Autumn Newsletter 🐎🐎

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Trustee News

Welcome to Communities For Horses Katherine Thomas, our new Trustee. Katherine explains why she has joined our team:

"I am the Additional Learning Needs Coordinator for a primary school in Llanelli, where I have taught for the last thirty years. I learned about first, CHAPS, and then Communities for Horses, through my daughter Holly, an equine vet who has supported both charities for some time.

It is a charity that brings together two things that I am passionate about namely, teaching and mentoring children, and my love of horses and animals. I believe that encouraging positive and caring relationships with animals can be so beneficial to children, developing their self-esteem and helping them to become more mature and responsible.

I have ridden for most of my life, and have also been very involved with Holly’s horses. I hope that the combination of my experience as a teacher and a horse owner will enable me to provide valuable support to Communities for Horses."

We encountered this young man on our calls recently. Not your average find on a housing estate green space!

When we can step in....

We, alongside with other organisations, work within the confines of the law. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 along with the Codes of Practice, govern what is and what is not acceptable within the confines of the law.

Although many of us may dislike seeing a horse or a donkey on a green space within a housing estate. It is not an uncommon practice. Generally these animals are fly grazed and have no passports or microchips, which therefore makes the owners unidentifiable. This causes many issues. Should a problem, or injury occur, who can we contact? What can we do within the confines of the law? There is often an illusion that being a welfare officer or a charity gives you autonomy to take an equine in this situation but this is not the case.

There is a minefield of legislation with the Animal Welfare Act, Fly Grazing Act, codes of practice that must be breeched, evidenced and proven before an animal can be seized. We cannot simply seize animals because they do not have a fence protecting them. There is legislation surrounding fly grazing, which is enforced by the land owner and or the Local Authority, should they wish to act on this law. We cannot force them to take action.

However, where the animals welfare is compromised and the animal is at risk, we have a duty of care to ensure that the correct procedures are followed to ensure the horse or donkey is no longer at risk. How do we do this? We work with the owners, we have gained their trust, we have run Equine Vet days with Holly Thomas of Cotts Equine Hospital. This then allows us to know who most of the horses we see belong to. Knowing who the owner is, then gives us the opportunity to provide education and support to those individuals who keep their horses this way. they keep their horses this way, not always because it is free - there are sometimes other reasons - heritage, culture, tradition, mental health issues such as PTSD, a lack of facilities and need.

It is our aim at Communities For Horses to give people the opportunities to learn, develop and sustain their horse ownership, in a legal, ethical. compassionate way. Should the owners not be compliant with the laws, we can then do something about it. We have a zero tolerance to any animal that has its welfare compromised. Therefore we take action when and if required.

Our work this month

Although we try to spare you the graphic details about the cases we have been working on, we can give you brief outline.
Case 1: We were called to see an emaciated yearling colt, owned by individuals who are addicted to illegal substances. He was being ridden. being kept in inappropriate conditions, being feed an inappropriate diet and most concerning, he was covered in vegetable oil, during the extreme heat to make his coat shine.
Result: This colt was seized under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Case 2: Horse systematically starved to a bare existence for 6 years - just kept alive. This was in a private equestrian premise with good facilities, and kept tidy, clean and well maintained.
Result: Horse seized updates will follow.

Case 3: An abandoned 4 week old colt with facial abscess like a tennis ball on the side of his mouth.
Result: The horse was seized under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 .
Case 4: Equine training facility, severely emaciated horses approx. 6 or more.
Result: DEFRA and local authority and governing body working to alleviate. Politicians are involved. We provided action - we are not prepared to turn a blind eye.

Community Work: We work with owners to improve the environment and welfare of equines in urban communities.

We gave advice on mouthing a horse in an controlled, safe and ethical manner. What equipment to use and what aids the ability of having a horse that can be controlled with a cotton thread safely. Kindness and groundwork.
Fly control and barriers - we aided and advised with fly control in and during this buzzy season.
Hoof care, with the dry spell. causing many cracked hooves, then followed by wet, we have been seeing abscesses. We have advised owners on how to treat and poultice, and when to call the vet. We have assisted many owners of the last few months with advice on hoof care.

Our lists are endless, these are just a few, of the more serious to the most beneficial, improvements in horses lives in the areas we work in.

This is where we thank you, for supporting us, for being interested, having compassion and most importantly joining us on our journey. We are making great progress, with what we have, which is very limited funds. An abundance of knowledge and passion. Most a importantly a desire for CHANGE, a better life for those who we can have a positive impact on.

Winter 2018
CATCH ME BEFORE I FALL CAMPAIGN

Help us to catch them before they fall

A regular donation of just £3 can make a difference. Together with your support, we can monitor horses and intervene before its too late.

With the dry summer and winter feed stocks low, the expense is going to increase, for many horses owners. We are apprehensive with what the winter will unveil to us. As we are experiencing high volumes of calls, with horses already at a low body condition. Your donation will help us to monitor horses in the communities we operate in.

For less than the price of a large coffee, you can make real difference to the lives of many horses.

Amazing Supporters

This month we have received some much needed funds from the following amazing supporters:

Leah Millenship - Leah kindly donates to support our phone line. However with an increase in awareness, our costs have increased so all our costs are not covered.
The Smith family are regular donors
Daniel Towers who regularly donates to help support our costs.
Big Thank you to Diane for your donation.

Thank you!

Support us
We need funding to be able to develop this project, any little you can spare would be a great help and make a real difference. We will keep all our donors informed of our progress through newsletters and emails, by donating you are part of the project as you are making it happen.