tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45346371950542029222024-03-05T03:21:07.520-08:00Wild Ponies SWLatest updates and news stories relating to the wild ponies on Bodmin, Dartmoor and ExmoorWild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-27822259936761416652011-04-22T17:50:00.000-07:002011-04-22T18:14:28.637-07:00BBC1 Countryfile covers mass slaughter of Dartmoor Hill PoniesOn Sunday 17th April 2011, BBC Countryfile featured the plight of the Dartmoor Hill Ponies. Click here and fastforward to 15.56 minutes to watch the feature: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006t0bv">http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006t0bv</a><br />
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The programme features South West Equine Protection (a registered charity on Dartmoor that does welfare callouts), Andrew Goatman (slaughterman), Dartmoor National Park Authority (promoting conservation grazing by the ponies), the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association (with Mary Alford, breeder, in defence of the slaughter scheme), Dartmoor Zoological Park (which now sells Dartmoor Hill Pony meat to other zoos), and the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust (which handles and adds value to "pure-bred" Dartmoor ponies - fewer, quality ponies being bred achieves a better price).<br />
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Wild Ponies SW would like to make the following points about the quotations below from the feature: <br />
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<ul><li>There is no Dartmoor Hill Pony "breed". "Hill" pony is a general term used for unregistered ponies born on Dartmoor. There is no "breed standard", grade, or pedigree. There were no "problems" with the ponies being culled - they were described as "lively" but they were wild, unhandled, unwanted ponies - bred for no purpose.</li>
<li>How can killing nearly half of the population of Hill Ponies in a year (and feeding them to tigers, lions and bears) be helping to preserve the ponies? Why was this scheme set up by the very pony association which is supposed to support Hill ponies? Are the DHPA saying that none of the 800-1500 Hill ponies culled met the "breed standard" and so weren't worth keeping? The zoos were already well supplied with meat from other sources.</li>
<li>In answer to Mary Alford's reply of "<em>What are we supposed to do with them? Is there an answer to that</em>?" - Yes...Take ALL the Hill Pony stallions off the moor, and stop indiscriminately breeding large numbers of unwanted foals. Breeders of Heritage and pure-bred Dartmoor ponies are not in this situation because they responded to the market conditions a long time ago. They looked for responsible ways of keeping ponies, and now their ponies are valued for what they are, and continue to make a good price.</li>
</ul><br />
<strong>Quotes from the programme:</strong><br />
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- "<em>Despite appearances, they're not actually wild, all the ponies are owned by farmers who are responsible for their welfare</em>" Tom Heap, Countryfile presenter.<br />
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- "<em>From the end of January to the middle of March this year, we were doing 3 welfare callouts a week, split between Dartmoor and Bodmin Moors</em>". Faye Stacey, South West Equine Protection.<br />
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- How have these 4 [ponies] been selected? <br />
"<em>They've all got problems, they're basically not up to the standard which you would be able to sell them for riding ponies, a couple of these are quite lively and there's just not a market for those kind of ponies</em>".<br />
Does that actually mean they are unhealthy, or have they just not met the grade in terms of the pedigree for sale?<br />
<em>"It's not met the grade, would be a better way of putting it, it doesn't matter what animal you breed, a certain number will always not make the sale standard". </em>Andrew Goatman, slaughterman.<br />
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- "<em>The ponies are a incredibly important as a major conservation tool, to deliver the biodiversity and the landscape that the public love to visit</em>" Robert Stevenson, DNP.<br />
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- Do you find it sad that they're having to be culled, or is that a bit of a soft outsider's view?<br />
"<em>It's the same as the cattle and the sheep, and, it's natural, you know, part of our traditional Dartmoor farming system</em>".<br />
So, it's not just the case that people are either lazy in letting them overbreed, or possibly greedy and wanting to breed for cash?<br />
"<em>No, no, the pony breeding on Dartmoor is a very old traditional way and it's been done for many, many generations</em>."<br />
