Cluny
Well-Known Member
I was invited to help handle some horses to get them ready for sale yesterday so i went down to this farm where the horses where. The farm belong to an old farmer/breeder who is in his mid 70's and has been very poorly, and has a very dicky heart and is due back in hospital soon. The old chap was lovely but clearly could not cope with the amount of horses he has (in the 40's with a number of foals due this year).
The farm is pretty run down but the horses that are living in herds in the fields are OK, he also has quite a few Section A's living in groups in small barns just standing on their own muck.
Then there were a number of horses kept in an old cow barn with concrete floor and no bedding and some hay. It's divided up into cow stalls by metal railings so there is nowhere for the horses to lie down, it's dark and bloody cold in there.
In there I saw a sight that shocked me, there was a young 3 year old mare who I would score as a 0 for body condition. Every bone is her body stuck out, there was not one ounce of fat on her, it was horrific. Then we got her out and looked closer, from her shoulder backwards her coat was just covered in the most appalling rain scald I have ever seen, except the scabs were just matted into her coat. It was horrific. We tried to do the best we could in removing the worst of the coat and taking the scabs off and bathing with warm salt water. Throughout this bless her she just stood there.
Then I saw another sight I wish I'd never seen, another mare (they were all TB's) with a five month foal at foot who was very thin. The mare herself was another score of 0, but she had a very damaged back leg which she could not weight bear on, her other legs were shaking with the weight. It was heartbreaking.
We got the scabby mare transferred to a stable and given her hay, but i know that the old man can't cope and he has two girls that help him, but they are not experienced enough to help. One had suggested feeding the starved mares conditioning mix!!!!!
I talked further to the old chap and he was shocked at how bad the mares had got and said he would call the vet out (he'd already been advised to put the mare with the damaged leg to sleep). However, these malnourished mares need round the clock treatment and specialist care.
I'm not going to report to the RSPCA as I don't have any confidence in them, I tried the ILPH but they are closed until Monday, and I tried my local BHS welfare officers but they are not answering their phones.
I am going to try and BHS ladies again tomorrow, but do you think this is the best route to go, or ILPH. This man needs alot of help and to stop breeding horses, his family have no interest to it's really him on his own along with the two girls who get there when they can.
Your advice would be appreciated. These mares need help immediately.
The farm is pretty run down but the horses that are living in herds in the fields are OK, he also has quite a few Section A's living in groups in small barns just standing on their own muck.
Then there were a number of horses kept in an old cow barn with concrete floor and no bedding and some hay. It's divided up into cow stalls by metal railings so there is nowhere for the horses to lie down, it's dark and bloody cold in there.
In there I saw a sight that shocked me, there was a young 3 year old mare who I would score as a 0 for body condition. Every bone is her body stuck out, there was not one ounce of fat on her, it was horrific. Then we got her out and looked closer, from her shoulder backwards her coat was just covered in the most appalling rain scald I have ever seen, except the scabs were just matted into her coat. It was horrific. We tried to do the best we could in removing the worst of the coat and taking the scabs off and bathing with warm salt water. Throughout this bless her she just stood there.
Then I saw another sight I wish I'd never seen, another mare (they were all TB's) with a five month foal at foot who was very thin. The mare herself was another score of 0, but she had a very damaged back leg which she could not weight bear on, her other legs were shaking with the weight. It was heartbreaking.
We got the scabby mare transferred to a stable and given her hay, but i know that the old man can't cope and he has two girls that help him, but they are not experienced enough to help. One had suggested feeding the starved mares conditioning mix!!!!!
I talked further to the old chap and he was shocked at how bad the mares had got and said he would call the vet out (he'd already been advised to put the mare with the damaged leg to sleep). However, these malnourished mares need round the clock treatment and specialist care.
I'm not going to report to the RSPCA as I don't have any confidence in them, I tried the ILPH but they are closed until Monday, and I tried my local BHS welfare officers but they are not answering their phones.
I am going to try and BHS ladies again tomorrow, but do you think this is the best route to go, or ILPH. This man needs alot of help and to stop breeding horses, his family have no interest to it's really him on his own along with the two girls who get there when they can.
Your advice would be appreciated. These mares need help immediately.