Relief at Last for Maggie -Bransby’s Priory Farm Centre in Herefordshire has just taken into care a very special horse called Maggie.
22/02/2012
More Feral Rescues Safe at Bransby -Following the arrival of 30 feral ponies at Bransby’s Lincolnshire Centre in January, the Charity has stretched itself even further by taking in 13 more abandoned feral cobs just four weeks later
Jack Frost Comes to Bransby -Bransby staff have been battling with the elements to keep our equine residents happy and healthy despite the wintry weather
Bransby’s Priory Farm Centre in Herefordshire has just taken into care a very special horse called Maggie. The RSPSA contacted us and asked if we had room to care for a welfare case that the owner was willing to sign over to them. Despite both our Centres being stretched to near capacity at the moment, we try to reserve a few places for emergency welfare cases. Maggie was just that.
Having been left out in a sodden wet, dirty rug for weeks, Maggie had developed a condition called ‘rainscald’ all along the skin on her back, which had then become infected. By the time she arrived with us, the sores had become so badly infected that she needed antibiotics to tackle the condition. Maggie needed to be sedated so that we could clip away the hair along her back and remove the infected scabs to treat the skin underneath. Despite the pain and discomfort that Maggie was clearly in, she stood patiently, allowing us to treat her and never once putting her ears back. Now that the infection is under control she is well on the road to recovery and it won’t be long before her coat grows back and she can join one of our herds here at Priory Farm.
Severe rainscald can be very painful and it is testament to Maggie’s kind nature that she tolerated the treatment she needed with such patience.
Rainscald is caused by a bacteria which can attack the skin in wet, dirty conditions. Owners should always check regularly underneath their horse’s rug; replace any rug that becomes wet through and ensure any signs of irritation or infection on the skin are treated immediately.
Following the arrival of 30 feral ponies at Bransby’s Lincolnshire Centre in January, the Charity has stretched itself even further by taking in 13 more abandoned feral cobs just four weeks later. The group were part of a large herd rescued in Wales in a joint operation between local authority inspectors and several equine charities. Bransby was determined to offer a much needed home to some of the group, despite the additional pressure this placed on our staff and resources.
Monmouth and Tenby are just two of our recent rescues. These two young stallions were struggling with worms, lice and mites and needed attention from the vet and farrier. Tenby also had very poor teeth that need work from a specialist equine dentist to ensure he can eat comfortably. The cobs are solid, strong ponies that are not used to being around people and giving them the immediate care they urgently needed was a carefully planned process to keep the ponies as relaxed as possible and our staff safe. With Bransby’s purpose built facilities and experienced handlers, all the group successfully received their preliminary assessment and treatment and are continuing to settle in well at the Charity. Eleven of the thirteen new arrivals are males and all will need castrating in the near future.
All equine charities are struggling with unprecedented numbers of welfare cases at a time when income and operational costs are being adversely affected by the economic climate. Bransby is no exception, but is doing its utmost to carry on helping horses in need whose futures are otherwise looking very uncertain.
Please help us to carry on rescuing equines in these difficult times by making a donation to the Charity today. Every gift, however small, really does make a difference. Click here for more information.
Monmouth (left) and Tenby are just two of the thirteen cobs that arrived at Bransby at the beginning of February
The herd are settling in well at the Charity but taking on the care of more feral ponies is stretching Bransby’s resources to the limit.
Half Term Craft Days a Big Success
Thank you to all those children who came to see us this week for our ‘We Love Ponies’ Craft days. Over the 2 days 49 children joined us – which was a fantastic response and made us realise we have now outgrown our little craft room! There were lots of lovely mobiles created and everyone enjoyed meeting Sisqo and his friends.
We are very grateful to our team of volunteers who make the Craft Days possible. We hope to see you at Easter for more craft fun, look out for details on our website and face book page
Bransby has been working hard to care for the herd of 30 ponies which arrived at the Home in January after being abandoned in Wales. The group is made up entirely of feral animals, making their assessment and treatment a huge challenge, but one that Charity staff have the skills and facilities to take on with confidence.