And what would you say to people who look at animals being culled and, you know, feel very unhappy about that?<br />
"<em>What are we supposed to do with them? [long pause] Is there an answer to that</em>"? Mary Alford, Dartmoor Hill Pony Association.<br />
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- "<em>One of these large carnivores can probably get through one pony a week...We've recently been licensed by Defra to provide meat to other zoos, which plays an important role in the conservation of the Dartmoor Pony breed</em>". George Hyde, Dartmoor Zoological Park.<br />
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- "<em>Both these ponies were bought at the auction for ten pounds each, and I have the market catalogue here, and both of them were described as making lovely child's riding ponies...And both of these ponies are actually blind</em>". <br />
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"<em>People are going to market and buying ponies which are completely unhandled, your average horse owner that could go to the market a pick her [a pony] up for ten pounds, just isn't going to have the skills to be able to cope with her</em>" [Talking about a spotted pony that went to 6 homes after being bought at auction because no-one could do anything with her]. Faye Stacey, South West Equine Protection.<br />
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- "<em>Handling is a financial opportunity to add value...The market place should be hungry and pay for a quality animal, rather than having hungry lions eating them. If they're not worth anything, in essence, we won't have Dartmoor ponies. It's a simple as that"</em>. Dru Butterfield, Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust.Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-50966534488870032252011-04-22T16:04:00.000-07:002011-04-22T16:05:00.748-07:00Horrendous Hot Branding of Dartmoor Hill Pony<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuNrgC_nB5lbiaUuOycJuwfp_nnViODqG4i2L8nZmpVmjgzIZDoVVDYR9cT8UFsqpYpjJnNnUfE3rAQbeiirTv5dMZ1b7vdF0ScjyImnnE3yz61H2fg_21FYY4DODzb0A3bDs7gdoZbc/s1600/closeupbrand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuNrgC_nB5lbiaUuOycJuwfp_nnViODqG4i2L8nZmpVmjgzIZDoVVDYR9cT8UFsqpYpjJnNnUfE3rAQbeiirTv5dMZ1b7vdF0ScjyImnnE3yz61H2fg_21FYY4DODzb0A3bDs7gdoZbc/s320/closeupbrand.jpg" width="241px" /></a> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">People4ponies have posted pictures on their website of a "Hill" pony on Dartmoor with a horrendous brand mark - the brand is so bad that the pony has a large area of 3rd degree burns. Why is the RSPCA the last organisation to decide whether this practice is cruel or not? The charity also found ponies which had been illegally ear-notched...to read more, visit: <a href="http://www.people4ponies.blogspot.com/">http://www.people4ponies.blogspot.com/</a></div>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-58153247734269117922011-03-21T17:08:00.000-07:002011-03-21T18:35:30.791-07:00Slaughtering of Dartmoor Hill Ponies features on BBC Radio 4 Open Country<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On Saturday 19th March 2011, BBC radio 4's Open Country programme focussed on the current plight of the ponies on Dartmoor. It includes the presenter, Helen Mark, witnessing a pony slaughter in progress. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The feature includes interviews with Andrew Goatman (slaughterman), Dartmoor National Park, South West Equine Protection, the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association, the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust, and breeder John French (who breeds traditional Dartmoor ponies). As well as the culling itself, the interviewees discuss the overbreeding of ponies on the moor, the idea of ponies being a "by-product" of conservation grazing and being used for zoo meat, the previous export of Dartmoor to Italy/Spain for their skins and meat, and ultimately what the future will be for the ponies on Dartmoor when so many are being killed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You can listen to the programme here: </span><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zgwhl"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zgwhl</span></a>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-22468362319377718432011-03-10T17:46:00.000-08:002011-03-10T18:00:18.957-08:00BBC Spotlight feature claiming "Dartmoor Hill Ponies are in danger of becoming extinct"<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On Thursday 10th March 2011, BBC Spotlight (regional BBC news for Devon and Cornwall) featured a news story headlining that Dartmoor Hill Ponies are in danger of becoming extinct. The feature claimed that the number of ponies on the moor has dropped from 30,000 at the beginning of the century to just 1,500 in 2011. