Foals dying in the harsh weather please help.

honetpot

honetpot

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There are foals being born on the commens in Wales that are dying because the mares are so under nourished and the weather has been so wet and cold.
Several horse charitities have taken ponies into their care but there are just so many of them to take them all in so and they are putting hay out for them and rehoming ones that the owners have signed over.
Pleas help by either donateing a small amount or rehoming a pony, so room is made for another that needs care. help.https://www.facebook.com/WprpPoniesAvailable#!/groups/welshrehomingproject/?fref=ts
I have always donated to the Brooke but it breaks my heart that when I can by horse accessories in every shade of pink or purple and a feed for every supposed need that ponies are dying of starvation just 200miles away
https://www.facebook.com/WprpPoniesAvailable.
 
Although it's very sad, isn't this part and parcel of having native ponies that are hardy enough not to need food supplements/pink and purple headcollars/ tons of hard feed?

This has been an exceptionally bad winter, but there's no garentee that the coming years are going to be any better.
Some will survive and next year with numbers reduced, the hardier types will do better which overall improves the hardiness of the breed.
Keeping the ones who can't survive a harsh winter condemns them all.

I completely understand the concern but I'm not convinced that it's the right thing to do in the long run.
 
Aarrghimpossiblepony said:
Although it's very sad, isn't this part and parcel of having native ponies that are hardy enough not to need food supplements/pink and purple headcollars/ tons of hard feed?

This has been an exceptionally bad winter, but there's no garentee that the coming years are going to be any better.
Some will survive and next year with numbers reduced, the hardier types will do better which overall improves the hardiness of the breed.
Keeping the ones who can't survive a harsh winter condemns them all.

I completely understand the concern but I'm not convinced that it's the right thing to do in the long run.
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But this is about taking the ones on that can't cope.
It's not harming the ones that are going to cope and are going to remain there!
 
Well there are too many on there now as people keep turning their ponies that they can't afford to keep out on there! No wonder there's no food!

I am going to be called a heartless wench for my words here but, let nature take its course. The overpopulation problem would lead to their inevitable deaths one way or another. If it isn't starving ( which is horrible) it would have been the gun or the slaughterhouse... Another welfare concern.

I pity the poor ponies on the commons I really do but humans created this problem in the first place. No one seems to have had any foresight in managing the situation before it came to this.
 
tallyho! said:
I am going to be called a heartless wench for my words here but, let nature take its course. The overpopulation problem would lead to their inevitable deaths one way or another. If it isn't starving ( which is horrible) it would have been the gun or the slaughterhouse... Another welfare concern. .
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I'd rather send a horse to a slaughterhouse than leave it to starve to death. In a heartbeat.
 
tallyho! said:
Well there are too many on there now as people keep turning their ponies that they can't afford to keep out on there! No wonder there's no food!

I am going to be called a heartless wench for my words here but, let nature take its course. The overpopulation problem would lead to their inevitable deaths one way or another. If it isn't starving ( which is horrible) it would have been the gun or the slaughterhouse... Another welfare concern.

I pity the poor ponies on the commons I really do but humans created this problem in the first place. No one seems to have had any foresight in managing the situation before it came to this.
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This is true, but these animals won't meet a quick end. Starvation is a long painful death.
 
Certainly, I agree with you all that its horrible. I said so myself in my post.

I hate to see any animal suffer and I can't do much about all the starving animals and people around the world that also need help.

I hope the charities are successful in helping the poor things. Sadly, many animals have already died this winter. The very reason it's happening now is because thoughtless people just let their ponies loose without any thought of the consequences. Charities are left to pick up the pieces again.

Again, sorry if my words offend.
 
Well maybe I'm a bit fed up with the horse world atm. Shooting them is cruel, starving them is cruel, feeding them is cruel, not feeding them is cruel, shoes are cruel, barefoot is cruel, keeping them in stables is cruel, keeping them in fields is cruel, racing is not natural, riding with a bit is not natural, riding bitless is not natural, cruel cruel cruel unnatural unnatural seems to be what it's all about. Perhaps it's good that some people can get an idea of what natural really is. And I'm afraid that the only thing I will donate to in this current climate is euthanasia, because there are clearly too many horses for the horse owning public to afford. If there weren't we wouldn't be in this situation.
 
tallyho! said:
Well there are too many on there now as people keep turning their ponies that they can't afford to keep out on there! No wonder there's no food!

I am going to be called a heartless wench for my words here but, let nature take its course. The overpopulation problem would lead to their inevitable deaths one way or another. If it isn't starving ( which is horrible) it would have been the gun or the slaughterhouse... Another welfare concern.

I pity the poor ponies on the commons I really do but humans created this problem in the first place. No one seems to have had any foresight in managing the situation before it came to this.
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Humans created the problem , so it is down to humans to find a solution!!
The gun or slaughter house is better than starving to death!!
 
Yes really. The fact is they deserved care, their owner should have delivered it. Just because horses are not captive it doesn't mean they deserve a painful death if it can be at all prevented.
If people are willing to offer these ponies a home then it is fantastic and will hopefully give the ponies up there a better chance.
Possibly it's time to have a cull of any old, injured or ill horses. It'll ease the burden for the others and won't be painful.
 