Our first priority was to allow the rescued ponies to settle in after their long journey from Wales and give them access to plenty of good quality forage. The group has been kept in a large field slightly removed from the main Bransby site to ensure any contagious diseases within the herd would not be transmitted to our other residents. Staff also had to observe strict quarantine procedures to make sure bacteria were not carried on skin or clothes between the new arrivals and other horses.
A specially constructed handling system allowed our staff to work with each new arrival. This involved giving much needed worming and de-lousing drugs; taking bloods for analysis; aging, sexing and microchipping each pony and assessing body condition beneath deceptively thick winter coats. It took several Bransby staff and a veterinary surgeon just over seven hours to carry out this initial assessment and treatment process on the 30 ponies.
All the ponies in the group were suffering from an infestation of parasitic worms. Worms can cause widespread, irreversible disruption and damage within a horse’s body and can be potentially fatal, particularly in younger animals. Very sadly, two of our new arrivals had such advanced worm damage that their systems could no longer function properly and we had no choice but to put the ponies to sleep so as not to prolong their suffering. It is always a difficult time when we lose recent rescues so soon, but thankfully the remaining 28 ponies are responding well to the care they have received at Bransby and we have every hope that they may go on to make a full recovery in our hands.
Bransby's special handling facilities allow us to get close to feral ponies in order to give immediately required care. The process helps keep unhandled animals as relaxed as possible as well as keeping our staff safe and ensuring interaction is speedy and humane'
Feeding good quality forage is best for helping feral ponies to get the basic nutrition they need in a natural way
Jack Frost Comes to Bransby
Bransby staff have been battling with the elements to keep our equine residents happy and healthy despite the wintry weather. Feeding and checking more than 400 residents across our sites in Lincolnshire and Herefordshire is even more of a challenge than usual in sub-zero temperatures, not to mention keeping all our water tanks free of ice and ensuring all our horses have somewhere safe, warm and comfortable to retreat to if they choose.
All our horses, ponies, donkeys and mules are more than capable of coping with colder weather with the right care. Some hardy, native breeds have thick winter coats and amazing internal heating systems that mean they need minimal support on even our coldest nights. But some of our more sensitive residents, such as Thoroughbreds, Arabs and warmbloods need well fitting rugs and extra food to ensure they can enjoy life whatever the elements.
None of this would be possible without our dedicated teams of Bransby staff who have been battling through icy conditions to get to work every day and are outside working in all weathers to make sure our residents have everything they need. Huge thanks must also go to all our supporters whose donations ensure that we can supply all the extra food, forage and bedding our residents need when the temperature drops.
Don’t forget that visitors are still welcome everyday at our Lincolnshire site and can take a bracing walk to meet our residents before enjoying a hot drink and a snack in our cosy gift shop!
Important handling work continues even in the cold weather.
Braving the cold to keep the horses fed and the yards clean
New Friendship for Chocolate and Billy
In 2004 in a joint operation, Bransby along with the RSPCA and Redwings came to the aid of 72 abandoned horses in Lincolnshire. 23 of the horses came to Bransby, a mixture of mares, foals and stallions. In this group was Chocolate, a lovely 4 year old Shetland mare. She came in with her foal at foot. Unfortunately the foal had to be put to sleep soon after arrival due to his failing health.
Once Chocolate started her rehabilitation process she was not afraid to tell us she was in charge (or so she thought!). Chocolate needed lots of handling work because she didn’t like the farrier, the equine dentist or being caught in the field. After extensive work she became more trusting and friendly towards the staff. She learnt to stand for her feet to be trimmed and loves the attention from the visitors and staff. She is much better for her teeth now and with the right home it was felt that she was ready to be put forward for the ‘Friend 4 Life’ scheme. Chocolate is a loving and sweet mare who loves having cuddles, she deserved a permanent home with one on one attention. This permanent home came in the form of Barbara who has already been fostering one of our ponies – Billy Brownie for over 10 years.
