Welcome to our monthly update. Thank you to our regular subscribers. Please encourage your friends and family to become subscribers. At CFH we, like so many other charities right now, need and appreciate the support we get from you. All and any donations you make really help keep us out there and keeping an eye on the welfare of local horses. A regular monthly commitment from our supporters, however small, allows us to plan activities and goes towards covering the costs of our welfare calls. If you can become one of our regular donors, we would be so grateful. Thank you.

"I know what happens, but I do not want to think about it"

September’s newsletter continues with our theme of arguing for an effective equine identification system. Communities for Horses remains committed to working with the British Horse Council and Animals Welfare Network Wales to identify practical working solutions for the welfare of all horses. This month we focus on the welfare of the wilder herds of ponies in Wales.

Firstly, a bit of history: there have been equines in Wales for thousands of years. In the Middle Ages, there is reference in the literature to Welsh Cobs known then for their speed, jumping and carrying capabilities. They were the work horses of their time before the introduction of draught horses. In 1535, Henry VIII brought in the Breed of Horses Act which ordered the destruction of all stallions under 15hh and mares under 13hh, aimed to “improve” breeding (in particular of war horses). The Act was short-lived, and repealed in 1556 by Elizabeth I as the poorer lands could not support the larger breeds. How thoroughly Henry’s legislation was ever applied is difficult to assess, but many of the mountain and moorland ponies escaped culling and continued to breed in the uplands. Wilder horses have continued to live on marginal land since then and seen as part of Wales’ heritage and landscape. However, it’s not all romance.....

To move to the present day and back to the ever-thorny issue of equine ID. The Welsh Government website states in relation to the Movement rules “Owners of horses must have an ID document or passport for each horse. When they apply for a passport, the animal must be micro-chipped”.

So far, so clear. The website then goes on to say:

“Wild or semi wild horse and ponies can remain in a given area without either a passport or micro-chip, if:

They are part of a pre-defined population of wild or semi wild ponies (for example – Carneddau ponies).

This is called a derogation.”

The Government website further states that it is “important” to have this derogation because:

“Semi-feral ponies are part of our landscape, culture and heritage. They provide conservation benefits, helping to maintain the ecology of their environment. The hardiness of the breed is maintained by where they live.

But many of the ponies (colt foals in particular) are of low value. So, it is uneconomic to passport and micro-chip them.

Owners need to manage their herds; this includes the disposal of surplus stock. The derogation allows owners to:

remove surplus animals without the extra cost of micro-chipping. The cost could be greater than the value of these animals
take animals to a slaughterhouse, as long as they can prove their identity" .

To focus on these words:

the ponies are assumed by the Welsh Government to have owners;
those owners need to manage their stock; and
it is assumed that a surplus, given their low value, will be slaughtered.

However, if these ponies are recognised as part of our “landscape, culture and heritage” providing conservation benefits, should they not be treated with more esteem than low value animals to be slaughtered when "surplus"?

CFH’s experience says that allowing horses to remain unidentified and unidentifiable in our landscapes permits abandonment, poor welfare and unsustainable breeding (something CFH sees a great deal of). Many of the ponies living out on wilder terrain are being farmed but without the passporting and movement controls that give a structure of protection to other farmed animals. On Gower many farmed animals have access to the space afforded by the substantial moors and marshes. Protected status has recently been given to Welsh Gower Salt Marsh Lamb. Why is this relevant? All sheep and cattle that graze the landscape of Wales must be identified, which in turn allows identification of who is responsible for that animal’s welfare, should the need arise. This however is not currently granted to the equines that roam our landscape, despite being presented as “part of our landscape, culture and heritage.”

Why do we, CFH, bring this to your attention in this newsletter?

Beyond the sadness felt about so many young ponies going to slaughter, there is a practical welfare issue to address. Many equine welfare organisations have sought to step in when there are horses suffering from poor condition and over breeding. Efforts are made to feed, medicate, castrate and also rehome. This, of course, can only deal with the consequences and not with the cause. These actions are costly to the welfare organisations (and those that generously donate to their funds). But there is no built-in deterrent in these exercises for those that own/farm the equines to better manage the herds. Every spring the stallions run with the mares and the cycle continues.

There are groups across Wales which organise feeding parties on commons – due to the visible welfare issues that they can see. We have no criticism their good intentions but, that it is necessary is, in itself, surely wrong. These equines should not need to be fed by members of the public. The owners of these animals, the land managers and the land owners are responsible for the livestock on their land. If the animals are there without permission then there is legislation in place which may be applied – and action taken. Derogation from the obligation to passport and microchip has allowed many wilder horses across Wales to be without identification of individuals with responsibility for their good management and wellbeing.

We continue to use our local knowledge and our "boots on the ground" approach to press for a wider appreciation of the welfare issues faced by Wales' wilder ponies and to work with the British Horse Council and Animals Welfare Network Wales for genuine practical improvements, using the legislative framework in place.

https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2018/09/wild-ponies-wales-rugged-resilient-and-under-threat

https://www.pontcymru.org/wild-pony-management/

Daisy 3 1/2 yrs old. 13.2 HH. Searching for her forever home.