I have rehomed one of these ponies and under 3+ inches of hair I think he has a condition score of about 1.5, how he is still standing I do not know but he tucking into his haynet and gets brighter by the day. His mum is heavily in foal and in the same condition, they were in a group that were impounded by the police as they were roaming the roads looking for food and I think several had been hit by cars.The transporter said you see them all over.
In a normal winter it would be hard but because thay have no value and the hay the owner might have given them has probabely been sold to sheep farmers who are having problems with the weather. The longer term issue is to stop them breeding, there are colts out there now trying to cover mares that have foals at foot.
If you can not rehome please donate a small amount of money towards hay or for their treatment.
the http://www.swhp.co.uk/ Have been providing intensive care
http://www.bransbyhorses.co.uk/ have sent hay
The rehoming project feeds the ponies on the commen and holds the ponies until they are rehomed.This is done by volounteers.
So please don't buy a pony at the sales if you have space think of these.
 
Fii said:
Humans created the problem , so it is down to humans to find a solution!!
The gun or slaughter house is better than starving to death!!
Click to expand...

I agree Fii, I said as much in my post.

Sadly, the ones who survive may face the gun and slaughterhouse anyway once they round up the overpopulated valleys in Wales. It's a growing problem and something will be done.

Once the numbers are down, there will be enough food again and the next generation will thrive... To be rescued or culled again in a few years.
 
The population needs to go down significantly. But starving to death is horribly cruel. I don't see how it has been allowed to get this out of hand. Surely some council is responsible for the moors?
 
honetpot said:
I have rehomed one of these ponies and under 3+ inches of hair I think he has a condition score of about 1.5, how he is still standing I do not know but he tucking into his haynet and gets brighter by the day. His mum is heavily in foal and in the same condition, they were in a group that were impounded by the police as they were roaming the roads looking for food and I think several had been hit by cars.The transporter said you see them all over.
In a normal winter it would be hard but because thay have no value and the hay the owner might have given them has probabely been sold to sheep farmers who are having problems with the weather. The longer term issue is to stop them breeding, there are colts out there now trying to cover mares that have foals at foot.
If you can not rehome please donate a small amount of money towards hay or for their treatment.
the http://www.swhp.co.uk/ Have been providing intensive care
http://www.bransbyhorses.co.uk/ have sent hay
The rehoming project feeds the ponies on the commen and holds the ponies until they are rehomed.This is done by volounteers.
So please don't buy a pony at the sales if you have space think of these.
Click to expand...

I agree and I would happily contribute to a gelding programme I believe that's part of the long term solution.
 
Someone help me out here please.
These arent true Welsh ponies are they? But a mish mash of ponies that have been let out on these commons to fend for themselves, and are breeding?
 
I would rather that these ponies had not been bred but unfortuately the Welsh commens seem to have no rules like the New Forest. People have run out of money or they are just callous so have turned anything out in the worst winter we have had for years, and yes a bullet would have been kinder.The pony I have rehomed is supposed to be part bred arab but its hard to tell with so much hair and no body to speak of, not really suitable for living on a mountainside.
We are not a third world country and until this welfare situation is sorted out is OK to let them starve to death by inaction? If this was a single person doing this there would be reams of abuse about them
 
tallyho! said:
I agree Fii, I said as much in my post.

Sadly, the ones who survive may face the gun and slaughterhouse anyway once they round up the overpopulated valleys in Wales. It's a growing problem and something will be done.

Once the numbers are down, there will be enough food again and the next generation will thrive... To be rescued or culled again in a few years.
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A similar thing happens with the deer, the difference is someone owns these ponies and has a duty of care to them, as they arent truly wild!
 
Maybe I'm missing something (brains in overdrive) but is there any chance that a random selection of horses could be chipped and the owners (if they have been dumped) be prosecuted for cruelty? Would making an example of them deter others?
If I had no other option than risking my horse starving to death, I'd PTS any day.
 
Wish i could take one or two of them but i just can't afford to have anymore than i have.
I couldn't be heartless and allow a horse to starve to death and anyone that could should try going without food for a while, they would soon find out just how cruel it is to leave an animal to starve, it is a long, slow, painful death :mad:.
 
Fii said:
Someone help me out here please.
These arent true Welsh ponies are they? But a mish mash of ponies that have been let out on these commons to fend for themselves, and are breeding?
Click to expand...

Yes, sadly.
 
Perhaps if there were more abattoirs around people would send their horses there instead of leaving them to starve. Clearly money is an issue with whoever owns these horses
 
Fii said:
A similar thing happens with the deer, the difference is someone owns these ponies and has a duty of care to them, as they arent truly wild!
Click to expand...

Some ponies are owned by people who have rights to the grazing... However, randoms have just been abandoning ponies they can't afford to keep up there and abandoning them which is why the population has suddenly boomed.
 
honetpot said:
I would rather that these ponies had not been bred but unfortuately the Welsh commens seem to have no rules like the New Forest. People have run out of money or they are just callous so have turned anything out in the worst winter we have had for years, and yes a bullet would have been kinder.The pony I have rehomed is supposed to be part bred arab but its hard to tell with so much hair and no body to speak of, not really suitable for living on a mountainside.
We are not a third world country and until this welfare situation is sorted out is OK to let them starve to death by inaction? If this was a single person doing this there would be reams of abuse about them
Click to expand...

No it isn't but until there's support for a cull the alternative of rehoming/ minimal feeding is worse.

If they are rehomed, especially with an emotive campaign, how many are going to end up back out in a year or two's time?

And it condemns those who should be out as well which is the really bad aspect as the available food is being spread amongst too many ponies. So those that would easily get through a bad winter starve as well.
 
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