Barbara had recently enquired about re-homing a pony to live with Billy Brownie, a Shetland that she already fosters from Bransby. As Billy is blind in one eye Barbara wanted to find him a friend to live with full time. Barbara came to look at a few Shetlands and Chocolate was very keen to go home with her. She passed her vetting and Barbara came to collect her on Friday.
Once she got her home Barbara says that “She settled in immediately and showed Billy whose boss! Billy Brownie just loves everything and everyone so he didn't argue and they have got on well right from the word go. She is not backwards in coming forward and is into everything at the first opportunity, including the feed store!”
Bransby strives to help each individual animal and is proud to be able to re home as many animals as we can, in Chocolate and Billy’s case they have found their ideal home with the perfect partnership. To find out more about our Re-homing scheme and read some of our other rehoming success stories please click here
Rosie's Home at Last- Update on Stolen Horse Rosie
Bransby is delighted to report that following the distressing theft of Rosie, Sarah has been reunited with her beloved mare. Rosie was spotted in the south of Lincolnshire and is now back at home with Angus and Heidi.
Thank you to everyone who helped circulate information about Rosie and kept an eye out for her. Horse theft is a serious problem and sadly does not always have the happy ending experienced by Sarah and Rosie.
To minimise the risk of horse theft:
Microchip and / or freezemark your horse and put up signs on gates to let people know you have taken these measures.
Invest in a heavy duty chain and padlock. Really robust ones will not be cheap but are far more effective.
Ensure your gate cannot be lifted off at the hinges.
Good quality fencing is not only better at keeping your horses in, it can help to keep unwanted people out! Fencing is a big investment, but there are many benefits to digging deep on this if you can.
Look at all access routes to your yard or field and ensure there are not obvious back routes in which may be beneficial to criminals.
Make friends with your neighbours and let them have your mobile number so they can contact you should any strange people or vehicles be seen around your yard or field.
Keep up to date with horse theft alerts and related crimes in your area by joining your local horsewatch group. Go to www.ukhorsewatch.org.uk for more information.
Bransby Home of Rest for Horses has pulled out all the stops to care for 30 abandoned ponies who were in urgent need of good food, routine care and a safe home.
The group of young cobs arrived at Bransby on 13th January after local authority officers authorised their removal from a site in South Wales. The ponies were successfully transported and accommodated in a joint operation by a number of charities who came together to secure the future of these neglected youngsters including Redwings, Horseworld, the Donkey Sanctuary, the Blue Cross and World Horse Welfare.
Bransby agreed to take on the largest group from the rescue, despite the Charity already being very stretched over the winter months. Bransby’s Head of Equine Operations, Philip York, explains ‘Rescue work is not only about taking animals out of an environment of cruelty or neglect, it also means being able to bring them back to health and provide them with a secure future, with all the knowledge, time and expense that involves. Although it is a huge investment, we are totally committed to giving these lovely ponies the new life they need.’
Every one of Bransby’s 30 new arrivals will receive much needed attention, including worming, farriery and veterinary assessment. As a feral group, the ponies also will require specialist handling to help them establish a positive relationship with their carers and enable them to benefit from life in a domestic environment. Taking on feral ponies is a particular area of expertise and Bransby is one of a limited number of organisations around the UK that has the specialist experience and facilities needed to rehabilitate these challenging equines.
Times are tough for charities in the present climate, but staff at Bransby are working extremely hard to ensure that these delightful ponies can finally receive all the care and kindness they have been denied for so long.
We will keep you all informed on their progress
Please help us to help these very special horses. If you would like to make a donation please click the donate online button at the top of the page or alternatively pick up the phone and call 01427 788464. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Welfare work never stops! While most people were enjoying a break over the festive period, Bransby was investigating a report of a thin mare with an injured eye in Nottinghamshire. At the site, it quickly became apparent that the horse was in urgent need of help: she was extremely thin, had a serious and painful eye condition and a mature foal still suckling from her. Working with the RSPCA, a veterinary surgeon and the police, Bransby was able to bring mother and son into our care the following day and start giving the mare all the help she so desperately needed.
