Western Morning News (Saturday)
Bid to eradicate pony disease on moor
ALARGE scale operation swung into action this week on Dartmoor to rid a pony herd of a highly infectious disease.
Strangles causes horses to suffer respiratory problems, snotty noses and abscesses around their throats, although is rarely fatal.
Since June, horse riders have been requested to stay away from Bellever near Postbridge, a 450 hectare site leased from Forestry England by the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust (DPHT), with walkers urged to steer clear of the native ponies grazing there.
The entire herd of 27 ponies went down with strangles earlier this year, but now the DPHT, a registered charity which works to protect the future of Dartmoor’s native Dartmoor ponies, has teamed up with equine welfare leaders to eradicate the recent outbreak and open up the moors and forestry for all to enjoy again.
An operation to rid the herd of strangles was held on Dartmoor on Thursday and Friday, with an ‘army’ of volunteers taking on the challenge.
The DPHT worked alongside charities the Mare and Foal Sanctuary, Redwings and the Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society to bring the ponies in and treat them.
They were also having their feet trimmed, and this year’s foals were being allocated passports and microchipped, which is mandatory for all equines.
The team was also working with pony keepers in affected areas to make sure animals were clear of infection.
The organisations, all members of the National Equine Welfare Council which improves equine welfare and supports those invested in improving equine welfare standards, decided to come together in order to try to eradicate the problem from the site.
Dru Butterfield, from the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust, said: “We were completely devastated when our entire herd of 27 ponies went down with strangles.
“We are so grateful to our partners as we could not have pulled this off without their kind and generous support in time, resource and funds.
“Our brilliant vet Hayden Webb and his team at Equus Equine Vets and the strangles expert Nic de Brauwere, head of welfare and behaviour at Redwings Horse Sanctuary, have been guiding us through the maze.”
Dru added: “Karla McKechnie, the Dartmoor Livestock Protection Officer, has been in touch daily too. Thanks to their amazing support and dedication, and that of our team who’ve worked around the clock every day, we’re finally beating the infection.
“We also owe the public a huge vote of thanks for keeping their distance, caring for the herd, and helping us locate our native Dartmoor ponies across the enormous expanse of land at Bellever where we keep them.” Meanwhile, Syra Bowden, director of equine at the Mare and Foal Sanctuary, added: “The Mare and Foal Sanctuary knows just how devastating strangles can be.
“We are extremely proud to be working with our colleagues at DPHT, Redwings and the Dartmoor
Livestock Protection Society to try and bring strangles under control in this area. Testing a herd in the wild like this is not something that is often attempted.
“We are very optimistic that we can bring strangles under control and hopefully play our part in saving the lives of any affected ponies.”