The Gypsy Foal is Dead

M

mollymurphy

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 March 2007
Messages
886
Location
Cheshire, UK
Visit site
As the title really. Went to check on them all before, and the baby was dead by the gate, with her mum stood over her. She'd been wearing a nylon headcollar and had got caught up on a piece of a gate (the field is full of crap!) and strangled herself.
frown.gif

We rang the RSPCA and the ILPH. The RSPCA came out and had the ILPH on the phone. They took loads of pictures and debated over what to do.
The mare wont leave the baby. She also has really bad mastitis.
I feel so awful. We should have just took them ages ago.
We left the RSPCA inspector at the owners' 'house'. Doubt anything will be done though. I dread to think how they're going to dispose of the baby's body. And they wont give a crap about how the mare will react.
I have pictures which i wont post for obvious reasons, but if anyone DOES want to see, PM me - i doubt you'll be able to work out what happened without seeing pics.

I feel so guilty.
frown.gif
frown.gif
frown.gif


Lou. x
 
The poor foal and mare. Don't you feel guilty you did everything that you could of done and unfortunatley if you had 'rescued' them I bet that you would of been prosecuted
frown.gif
 
OH S***T!!!! I dont normally swear on the forum but b****DY b******DS!!!!!!!!!!!! Admin can ban me if they want but this was waiting to happen.

Sorry cant think of anything else to say!
frown.gif
frown.gif

Just too angry to make a sensible reply!

Its not your fault. You did EVERYTHING that you could within the law.
frown.gif

Don't blame yourself. Easier said than done. But its not your fault. The RSPCA should have stepped in.
mad.gif
 
So sorry Mollymurphy, I followed their story via your posts before registering for the forum. It's ridculous that nothing can be done until the worst is about to happen or happens. You did your utmost, do not feel bad. I am truly shocked, goosebumps thinking about the poor foal and it's mum...
 
HOW AWFUL!
frown.gif



I HOPE they do something about this situation before the mother is dead too!
mad.gif


Sound slike you are doing all that you can. Now it is up to the system to take care of it. Sadly it can be a load of red tape and time for them though.
 
Thanks guys. It's just one of them times though when you think "what if i'd have gone up earlier...?" or "if only we had've taken the headcollar off when we tried the other day.."

Such a waste - she was a gorgeous little thing.

The RSPCA and the ILPH just rang. The owner wasnt there (again), but his brother was (again) - they didnt know, and we're apparently "upset" and were going to go and move the foal now. We're gonna leave it a couple of hours, then go and check that the mare is ok. If she goes mad, there's so much stuff there for her to hurt herself on.
frown.gif

The inspectors will be out again in a week. The horses will probably have been moved on by then..........
frown.gif
 
That is awful, but please, do not feel guilty. the only people who should feel guilty are the RSPCA, they are so gutless sometimes.
Let's hope mum recovers quickly, poor girl
 
Out again in a week, fli*pin 'eck, what's got to happen before they do something? I'd hope they could to go again tomorrow to try and speak to the owner and check the mare. Maybe their resources really are that thin on the ground.
 
Well the ILPH inspector said "these things happen - foals get themselves into all sorts of trouble - they can drown themselves in a puddle"!!! WHAT?! We cant help the rain, but we CAN help what we turn our horses out in! If they wanted to leave her in a headcollar, it should have been leather. And the field should have been clear of all of the rubble and broken fence and gates and wire and concrete posts.
frown.gif
It's too late now though.........
Here's mum.

16082007128.jpg


The RSPCA inspector rang a vet when we noticed her teats. The vet said she needed antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, but for now, just milk her. So we did, but she was very sore and kicking at them a lot. Poor girl. She's such a sweatheart.
frown.gif
 
That's an odd reply from the inspector, yes of course the worst of things CAN happen (and they see it alot so perhaps are hardened to it) but as you say, people should be accountable for not bothering with doing the blatantly obvious things such as clearing up dangerous cr*p in the field.

You did your best and are continuing to do so.
 
If the mare recovers from the mastitis she will at least get the winter off before being put in foal again, so one of them might survive. Last travellers horse I dealt with, the foal was doing well at the expense of the dam who was only 3 herself. She was so starved and weak we had to have her PTS, but the local RSPCA inspector was like a Jack Russell on the case and between us we gathered enough evidence to prosecute the owners (no hay or hard feed in the field in spite of the fact that I had warned the owners 2 weeks before that the mare was very tucked up)

Cases like this make me wild, sometimes I have to remind myself that I can't save EVERY neglected horse in the country - doesn't stop me trying though.
 
That's a horrid outcome; poor foal and mare deserved so much better. Please don't feel bad about it; you did everything you could in the circumstances. In the wild, the mare would stay with the body for some time and then gradually move further away; that is perfectly natural for her.

If this has taught any of you a lesson, I do hope it is NEVER to leave a nylon headcollar on something that is unattended, especially in the field; I know it's a hobby horse of mine but accidents like that happen all too often and it's so easy to say it won't happen to you, you are careful and so on. But, it does happen, to the best of people; please don't be one of them.

Let's hope the horses are taken care of properly in the future.
 
[ QUOTE ]
If the mare recovers from the mastitis she will at least get the winter off before being put in foal again, so one of them might survive.

[/ QUOTE ]

Unfortuantely, the mare was served twice before being turned out with a stallion a few weeks ago. She's still in with him now. I'm not sure if she'll be pregnant yet or not - she seems too unhealthy, but you never know. I cant see her surviving winter at this rate.

Just been up to check on her. The foal is gone and she came galloping from the far end of the field to the gate. Looked pretty upset, but i guess it will take her a couple of days.

Now that the RSPCA has given the owners' brother notice of what he needs to do, even if they DO try to hide the mare somewhere else, when the inspectors next come out the owners MUST show the mare to the inspector. If they dont, they'll be prosecuted, so that's good i suppose.

frown.gif
 
Good idea. I'm sure the paper will only print what it is allowed to legally. This story makes me so mad - what the hell is the point of having a toothless animal welfare organisation like the RSPCA? They always manage to come up with some reason NOT to take action. The mum looks emaciated, surely that's a welfare issue? And, yes, accidents do happen, but generally people check their horses sufficiently so that the poor foal could have been helped before suffering such a horrendous death.

I feel sad that you've had to witness such a horrible thing, especially since you're now feeling guilty. Don't. There was nothing more you could have done without putting yourself at risk.
 
Oh no...
frown.gif
But please, don't feel guilty
crazy.gif
You've already done so much in a legal way and even if that poor foal is gone, the situation is obviously serious enough for the authorities to step in and do something, hopefully ! Let's hope they can step in and take action towards the mare and the other horses' welfare.
 
This is so horrible, I just had a feeling something very tragic would happen.
Anyway you have helped the mare with her sunburn and are still looking out for her.
The foal is now in a better place at peace.
I only wish the ILPH etc could do more. Thinking of you
xx
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top