We are in danger of losing something very important!

EMW are feeling the crunch this winter, and those behind it are very much at the end of their tether.

Not only do they do a really good job with their sanctuaries, they are also far too valuable a welfare resource to lose. They are the ones staying on at the markets to watch the loading
(when you see the horror parts) when all the big charities have gone home, they are the ones with copies of the regulations in hand to try and force the market and the dealers to have a duty of car to the horses an ponies being trucked round the sales.

They are a massive source of information that will help change regulations for the better, and are instrumental in helping ensure that basic welfare needs are met at markets for these poor, unwanted animals.

The horse world CANNOT afford to lose them, if everyone chucked a tenner into the EMW pot, we can help them carry on.

Here's the website address, the donation button is on the top right hand side.

www.emwuk.org.uk

Rescue or Rip Off Revisited

....Or would the title 'Buy One Get Two Free' actually be more apt?

Currently, the cost of 'rescuing' a horse from France does not seem to be being affected by the Credit Crunch in the UK or La Crise in France in that the prices of the horses requiring 'rescue' are not only healthy, but actually seem to be on the 'up'.

Sadly, the same cannot be said of the recent prices for ponies at two UK auction marts - Beaulieu Road and Brecon - where ponies were entering the ring in bunches of 3/4/5/6 at a time. The bunch each time went for a maximum of 18gns, making an average price per pony 3gns - thats £3.15 - yes, that price is correct!

At Beaulieu Road one INAG reporter came home with 3 very nicely bred pony colts for the minimum bid per head and came home with change from £50 including £7 per pony for updating the passport!

Whilst this state of affairs is worrying enough, the next auction at Beaulieu Road states that there will be NO MINIMUM BIDS for their next sale on 26 November - http://www.auctionmarts.com/reports/r46561.pdf

Never has the phrase 'Charity begins at home' had more poignancy than now...

Ring side view at Kirkby Stephen Horse Sale Sat 7th Nov 09

An INAG member writes:

Approx 300 entries

A different sale to Cowper day in September with no gypsy caravans in town but still the emphasis on coloured cobs. Many Geordie and some Irish accents heard.

Consignments in from Ireland were mainly coloured foals with some sport horses.

Some Welsh Sec A and Sec C foals and New Forest young stock had been brought in from other sales. One Fell pony described as straight off the hill had also been straight off the hill at Dumfries the previous week having been purchased at Penrith Fell Pony Annual Sale on 23rd Oct—3 sales in 15days.

How fast could this practice of moving horses from sale to sale spread disease around the country?

Too many mares were coming through the ring as having run with the stallion all summer — continuing to breed when prices are rock bottom. Clearly many have not heard of or listened to advice on ‘’Sensible Breeding’. Two very nice but over fat Shetland mares had run with the stallion, I hope they did not ‘’take’’ as there was no room for a foal.

There is very much a trend for breeding and starting to ride or drive some of these cobs far too young. One pot bellied youngster barely two years old had a fully worn down set of shoes and was shown in harness with pride, his dipped back showed the strain on his young frame.
A 3yo filly for sale had just weaned a foal.

There seemed to be no market for quiet children’s ponies shown under saddle nor warmbloods or TBs. One 6yo warmblood sold for 1000gns, an Irish Sports Horse 320gns, a TB for 380gns. A wild eyed Friesian cross had clearly been doped and buyers were put off bidding seeing the rider complete with body protector.

One yearling was offered for sale without passport, it was microchipped but the passport had not arrived in time for the sale—it was withdrawn at 900gns.

Some of the dealers stood inside the sale ring and several times were asked to move by the auctioneer to little effect, they were haggling, closing deals and back handing ignoring some of the lots in the ring. The visiting dealers from Ireland were the guiltiest of having their own agenda.

One very lively coloured colt foal stirred them up a bit spending several minutes on its back legs looking for another exit and gained a good price for his spirit.

Many lots were grabbed by one of the dealers for a quick tooth check and the poor foals were prodded with walking sticks from every angle to keep them moving round the ring.

At the end of the sale I found a coloured foal pulling with every ounce of its strength on one of the white rope halters tied to a railing, eyes bulging, I was expecting it to land in a heap and its owners totally ignored it until I pointed to it then they said "do you want to buy it".

A number of lots had hair and skin missing on their faces due to pulling on these halters which are rarely knotted to stop them pulling too tight.

