with minimal stress, however the metal gates clashing were startling a few younger ponies.  Stallions were extremely stressed, box walking franticly, rearing and calling to mares near by, however the stallions were separate from the mares and foals.

 

Water was provided at the start of the sale by Lodge and Thomas for all equines going through the sale. Bedding was down in all pens. Everything was sold to private homes and no meat dealers were present.  Our welfare officer watched the horses and ponies load onto their new homes trailers and off to their new homes.

RTC - Cadover road

On 24th October our welfare team received a call from a walker who had spotted a young foal stressed and unable to stand. One particular lad who found the foal, removed his coat to wrap the foal in to keep him warm, despite freezing temperatures out on the moor in late afternoon, he reassured the clearly seriously poorly foal until our welfare team arrived. SWEP would like to say a big thank you to the two lads who spent their afternoon making a very poorly foal comfortable in its last hours after a serious RTC injury. They went out of their way to ensure this foal received our help and then continued to aid our Welfare team once they were on sight - Much appreciated.

On arrival of the welfare team, it was obvious the foal needed emergency veterinary attention, immediately. Our welfare team arrived with thick warm rugs to keep the foal warm and well covered.
 The vet was called and we waited 25 minutes which seemed like forever, the veterinarian concluded the foal was suffering severely through spinal damage from impact with a vehicle and the best course of action was to put him to sleep humanely by lethal injection.
The foals owner was informed and SWEP removed the foal from the moorland straight away.
Rest in peace little foal.

 

Pony Killed in RTA on Roborough Down

This dead yearling pony was reported to our Welfare Officer at 9am on Tuesday 15th October, she went straight out to check it was indeed dead and not suffering. On arrival it was apparent the pony was dead, however it was still very fresh. This foal had obviously been hit at great speed, it had bitten it's tongue clean off, it's neck was broken, it had severe lacerations on one of it's hind legs and it had bled heavily.

Our welfare officer reported the body to DLP who assured her the body would be removed asap, however she returned at 3pm and 5pm and the body was still there. The Welfare Team returned at 10am the following morning and the body was still at the side of the road, a man in a passing vehicle stopped to talk to them as he found it quite distressing the body was still there and had not been removed. The area is always busy with walkers and cyclists, some with children, so we feel it should have been removed sooner; plus it is a legal requirement for dead stock to be removed within a reasonable time.

A member of the Welfare Team called DLP to again ask for the foal to be removed, a message was left. The Welfare Team returned at 3pm that day and were glad to see the body has been removed.

The area where the foal was killed is not known for people driving to fast and it is very rare a pony is hit and killed there, however this incident proves that more care is needed on Dartmoor's roads. This foal would have suffered terribly and his mother was still hanging around the day after. Anyone who hits and kills any livestock on the moor, and this includes ponies, should report the incident to the police. If anyone has any information as to who is responsible for this pony's death please call us on 01822 854823/ 07990823864/ 07717311251 or the police on 101.

Chagford Pony Sale

Our Welfare Team attended the annual Chagford pony sale, this market is a little nicer than the others as it is outside and the pens are on grass with wooden fencing. There is none of the clanging and clattering of metal gates, which causes great fear in many a young pony. The ponies were appropriately penned before the auction took place but there was no water provided. When our Welfare Officer asked if water could be provided she was told that the ponies would not be there long enough to warrant it.

There were around 220 ponies of various ages present, most were moorland ponies fresh from the drifts but there were a few halter broken and ridden ponies. There was a good attendance, but not half as many people as in previous years and not many ponies sold. It was a sorry sight seeing pony after pony being run through the ring and not being bid on, a lot of the ponies that did sell were bought by a meat man.

Watching behind the scenes as the ponies were being moved and prepared to go through the ring was slightly shocking. One drover was seen kicking and slapping ponies, hitting them with his cap and wrestling with frightened young ponies to try and separate them. He was seen at one point with a can of beer in hand sorting ponies and looking very red in the face. We do not think that this is acceptable behaviour, the market is a traumatic enough time for these ponies without being man handled by a potentially intoxicated drover. When the auction was over this same man walked passed our Welfare staff and the smell of alcohol was very strong. Another drover was seen wrestling ponies which caused them to panic, it wasn't all bad though as many of the other drovers were quiet and calm and moved the ponies around with minimal fuss.

The reasons why SWEP are apposed to rough handling, wrestling, hitting and kicking as a way of moving ponies around is because it makes the fearful of humans and can cause them to be difficult to handle and bring round in their new homes, if they are lucky enough to be bought. We have many ponies who have come to our rehabilitation yard that have been so traumatised by the market experience that they have taken months to come round and trust humans. Rough handling can cause them to be head shy, bite and kick as well as show avoidance behaviour. Some ponies never get over the experience and never trust humans. Many of these ponies have the potential to make children's ponies, however if they have a traumatic start in life they often end up in rescue centres because their behaviour is deemed difficult.



