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Abandoned pony thrives under care of Bedfordshire student

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

The Horse Trust rehoming update: Abandoned pony thrives under care of Bedfordshire student

Abandoned pony Bess is coming on in “leaps and bounds” under the care of Wilstead resident Katy Izzard, 21, after the pony was rehomed by Buckinghamshire charity The Horse Trust last year.

The Horse Trust, which runs a sanctuary for rescued and retired working horses in Speen, Buckinghamshire, took in 12hh black mare Bess on Boxing Day 2009 when she was found abandoned in a snow-covered field. After doing initial rehabilitation work with Bess, staff at the charity started looking for a new home for her.

University of Bedfordshire student Katy decided to offer Bess a home last July as she was looking for a companion for her horse Storm. She said that Bess has flourished over the last year.

“Its been really rewarding to see Bess grow in confidence and become more affectionate,” said Katy. “When I initially took her in, she would stay where she was when I came into the field. Now she always comes up to me and likes having a cuddle. I have to warn people not to wear nice clothes when they visit as Bess now likes to rub against people!”

Bess has also developed a firm friendship with Katy’s gelding Storm, which is helping Katy train Bess to cope better with being stabled.

“Bess and Storm are inseparable – they go mad if they’re not with each other,” said Katy. “When the farrier was doing Storm’s feet recently, Bess tried to come into the stable so she wouldn’t be separated from him.”

“I’m trying to get her used to being stabled now, in case we get another cold winter like last year. She’s coming in for half an hour at a time to get her used to it. Her stable is next door to Storm’s and there’s a partition where they can see each other. If Storm is already in his stable, then she’s happy to stay in her stable much longer,” said Katy.

Liane Crowther, Training Manager at The Horse Trust, who manages the charity’s rehoming scheme, said one of the charity’s grooms had visited Bess a couple of months ago and had seen first hand how well she was getting on.

“We are so pleased to hear about the progress Bess has made,” said Liane. “It sounds like Katy has put a lot of time and effort into helping Bess overcome some of the fears she has, and that she is coming on in leaps and bounds. We look forward to hearing more updates in the future.”

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Ragwort Awareness Week

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

Ragwort Awareness Week (RAW) July 11 – 17th 2011

This year RAW is running July 11 – 17 (the same week as last year) and the BHS are repeating their nationwide survey. This is really important as they need to gather as much data as possible to hopefully effect better enforcement or a change in the law. I’m sure most of you will agree that ragwort seems to be on the increase (it is what the welfare department get the most calls about during the summer months) but they don’t yet have any hard evidence to support this. With cost cutting going on all over the place it will be a hard fight to get ragwort control enforced and, if it isn’t, even more horses will suffer a painful death.

All the BHS are asking is that people report any ragwort they see (via the survey) during RAW. The survey only takes a couple of minutes and can be done online via the BHS website. The survey itself won’t go live on the website until the 10th July and will be accessible from the front page. All respondents will be entered into a prize draw to win one of two Mark Todd Jackets.

Key Results of 2010 Survey
77.3% involved land that animals were grazing on or near
35.8% of cases, ragwort covered at least half of the land
10000+ horses grazing on ragwort infested pasture
Approx 20,000 cattle or sheep grazing on ragwort infested pasture

Full list of counties/ Local Authority areas in order of number of ragwort reports.

1. Hampshire
2. Surrey
3 = Cheshire
3 = Lincolnshire
3 = Cambridgeshire
4. Leicestershire
5. Nottinghamshire
6 = North Yorkshire
6 = Hereford and Worcester
6 = Kent
7. Greater Manchester
8. Staffordshire
9. Hertfordshire
10. Bedfordshire
11=Oxfordshire
12 = Sussex
12 = Dorset
12 = West Sussex
13. Gloucestershire
14 = Shropshire
14 = West Midlands
14 =Northamptonshire
14 =Warwickshire
14 =Clwyd
15. Devon
16. Norfolk
17 = Lancashire
17 = West Yorkshire
17 =Strathclyde
17 = Essex
17 = Berkshire
17 = Somerset
18. Derbyshire
19 = South Yorkshire
19 =Wiltshire
20. East Sussex
21. Buckinghamshire
22. Avon
23. Dunfries and Galloway
24 = County Durham
24 = Cornwall
25. Tayside
26. Cumbria
27. Isle of Wight
28 =Northumberland
28 =Merseyside
28 =Outer London
28 =Humberside
28 =Gwynedd
28 =Dyfed
28 =Gwent
29 = Central Scotland
29 = Fife
29 =Lothian
29 = Tyne and Wear
29 = Highlands
29 =Mid Glamorgan
30. West Glamorgan
31. Borders
32 =Grampian
32 =Inner London
33 =Orkney
33 = Islands
34 =Down
34 =Powys

No reports were received for areas not listed.

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Equine Periodontal Disease

Monday, March 14th, 2011

Research funded by The Horse Trust shows link between bacteria and equine periodontal disease

The potential role of bacteria in the development of periodontal disease in horses has been shown in research funded by The Horse Trust.

The research, which was carried out by Alistair Cox at the University of Edinburgh, is also the first study to describe the microscopic anatomy of equine periodontal disease. Cox plans to submit the research to a veterinary journal.

Equine periodontal disease is a common condition in horses affecting around 60 percent of horses over the age of 15 years (1). The disease is painful and can have a big impact on a horse’s quality of life, affecting the animal’s ability to eat and its performance.

