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CFH along with the rest of the world is facing a time of uncertainty and worry, the COVID-19 virus is rapidly spreading and is having huge detrimental effects on everyone's lives.
Whilst governments around the world are doing their best to cushion the fallout from this pandemic, we have also being doing our best to help owners, parents and carers alike.
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WHAT A YEAR ALREADY
CFH along with other organisations and statutory authorities have been involved in a particular case in Swansea, that has gone viral on social media platforms. We have previously discussed this case but there have been some new developments that we wanted to highlight. 
We have had the rather peculiar task of producing a 'Please don't feed the horse' sign to encourage well meaning members of the public to stop feeding this well looked after stallion who has an owner. Some members of the public are concerned that the horse is being kept in an inappropriate environment and starving.
The horse is in fact of a good body condition, has ad lib forage (hay), somewhere dry to lie down and shelter from the wind by means of fencing and the owner is compliant with equine identification legislation. In addition, the horse goes out for grazing for hours at a time and is monitored by 24/7 CCTV!
Despite all of this he is being fed totally inappropriate items such as whole ginger cakes, sprouts and other offerings that really should not be fed to a horse and could potentially cause him to become very ill. We understand that there was a similar case to case in England, where the horse was actually fed until he was morbidly obese by well meaning individuals.
Sometimes things are not as they seem. Rarely does one snapshot in time resemble the whole picture, a pony being offered food will always oblige and it does not mean he is starving. There are generally tell tale signs of a starving horse just like in humans. Sadly there are many starving, mistreated horses in this world and this horse is not one of them. It can be difficult for some people to understand and the need for rescue becomes greater that the actual problem.
As you know we attend every call that comes into us and we will report back to you. We have found ourselves experiencing multiple calls about this horse and even after updating and alleviating people's concerns we are still having calls, so we just wanted to ask that people are mindful of this and should only report a case again if something has changed. For example if the horses physical health is being compromised or there are concerns about the mental well-being. We do have a zero tolerance for compromised welfare.
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2020 Making New Friends and building relationships
The equine welfare crisis is not one that can be fought alone, much the same as the current situation around the world. Every country is working together to combat the COVID-19 virus that is taking so many lives. Collaborative working has taken on a whole new dimension, where scientists are coming together to try and develop a vaccine with swifter testing practices.
Industries are coming together to engineer and manufacture ventilators that are desperately needed and companies are trying to produce and deliver more and more PPE equipment. Personally I am inspired by the inventions coming out that can be used in third world countries, who do not have the infrastructure of the western world.
Whole communities are working to assist the vulnerable and house bound. There is so much love and care going on in the world at the moment which is truly inspiring. It is amazing what can be achieved when there is one goal. Staying Alive.
Everyone is affected in someway by this virus. We are a long way off from understanding the true effect that this will have on our lives moving forward.
Due to the current situation there has been an influx of horses being offered up, free or for sale. Many people are not only panic buying but also concerned about how they will be able to afford to keep their horses. With job losses, reduced pay structures and general uncertainty.
We along with many other organisation are offering help and advice on how to care for and keep your horses through this crisis. We will come out this, together we can make a difference. What is happening in the world now proves it.
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What has our equine welfare officer been up to?
March has been a funny month with panic buying, confinement, insecurities and uncertainty. As an organisation it has been strange for us not being able to get out into the community and we have had to adapt to doing our welfare call outs over Whatsapp video.
However, we did have to attend to a call about an abandoned yearling which was the same place we helped an emaciated mare at the beginning of the month.
Also this month an awful lot of time and effort has been taken up with the story of the young stallion discussed above. This has led us to wanting to highlight that individuals who raise awareness of a case should contact us directly, there is so much information that can lost in translation when receiving it third hand. In addition we cannot emphasise enough the importance of contacting appropriate registered organisations where the welfare of any animal is compromised. Doing your duty is not putting a post on social media. That does not mean that the horse has been helped, it just means that lots of people give their opinions, it can also hamper any prosecutions should they be required.
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Please stay safe and wash your hands.
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Please stay safe, together we can make a difference.
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How can you support us?
You can support us whilst you do your shopping! On Amazon Smile UK, just enter Communities For Horses as your chosen charity and Amazon will donate. 0.5% of the value of your order directly to us. The cost of your product does not change.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1180625-0
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Give as you Live
Every time you shop online you could raise FREE ££'s for us! It takes 2 mins to sign up to @GiveasyouLive and they'll turn a percentage of everything you buy into a donation to us.
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💸 It's free
📱 There's a handy app
🛍️ There are over 4,300 stores!
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We have an Amazon Wish List.
We would be most grateful if you could assist us with purchasing some of our everyday or training items.
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We would also like to thank our regular donors Sonia Capper, Sarah Smith, Holly Thomas ,Jenni Nellist and Jane Cartledge. The donations that we receive enable us to cover some of the costs associated with attending welfare calls. Many of the calls that we attend allow us to change the welfare status of the horses for the better - whether the horse is compromised regarding mental, environmental or physical welfare.
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