I AM writing on behalf of a small Devon-based charity called South West Equine Protection Ltd. We have recently been reading articles in the local and national press regarding 700 Dartmoor Ponies slaughtered by a knackerman.
This is something that has been going on for years and the economic climate has changed things very little. We feel it is wrong to blame the recession for this increase in ponies being slaughtered. We have been helping with this appalling situation for years, putting out appeals to rehome those ponies with uncertain futures.
The overbreeding and slaughter of these ponies has been brought into the press as an horrific problem — yet most of the mares on the moor will be in foal already to give birth next year.
Will the same story be more horrific next year and what will the numbers be? The 700 reported is only a proportion of the real number. How many ponies have gone through other slaughterhouses and how many have been destroyed on farms by farmers?
The answer is not to have a 'welfare disposal system', but to stop the constant breeding. Get farmers to take their stallions off of the moor and then not produce so many foals each year.
We help the ponies we can each year and the majority we take in are colts. We are a very small charity and what we do to help is a drop in the ocean when you think of the numbers.
Another issue constantly being raised is the deformities in foals due to inbreeding. Again this is due to poor management. We will keep up the hard work and ensure that people are aware of these problems.
If you would like to discuss things further, please contact Maureen Rolls, founder of SWEP, on 01822 890668 or email [email protected]">[email protected]
Adele Cassidy
Loan Pony co-ordinator
SWEP