Once the auction was over the ponies were again separated and loaded into the waiting lorries and trailers, this was done in a much calmer manner and there were not issues. We were a little worried about a very small spotty pony (see above picture) who was in a pen with some much larger ponies, however he was soon ushered out by his owner and loaded onto a trailer with a small group of ponies the same size as him.

Staff from another organisation and SWEP staff asked for a stallion to be removed from a pen of mares and foals as he was covering them, he was bought by the same person as the mares but we felt he needed to be removed and kept away from them as they were in an enclosed area and getting stressed, this was eventually done and the stallion was put in a pen well away from the mares.

Pony Killed in RTA involving 4x4 Near Wotter

We were informed that a pony had been killed in a collision with a large 4x4 on the stretch of road that runs past Lee Moor and Wotter. This stretch of road is a notorious livestock collision area, this is because many drivers insist on breaking the speed limit of 40mph. This poor pony never stood a chance against a speeding 4x4.

Our Welfare Assistant went out to investigate but the pony's body had been removed, the farmer is always quick to remove dead livestock from this road.

Poundsgate Pony Drift

SWEP were aware that there would be a drift today and were informed it was near Poundsgate but our informant thought it was all over. A member of the Welfare Team travelled out to be sure. On arrival she became aware of a small group of ponies galloping away from where the drifters were congregated, they were being pursued by a group of horseback riders. These ponies were rounded back up by the whooping team of riders who then galloped them back across to the holding pen, the group had a number of mares and two foals.

Tavistock Dartmoor Pony Sale

SWEP's Welfare Team attended this mornings Dartmoor Hill Pony sale at Tavistock livestock market. 94 ponies were due to go through the ring, however only 57 were present and went through the ring. A couple of sellers did not arrive and some sellers did not bring all the ponies they had listed. On arrival the market was extremely quiet and not at all bustling due to the low numbers of ponies and potential buyers, very different from last year when around 186 ponies were up for selling.

Initially our Welfare Team thought all was well, the ponies were grouped together in relevant sizes, mares and foals were kept together and handling was done with a minimum of force.

Everyone was asked to enter the sales ring room as the sale was about to begin, bidding would be in guineas and not in pounds sterling as it was last year. Bidding was painfully slow and many of the ponies did not sell, those that did sell varied in sales price from 10 guineas to 240 guineas. The strange thing was that looking around to try and establish who was bidding no one could be seen! It wasn't until a little later that our Welfare Officer over heard an argument between a seller and market staff that the reasoning for this became clear. The seller questioned why ponies that sold were put back in the pen with the unsold ponies. The seller was then told that the ponies had not sold. Our Welfare Team took records, including prices of all the ponies that sold and the two in question were on that list; the seller was then offered half the price of micro chipping and passport.

We were a little concerned about the ages of a few of the foals, some looked to be under the age of 4 months; the minimum age to be allowed to go through a sales ring. A representative from another welfare agency said he had raised these concerns with Trading Standards staff who questioned the foals owners, these owners said that these foals were born in April. We cannot prove that this is not true so we could not take it any further.

Another troubling sight was that of a young foal being taken from it's mother after being bought after the official sale, the foal was dragged out of the pen and taken to be microchipped. It was then put in a pen, on it's own where it was seen pacing and trying to get through the bars; obviously extremely distressed. Our Welfare Assistant did question the foals age and was told it was 5 months old, she also questioned whether it should have been separated in such a manner; this was shrugged off by a staff member, (photo below)



As always our Welfare staff stayed to ensure all the remaining ponies were loaded correctly and that none were left. There was a pen of 12 young foals left and after a discussion with a young man our Welfare Officer was informed that these foals were going to the zoo to become zoo meat. Our Welfare Officer spoke to the owner and offered to buy these foals, it was agreed that she would buy the 6 youngest looking. A price was agreed, however the auctioneer was alerted to the fact it was a SWEP representative who was buying the foals, he then informed the owner who then retracted the sale. Our Welfare Officer tried to reason with her but she would not agree to the sale, we can only assume that this owner would rather these foals go to the local zoo to become lion fodder than go to loving homes.

The picture above is of a foal attempting to suckle from another youngster, this behaviour is due to stress. These youngsters would have been drifted off the moor at the beginning of the week and then separated from there mothers. They would then have been loaded into a trailer and bought to the market, where they then go through the market process. This experience is extremely stressful for these young animals.

Foals were also seen licking water off the railings and drinking from small puddles, our Welfare staff asked if some water could be provided for the ponies as they were obviously thirsty. They were told that they were behaving in this manner because they were stressed, our Welfare Officer asked again if water could be provided to which she was told the ponies would be gone soon. If they were still there at lunch time then they would put water down for them.

 

We are investigating todays findings further