A couple of lots were fully clipped, most people were wearing jackets as it was cold in the mart but no rugs were visible.

Prices — the highest bid coloureds were withdrawn at around £1800. Two excellent beach donkeys were withdrawn at around 600gns each, less substantial donkeys sold to 220gns
Filly foals as always made better trade than colts, the better ones to make over 14.2 between 500 and 800gns. Colts 200-600gns, Fell pony foals around 140gns.

Many lots withdrawn unsold.

Some of the ‘lads’ were learning their dealing skills very young, one very small young man showing 3 mini Shetlands had already learned to ‘thump’ and ‘’prod’’ if the pony did not keep moving.

At least this time there was some bedding down for the ones in mart all night even if it was just a layer of sawdust unlike the Cowper day sale when horses were left on bare concrete all night.

Mart staff had a reader so microchips were being checked but the catalogue does state it is the buyer’s responsibility to check the passport is correct before leaving mart.

Should Horse Owners Have to Rely on Good Luck to Recover Their Stolen Horses?

On Monday 2 November 2009 a horse was stolen from a field in the Guildford area. The people who took her sawed through a wooden post and rail fence to get out and this happened between 3pm and 6pm in the afternoon, presumably in daylight.

The police were informed and so were the microchip company who circulated her details to all the ferry ports etc.

During the afternoon of Tuesday 3 Nov, the distraught owner received a phone call from the police to say her horse had been found in Holyhead, Wales. She was tied to a railing at the ferry port and the ferry to Ireland had gone without her.

Several things have come to light in this story:

1. A week prior the horse had a small plait in its mane when the owner went to get her in from the field and described it as very small, almost like a tangle. She disregarded it as kids messing about (her horses are out in a field with others). However, it transpires that this is how people mark horses to be stolen later. One person marks them, another then comes later and knows which one to take.

2. The ferry port at Holyhead do not check horses passports or microchips. This horse was traveling without a passport.

3. The police believe the reason this horse was left behind was because she was microchipped. Although the UK is lax about passport and microchip checking, it is apparently more common for horses to be scanned on entering Ireland. The people who take them will scan them and dump them if they find a microchip. The horse also had a large obvious scar so this may have been a contributing factor.

The police told her that horses being dumped at a ferry terminal is not uncommon and they usually turn out to be stolen. They have had horses left in a lorry on the actual ferry!

This story has a happy ending for the owner and her horse, but how many other stolen horses could have been on that ferry to Ireland?

The owner cannot give any more details because of the police investigation that is ongoing, but has given her permission for INAG to relay this story to highlight:

1. If you find your horse with a small plait in its mane or tail please do not ignore it! The plait is put their so that the thieves know which horse to steal.

2. If your horse isn’t microchipped please consider doing it. The owner of this horse describes her as ‘nothing flashy, just a normal 14.2 bay mare’ so please don’t think it couldn’t happen to you.

The government states

i) The equine passport is a way of recording the information regarding a horses medical treatment in order to reduce the risk of unsuitable horses entering the food chain (Q2, 3, 4) http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/movements/horses/horses_qa.htm).

ii) That it is illegal (except for in a few instances, Q16 http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/movements/horses/horses_qa.htm) for a horse to moved or transported without a passport except under emergency circumstances.

iii) That since February 2005 it is an offence to move their horse or pony outside the UK without a passport (Q38 http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/movements/horses/horses_qa.htm)

iiii) Failure to correctly identify animals could lead to a fine of up to £5000.

On posing the question as to the efficacy of checks at ferry ports to a number of well respected horse transporters, they replied that only very infrequently are passports requested from the transporters, especially on the UK/Ireland routes. However, they are not verified that they actually belong to the horses being transported, nor are microchips checked - merely a count done that the number of passports shown = the number of horses IF the transporter is pulled over for checking!

Given the Ton of Bricks method of applying this legislation to the average law abiding horse owner, INAG finds it incomprehensible that the Government itself can so easily and glibly flout its own rules by allowing horses through its own ports without its staff verifying that the horses are being moved legally. Or is it simply easier and cheaper to hound and make examples out of Joe Public, rather than equip all ports with the facilities, staff and equipment that would enable them to catch some REAL law breakers - the horse traffickers and horse thieves...?

Well done to the police for their efforts in recovering this poor horse and reuniting her with her owner!