With good food, de-worming drugs and a sheltered environment, festively named Holly and Noel soon showed signs of feeling better. Holly’s eye continued to be a real concern though, and not long after her arrival our veterinary surgeon removed the diseased eyeball and cleaned the area thoroughly. This is not an uncommon operation and the area heals remarkably quickly.
Noel was more than old enough to be weaned and now spends most of his time playing with Herbie, another recent Bransby rescue. Not having to feed her youngster has also helped Holly to put on weight and she is already looking and acting like a different horse! We still have a long way to go to help Holly back into really good condition, but Bransby is delighted to have been able to step in and give this deserving pair the very happy new year they so needed.
In just three weeks Holly has gained over 10kg and is already starting to look better. .
Noel ( at the back) has also filled out and is growing into an extremely handsome young chap!
Holly was found to be emaciated when Bransby responded to a call from a concerned member of the public just before New Year.
Holly had already lost the sight in her right eye so suffered no further loss of vision when the diseased and painful eyeball was removed
Bransby Horse Angus Loses His Best Friend To Horse Thieves
Bransby foster carer Sarah Nettesheim was distraught when she arrived at her horse’s field on January 15th to find her much loved mare Rosie gone. Rosie shared a field with Bransby foster horse Angus and veteran mare Heidi and the two remaining horses are lost without their kind natured friend.
Rosie is a nineteen year old, 15.2hh piebald cob with very distinctive markings and two wall eyes. She is extremely friendly and good to handle and unfortunately her obliging character would have made the theft much easier. “She was always first to the fence to come and say hello” says Sarah “She was the kindest horse you could hope to meet and I am distraught at losing her this way. I just want her home with Angus and Heidi again”.
Please help by checking any piebald cobs that appear in your local area to see if the markings are similar to Rosie’s.
Description of Rosie: Rosie has very distinctive features including 2 wall eyes (blue), 1 white ear and 1 black ear and she was wearing a brown shires tempest combo rug when she was taken.
Anyone with any information at all should ring Lincolnshire police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 quoting incident number 120-15/1.
Back in December we received a call from the RSPCA who were urgently looking for a permanent home for a mare and a gelding in need of specialist care. The two animals, Oliver and Sundance had been living a semi- feral life together for some time and had received little handling, and little veterinary or farriery attention. Both of them had overgrown hooves but Sundance had one particular hoof that was quite long and had grown twisted. The owner had agreed to sign the horses over to the Charity so we readily agreed to take them back to our Herefordshire site where we are well equipped to deal with unhandled and semi-feral ponies.
Once again, our farrier has worked wonders, and Sundance’s hooves are now starting to look almost normal. Despite the lack of care these two animals had received, they now appear to be thriving and the lengthy task of handling them and getting them used to people can begin. However, Oliver is very reliant on Sundance and as a result he cannot be separated from her at the moment. We hope to build up his confidence enough so that they can both eventually join one of our herds either here at Priory Farm or at our main site in Lincolnshire.
One of Bransby’s most popular adoption equines is being treated by our vets for a condition affecting her back and legs. Beautiful bay mare Lizzie is now well into her twenties, having been rescued from terrible neglect back in 1991 in a case that was widely reported in the media and resulted in her owner being jailed. Following intensive, round the clock care at the time, Lizzie made an amazing recovery and has enjoyed a long and healthy life with us here at the Charity. Unfortunately the years have caught up with her and she has now developed a condition which affects her nervous system.
Bransby staff noticed recently that Lizzie was not walking well and had some swelling in one of her hind legs. Vets assessed her and prescribed medication but her condition did not improve as hoped. Further tests showed that Lizzie has arthritic changes in her spine which affect the ability of her nerves to send messages to her back legs. This means that at times she appears unco-ordinated and is slower to move and respond to what is happening around her than usual. Lizzie is getting all the special care and veterinary treatment that she needs and being kept happy and comfortable and given lots of fuss by our staff.
Lizzie understandably has a lot of adopters and fans who have remembered and supported this very special horse who survived against the odds all those years ago. We will keep everyone informed of Lizzie’s progress through the Bransby website and continue to work with vets to give her all the love and care she needs and deserves.