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>This is an extraordinary stance for the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association to be taking when they have culled a huge number of ponies in 2010 and 2011.</strong> Last autumn the number culled on Dartmoor by one slaughterman was 700...<strong>culling has continued all the way through to the spring.</strong> The total number culled will probably be never released, but it will be far beyond 700 ponies. After culling so many ponies, should they be complaining to the media that the ponies are at risk of becoming extinct?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">In the feature, a farmer, Mr Goddard, claims that farmers keep the ponies for love not money. He states <em>"<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think personally, yes, there’ll always be ponies on the moor but people will keep them because they actually love them, they like seeing them, they like the social side of going out and gathering them once a year, it is the last thing on Dartmoor that everybody works together to do at gathering time and all neighbouring farmers help each other out".</span></em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Perhaps Mr Goddard could explain to the public:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- Why have so many ponies been culled when they are apparently at risk of being extinct?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- If the ponies are at risk of losing their hardiness (as claimed in the feature), why have farmers been so irresponsible with their breeding to cause this problem?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- If farmers are keeping ponies because of the love of the ponies, then why are there still cases of pony neglect and suffering out on Dartmoor?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- Why are farmers only able to work together at the drifts and not during the rest of the year? ALL the breeders should be working together to make Dartmoor, Devon, and the UK proud of having ponies on the moor that are free from neglect and suffering, that are responsibly bred, and responsibly managed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There are some good, responsible pony breeders on the moor...but their reputation continues to suffer from the irresponsible breeding and management of other pony farmers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The BBC story can be seen here </span><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-12705760"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-12705760</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> and will be temporarly available on iplayer from 19.00 to 21.00 minutes here: </span><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00z88bw/Spotlight_10_03_2011/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00z88bw/Spotlight_10_03_2011/</span></a>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-17267463341563184452011-02-27T18:20:00.000-08:002011-02-27T18:20:14.917-08:00Bodmin Ponies Rescued - DEFRA finally act after pressure from SWEP and the media<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On Saturday 26th February, the Western Morning News reported that 19 ponies have been rescued, thanks to their original article about dead and neglected ponies discovered on Bodmin Moor by charity South West Equine Protection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">It says that "Close co-operation between a number of groups and agencies - including commoners, Animal Health, Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Cornwall County Council, the RSPCA and the police - ensured that all animals were removed safely and with the minimum of distress.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">SWEP say that they "We have had a great reaction to the article, which has really put the spotlight on this important issue, so we owe a huge thanks to the Western Morning News and its readers...This is such a wonderful result for the ponies - it has been weeks since our initial email to the authorities stating that there was a serious equine welfare problem on this common that required a roundup and inspection".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The ponies are now being cared for by Redwings Sanctuary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Article in the WMN - <a href="http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/regionalnews/WMN-report-leads-help-ill-ponies/article-3270484-detail/article.html">http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/regionalnews/WMN-report-leads-help-ill-ponies/article-3270484-detail/article.html</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">SWEP press release: <a href="http://www.swep.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/DEFRA-Finally-Act-After-Pressure-From-SWEP-and-the-Media.pdf">http://www.swep.