It’s a numbers game!

by Nicola Markwell

Rescuing one horse or pony from a situation of neglect can be difficult enough, but what happens when several horses are involved?

Many of you will remember Redwings being involved in a large rescue from a site in Amersham last year, when we helped removed 97 horses and ponies from the farm in one day under the new Animal Welfare Act. We sent eight horseboxes and more than 30 of our staff to attend that rescue, and without our welfare team’s expertise in moving large numbers of unhandled or feral horses, some of those animals may have been forced to stay behind.

Redwings has years of experience in dealing with large numbers of wild or unpredictable horses in this way, much of which was gained on the thousands of acres of common land in South Wales, with almost 200 feral ponies being taken into the Sanctuary between 2002 and 2005! Phew!

The golden rules are patience, teamwork and careful planning in any such operation. Our team must be quiet around the ponies as they are often very nervous, and it is vital not to upset them or cause them any distress while they are being rounded up. Equally important is the herd dynamic – horses are herd animals and any separation of friends from each other or mares from their foals is not only unkind but can actually be extremely dangerous.

Our specialist rescue team will use pen sections and lots of time and patience to encourage the horses to load onto our lorries – but that is just the first step. Taking on unhandled and sometimes very difficult horses and ponies means that at Redwings we are committed to providing handling and veterinary care to what are essentially wild animals until they have learned to trust us as friends!

In 2009 so far we have taken in 180 horses and ponies, and of this number several have involved large rescues, including 35 feral ponies from Norfolk, 11 from Hertfordshire, 7 from Essex and 8 from mid Wales. And that's without including the foals that have been born following the rescues, including seven from the Norfolk rescue alone!

Find out more about Redwings specialist welfare here or telephone our helpline on 01508 481008 for advice on any aspect of horse care or welfare.