Ponies on the Pill! Frisky horses given contraceptive by marksman
A HERD of 500 wild horses are being shot by a marksman armed with contraceptive darts to stop them over-breeding.
Animal welfare expert Phil York is putting ponies on the Pill by firing the darts into their flanks.
The ponies and horses are roaming free on 3,000 acres of common land at Gelligaer, near Caerphilly, South Wales.
The aim is to cut down the number of foals being born to keep the 500-strong herd at manageable levels.
So far Mr York, from the charity the Society for the Welfare of Horses and Ponies, has vaccinated 60 ponies, firing at them from a distance of 50 yards.
The darts cost the society £50 an animal and Mr York said it was the only such scheme in Britain.
The 52-year-old added: ‘Each animal needs to be shot with the contraceptive three times over a period of six-and-ahalf months for it to have any effect.
‘To them it just feels like a bee sting on their rump. The dart will fall out within a short time. If it doesn’t, we follow them and retrieve it.’
Many of the animals are crossbreeds dumped by owners who cannot afford to keep them. But a few dozen are pure Welsh mountain ponies which are not being given the contraceptives.
Mr York said: ‘Numbers of the Welsh ponies have dropped drastically in the past few years. By preventing other varieties breeding with them we are hoping that they can make a comeback.’