Daisy really is quite a pony. She has the most exceptional personality and zest for life. We have been searching for a forever home for Daisy for a whole year now. She will make someone the very best friend for life. She takes everything in her stride and readily engages with whatever task is set for her. She really will make the most amazing addition to any family and herd. What we want for Daisy is a home where she can be well cared for in a safe and secure environment, where she can learn and be a part of caring and experienced family. She is currently standing at 13.2hh, is up to date with all vaccinations, dentistry, farriery, and worming. If you feel that you can offer Daisy her forever home, please contact us directly.

Milo.

Through no fault of his own, the lovely Milo has come back to us. He is therefore also searching for his forever home. Milo is 13hh, 6 years old and has just started his journey as a ridden pony. He would be most suited to a small adult or competent junior rider. He is walking, trotting and cantering and is proving forward going and responsive. He does require an experienced person whilst leading – and this is something that we are working on. He has been out hacking alone and in company. Milo is a very special young man with a huge amount of love to share. We are hoping to find a home for Milo within reasonable travelling distance. He is excellent for the farrier, vet and dentist. Up to date with all his vaccinations, dentistry and farriery.

Plant Of The Month.

This month we are looking at wild roses and, in particular, rose hips. The hips remain on the rose plant well into winter. They are a wonderful source of vitamin C – rose hip syrup was widely available for children in past years. Rosehips also contain vitamins A and K – as well as Iron and Biotin. Rosehips are often fed to horses as part of recuperation from illness or injury. They are said to restore the immune system, aid tissue repair and the Biotin may contribute to hoof health. As ever, it is always good for a horse to be able to select choice rose hips fresh from the hedgerow as part of a healthy balanced diet. If your horse does not have access to fresh rosehips, they can be bought dried to add to feed. The dosage of dried rosehips should be checked, as it will vary for horse size and the level of work or if it is to aid recovery from an illness.

What has our equine welfare officer been up to?

September has once again been a busy month. We had to respond to an emergency where a horse was trapped. It had managed to wedge himself under a fence with 3 hooves stuck. Fortunately, he came out totally unscathed and just a little sweaty, as he had panicked when he could not get up.

We have been working with some owners to meet the requirements of their horse after concerns were raised by members of the public. Action does not, fortunately always need the seizure of horses. Sometimes the situation can be rectified by giving the owner advice. The horse in this instance did not have sufficient water, protection from the flies or the hot weather. The horse was hogged, which means that the mane is clipped off. She also had some superficial wounds from poorly fitted tack. This issue too was addressed.

Scheduled events are happening in October. Whenever possible, we aim to provide and event tailored to need and where we will advise owners on a multitude of subjects.

We will also be attending the BEVA equine link day being held in Bridgend mid-October.

Again this month we have been called many times about horses loose on the public highways. We cannot stress enough the importance of providing horses with an appropriately fenced and suitable environment which provides sufficient forage, water, shelter and company.

How Can You Help Us ?

We are searching for some fundraisers

We are looking for some local volunteers who do not mind early mornings and love car boot sales. We have a large array for items for sale that would raise essential funds for us at Communities For Horses. With two ponies currently under our care and winter fast approaching we really need your help. If you have your own transport and would like to help us, please contact us.

There are many ways that you could contribute regularly to our work, some that incur no additional costs. Please do take the time to explore the many ways that you can make a difference.
Give As You Live allows you to make a donation, direct from purchases from many businesses.
Amazon Smile donates a percentage of your sale to us as your select Smile charity. You can sell unwanted items on the EBAY, where we can benefit from a percentage or full value of your sale, you choose.
Thank You.

Amazon Smile

Give As You Live

Wow! When Carole Killaz contacted us and asked if we would accept some rugs as a donation, we had no idea that they would fill the back of Lisa's car. All of these rugs have now been sent for washing and reproofing and will be offered for sale. Thank you so much Carole for an amazing donation of rugs.

http://paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/charity/245695

We are delighted that some of our supporters are raising funds for us on EBAY. It is really simple to do , if you have unwanted items, that you wish to donate to charity, list them on EBAY. That way a percentage or the full value of the sale is donated to Communities For Horses.

Big Shout out to Debbie, Dave, Staff and Customers at Three Crosses Post Office / Country Stores. for raising through sales and donations a staggering £64.88. Thank you so much.

We would also like to thank our regular donors: Sonia Capper who makes a regular donation to provide phone credit for us at CFH; Sarah Smith, Holly Thomas, Jenni Nellist, Jo Hockenhull and Rachel Barber who make regular donations. The donations 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 this is their mental, environmental or physical welfare. 👏

Thank You to Ana Pombo Rose, for your very generous donation. 😁

We have been donated a wide selection of items for charity corner, which is located at Country

We would like to thank you all, for your continued support ❤

Find Out More

https://www.communitiesforhorses.org/support-us

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