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/DEFRA-Finally-Act-After-Pressure-From-SWEP-and-the-Media.pdf</a></span>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-64061387287758342452011-02-16T16:51:00.000-08:002011-02-16T16:53:44.059-08:00"Wild Ponies of Bodmin Moor are Dying of Neglect......<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">as FIVE Rotting Carcasses are Found in Three Weeks" is the headline of the Daily Mail article highlighting the situation in Cornwall uncovered by the charity South West Equine Protection (SWEP). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They say that despite following the correct procedure of reporting breaches of the Animal Welfare Act, the authorities are preventing them from getting the starving animals the care that they need.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357329/Wild-ponies-Bodmin-Moor-dye-neglect-5-rotting-carcasses-3-weeks.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357329/Wild-ponies-Bodmin-Moor-dye-neglect-5-rotting-carcasses-3-weeks.html</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The full SWEP press release can be found here:</span><br />
<a href="http://www.swep.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/SWEP-press-release-Bodmin-moor1.pdf"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.swep.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/SWEP-press-release-Bodmin-moor1.pdf</span></a>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-69715014380304740142011-02-15T17:51:00.000-08:002011-02-15T17:51:08.257-08:00Dead Ponies on Bodmin Moor - Bodmin Ponies Dying and Neglected<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkjjAbt4TsyZaLeYXGq-hYQ1wpyFAL3P2FBuDIMIyg6k73DYrjOkinifKQZhVa-q7Jx6hMxeDrEhDQy0wY8q8TVBbC0Rys4rQnffgRXhLZ3PxgLu-sgZnjw0uL90JI_69v1G2T5c4Og8t/s1600/Bodminpony1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkjjAbt4TsyZaLeYXGq-hYQ1wpyFAL3P2FBuDIMIyg6k73DYrjOkinifKQZhVa-q7Jx6hMxeDrEhDQy0wY8q8TVBbC0Rys4rQnffgRXhLZ3PxgLu-sgZnjw0uL90JI_69v1G2T5c4Og8t/s200/Bodminpony1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7C48RU-ib2Pxs_1Pp8NEFJe-qXyVl7-3xSVLgHPn_JgzjmMdfQY2HMsN4Ta728rRxu9erfYAS61ye3NrJRxCujbbR1rpsPN5c79dxrlFg1rBv0i13QmJC04TfjDTwl52lSYwkF-FuBWv/s1600/Bodminpony2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7C48RU-ib2Pxs_1Pp8NEFJe-qXyVl7-3xSVLgHPn_JgzjmMdfQY2HMsN4Ta728rRxu9erfYAS61ye3NrJRxCujbbR1rpsPN5c79dxrlFg1rBv0i13QmJC04TfjDTwl52lSYwkF-FuBWv/s200/Bodminpony2.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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On Tuesday 15th February 2011, BBC Spotlight and the Western Morning News covered a story about the deaths of ponies on Bodmin Moor. Equine charity South West Equine Protection (SWEP) say that they have found 5 dead ponies on the moor in the last 3 weeks and that there are 3 emaciated ponies that need help. <br />
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In the SWEP press release, which contains shocking images of ponies they have found on the moor, they say that the local authorities have not been responding to the situation. They state that they contacted the relevant authorities with this information and were told that "<em>Defra Animal Health and Trading Standards had no concerns over the welfare of the ponies on this common</em>". The authorities now say they are investigating the case, but they find it difficult to identify the owners of the ponies on the moor.<br />
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BBC Spotlight story: <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_9398000/9398134.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_9398000/9398134.stm</a><br />
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Western Morning News front page:<br />
<a href="http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/Charity-claims-moorland-ponies-8216-left-starve-owners-8217/article-3222849-detail/article.html">http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/Charity-claims-moorland-ponies-8216-left-starve-owners-8217/article-3222849-detail/article.html</a><br />
<br />
SWEP press release:<br />
<a href="http://www.swep.org.uk/press-release-east-moor-bodmin/">http://www.swep.org.uk/press-release-east-moor-bodmin/</a>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-7861245746246509992011-01-11T08:38:00.000-08:002011-01-12T08:05:30.519-08:00Disturbing photographs of Dartmoor Hill Ponies being slaughtered are published<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Disturbing photographs of Dartmoor Hill Ponies being slaughtered as part of the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association's shocking "sustainable welfare scheme", at Dartmoor Zoological Park, have been published on the internet. </span> <br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On Wednesday 13th October 2010, Charlotte Faulkner from the DHPA featured on BBC Radio 4's Farming Today programme in a story about the ponies on Dartmoor, and told listeners that the Hill ponies <strong><u>do not</u></strong> go for meat, but are sold as riding ponies...