Although bacteria are known to be a cause of periodontal disease in humans, cats and dogs, their significance in relation to the disease in horses is less clear. Mechanical factors, such as food being packed between the horse’s teeth due to abnormal growth and spaces was considered to be the primary cause.

For the research, Cox examined the skulls of 22 horses that had been submitted for post mortem examination. Although none of the horses had received treatment for periodontal disease, 16 had some form of periodontal disease.

“This research, funded by The Horse Trust, highlights how common periodontal disease is in horses. Yet many horses don’t receive treatment so are likely to be suffering in silence. I would advise all horse owners to get their vet or equine dentist to regularly check their horse to see if it is developing the condition,” said Cox.

Cox identified bacteria, including spirochaetes, that were associated with the presence of periodontal disease. Spirochaetes are known to be important in human and canine periodontal disease, but this is the first study to identify spirochaetes associated with equine periodontal disease.

“This study shows that bacteria may be more important than was previously thought in the development of equine periodontal disease. More research is needed to understand whether bacteria or mechanical factors are the main cause of the disease. Once we have a better understanding of why and how the disease develops, we can do more to prevent horses from developing this painful condition,” said Cox.

The Horse Trust-funded research also found a significant association between the age of the horse and periodontal disease. Skulls were examined from horses ranging from 4 to over 20 years of age. The older horses were found to be more likely to have periodontal disease and a more advanced form of the condition.

Cox examined the skulls under the microscope and under x-ray. He found various histological features associated with equine periodontal disease(2), but did not find any statistically significant radiographic features (3).

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Shetland Ponies | Retired Ponies in Buckinghamshire

Friday, March 4th, 2011

Shetland ponies enjoy life with retired farmers

Two Shetland ponies that were rehomed by The Horse Trust last February are enjoying life at their new home in a village south of Milton Keynes.

The Horse Trust, which runs an equine rehoming scheme that covers Buckinghamshire and the surrounding counties, found Timmy, a 43-inch bay Shetland, and Snakey, a 41-inch black Shetland, a new home with retired farmers Sheila and John Murphy in February 2010.

Snakey, who has been renamed Jakey by the Murphy’s, has grown in confidence over the last year and now follows Sheila around the field.

“Jakey was very nervous when he arrived and wouldn’t come inside the stable or let me catch him,” said Sheila. “Nowadays, he’s happy going into the stables and follows me around the field, particularly if I have a carrot in my pocket.”

Jakey is so confident now that he orders about Timmy and Posie, a riding pony that Sheila looks after. “Jakey is the smallest, but he’s the boss of all of them,” said Sheila.

Both ponies have been enjoying their home in a paddock next door to the Murphy’s orchard.

“Some of the plum and apple trees overhang one half of the paddock, so Timmy and Snakey enjoyed eating the fallen fruit during the autumn. It was funny to hear them crunching on the plum stones,” said Sheila. ” We’ve had a windfall of plums this year, so I had to pick some up as I didn’t want them to eat too many.”

Sheila and John enjoy spending time with the Shetland ponies, as do their extended family. “My grandchildren love the ponies and always brush and groom them when they come to visit. They particularly like Jakey as he’s the most loving – he loves being kissed and cuddled,” said Sheila.

As well as enjoying their company, Sheila said the ponies provide a useful service in keeping the grass tidy in the paddock. “They make lovely little pets and lawnmowers!” said Sheila.

“It’s great to hear how well Timmy and Snakey are getting on, ” said Liane Crowther, Welfare & Education Officer at The Horse Trust, who manages the rehoming scheme. “It sounds like they are leading an idyllic life in the countryside with good food and good company!”

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Horse Care Buckinghamshire | Abandoned Horses in Buckinghamshire

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Horse Care Buckinghamshire | Abandoned Horses in Buckinghamshire

The Horse Trust has noticed a dramatic increase in the number of horses being abandoned across Buckinghamshire.

In 2010, the Buckinghamshire charity took on seven abandoned horses. In the previous five years (between 2004 and 2009), it did not take on any abandoned horses.

Other equine welfare charities are experiencing the same problem. On Friday, Redwings announced a 400% increase in the number of horses reported as abandoned in December 2010, compared with December 2009.

The Horse Trust regularly receives calls to its equine welfare helpline from owners increasingly desperate due to the combination of the credit crunch, government cuts and the increasing cost of hay.

“Until recently, there wasn’t a problem with horses being abandoned in Buckinghamshire,” said Liane Crowther, Welfare and Education Officer at The Horse Trust. “But now it seems that the economic climate and the spiralling cost of hay is pushing owners to desperate lengths. Many owners keep their horse on a shoestring budget, so simply can’t afford the increased cost of feeding and looking after their much loved horse.”

One recent abandonment case taken in by The Horse Trust is Shetland pony Piglet, who was found abandoned by the police at a busy roadside in Chalfont St Peter.

Piglet was brought to The Horse Trust’s sanctuary in Speen, Buckinghamshire when an owner could not be traced. When Piglet arrived at the sanctuary, he was suffering from a number of veterinary problems including an infected eye, severe malnutrition, high worm burden and overgrown feet.

“When Piglet arrived he was in a bad state and hadn’t received the care he needed for some time. It looks like his owner hadn’t been feeding him properly or paying for farrier or veterinary treatments for a number of months. It’s sad to think how long he suffered before he was abandoned,” said Liane.

Staff at The Horse Trust are now nurturing Piglet back to health and have provided urgently needed farrier and veterinary treatment, including a referral to a veterinary ophthalmologist. Piglet’s overall health has improved, but sadly his eye will be removed as the infection is not responding to treatment.

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