SHIRE FOAL MARKS ONE YEAR SINCE MAJOR RESCUE
Posted on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 by Sasha Melia
An adorable Shire foal has been taking her first tentative steps into the world at Redwings Horse Sanctuary one year after her mother’s rescue.
Papillon, now five months old, was born to mother Tortoiseshell at the charity’s Norfolk headquarters, where she continues to grow in strength, curiosity and mischief every day.
Her arrival marks the end of a challenging but rewarding year for Redwings’ vet and equine care teams as they’ve fought to bring Tortoiseshell and her friends back to health following their rescue in November last year.
Tortoiseshell was part of a group of 19 Shire horses discovered fly-grazing (grazing without permission of the landowner) on a site in Bewdley, near Kidderminster in Worcestershire.
When no owner came forward to claim them, powers under the Control of Horses Act 2015 (England) meant ownership of the herd passed into the hands of the landowner, who asked Redwings for help.
With winter approaching, Redwings joined forces with the Blue Cross, Bransby Horses, HorseWorld, World Horse Welfare and the RSPCA to round-up the herd and find them new homes.
Redwings took in six mares and named them after butterflies – Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Cleopatra, Holly Blue, Painted Lady and Swallowtail. However, their recovery at the Sanctuary has not been plain sailing.
Blood tests and subsequent biopsies revealed that the group were suffering from significant and potentially life-threatening liver damage. While the cause was unknown, luckily they responded well to treatment.
Very sadly, however, Cleopatra passed away during the summer due to a severe and sudden bout of colic, and a second foal, named Empress, was heartbreakingly put to sleep due to complications arising from a blood infection.
Papillon’s start to life was also fraught with difficulty; she was born with severely weak tendons in her legs which meant she initially struggled to stand, although happily her legs have strengthened and she now loves to trot around the paddock she shares with her mother.
Lynn Cutress, Redwings’ Chief Executive, said: “With little provision for their care, it’s safe to say that if we had not intervened by rounding-up this large group of Shires last November, their welfare would have been at dire risk – proven by the subsequent discovery of their liver problems.
“Handling such a number of heavy horses is a real challenge, but thanks to the efforts of our teams, these special Shires are now receiving all the care they need and they’ve already become beloved members of the Redwings family.
“We were truly heartbroken to lose Cleopatra and then little Empress, however seeing Papillon go from strength to strength has lifted our spirits. We’ve pledged her, and the rest of the Shire group, a safe home with us for life so we’ll be there for them every step along the way!”
Redwings is a charity funded entirely by donations from the public. To help support the care of Papillon and the Shire herd, call 01508 481000 or visit www.redwings.org.uk/donating.
Papillon is now five months old.
Bransby Horses Rescues Neglected Horses at Request of RSPCA
Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2019 by Sasha Melia
Bransby Horses is one of the UK’s largest equine welfare charities who currently care for more than 400 animals. They are dedicated to improving the lives of neglected horses, donkeys and mules to give them the chance of a better future.
On the 14th September 2018, Five Arab horses were taken into the care of Bransby Horses at the request of the RSPCA as it was evident, following veterinary opinion, that they were suffering, and their welfare was compromised.
Two of which (Aladdin and Jafar) were so badly neglected that they were discovered trapped inside their stable, with old rotting bedding reaching the top of the door. Staff had to dig to free the neglected stallions and found them to be in a terrible state. The lack of professional farrier treatment meant that their hooves had overgrown to the extent of curling, causing them a great deal of pain and impairing their movement significantly. The same could be said for two grey mares (Sahara and Jasmine) that had been kept in the paddock outside. A third mare (Jessica) was removed from the property as she had bonded to the other mares although her feet were much less of a concern. Luckily, Bransby Horses were able to rescue all five horses from the property.
On arrival at Bransby Horses, the injured horses were immediately sedated, and X-rays were taken, confirming worrying findings of internal infection, alongside dangerous bone and arthritic changes within the hooves. The animals received instant pain relief and professional care, but veterinary prognosis remained guarded due to concerns over concurrent laminitis and osteoarthritis.
As with every case, Bransby Horses worked closely with a veterinary team to explore all avenues of treatment and pain relief. Sadly, sometimes the absolute kindest option is to end the life of a horse with nothing but suffering in its future. That was sadly the outcome for Aladdin, Jafar and Sahara. The owner was taken to court where they pleaded guilty and received instant deprivation, disqualification, a custodial suspended sentence, an 18-month community order and all of the court costs that go with that.
Today, Jasmine and Jessica are responding well to treatment, and with continuous and generous support from the public, Bransby Horses will continue to save equines all across the UK.
For further information please contact Bransby Horses on 01427 788464 or visit www.bransbyhorses.co.uk.