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>**PLEASE NOTE - THE LINK BELOW WILL TAKE YOU TO PHOTOS DESCRIBED AS "GRAPHIC CONTENT" AND SHOW IMAGES THAT YOU MAY FIND DISTRESSING**</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.eyevine.com/webgate/index.php?OFFER=00002786||SLAUGHTER+OF+THE+DARTMOOR+PONIES+by+Jim+Wileman&SEARCHMODE=NEW&TABLIGHTBOX=RESULT&SEARCHSHOWTAB=1"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Page 1 of photos (click here)</span></a> Charlotte Faulkner and Benjamin Mee, along with ponies being dismembered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Page 2 of photos (select page 2 once on page link above)</span> T<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">his is the most graphic page of photos and includes severed heads of ponies, one of which is a foal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Page 3 of photos (select page 3 once on page link above)</span> - <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 photos of a wild Dartmoor Hill pony, and 2 photos of a severed head. </span>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-79354671507794055062011-01-03T14:22:00.000-08:002011-01-03T14:22:53.139-08:00"Remove stallions off moor" says chairman of the Dartmoor Pony SocietyOn Friday 24th December, the Western Morning News published a response by Paul Taylor, chairman of the Dartmoor Pony Society, to the current culling on Dartmoor. This society is for the pure bred, registered, pedigree Dartmoor ponies. Pedigree ponies are not being culled as part of the recent "sustainable welfare scheme" - that scheme has been set up for Dartmoor Hill Ponies, by the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association.<br />
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Paul Taylor makes it clear that it is the Hill Pony keepers who are to blame for the current situation. He also points out that the supposed Irish market for non-registered, semi feral ponies, from Dartmoor would most likely be as live exports to the continent for meat. Paul Taylor is quoted as saying: "<em>The answer to the pony problem on Dartmoor is not to blame the recession, a downturn in hill-farm profits, a fall in demand for the ponies, the cost of passports, microchipping or the new transportation laws but to use a sensible economic approach to the problem.</em><br />
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<em><strong>Remove the stallions from the moor for a period of one or two years so that during that time no foals are born and therefore none will need to be slaughtered.</strong></em><br />
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<em><strong>This is the approach already being operated by responsible pony keepers and breeders of Pedigree Dartmoor and Heritage Dartmoor ponies on areas of the moor</strong></em>"<em>.</em><br />
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<a href="http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/answer-pony-problem-Dartmoor-remove-stallions-moor/article-3037957-detail/article.html">http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/answer-pony-problem-Dartmoor-remove-stallions-moor/article-3037957-detail/article.html</a>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-65154805976152585562010-12-24T16:39:00.000-08:002010-12-24T16:42:22.670-08:00People4ponies condemns culling of ponies on Dartmoor<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>People4ponies<em> </em>is the third, Devon based, equine charity (along with SWEP and the DPHT) to speak out against the culling of ponies.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">In their recent blog entry, People4ponies states that "<em>people4ponies believes that it is unethical and immoral to use culling as a method of breeding control</em>". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">They also point out that "<em>If there are organisations that have been selectively breeding and promoting the ponies for years, how has the situation got so bad?</em>"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://people4ponies.blogspot.com/2010/12/700-ponies-killed-on-dartmoor.html">http://people4ponies.blogspot.com/2010/12/700-ponies-killed-on-dartmoor.html</a></span>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-58126180551897247982010-12-17T15:51:00.000-08:002010-12-18T16:05:18.879-08:00South West Equine Protection (SWEP) speaks out against the cull<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">SWEP is one of the longest running equine charities on Dartmoor. They have issued the following press release regarding the slaughter of ponies on Dartmoor as part of a "sustainable welfare system". Important points have been highlighted in red:</span><br />
<div class="post-528 post type-post hentry category-news-and-issues" id="post-528"><h2>700 Dartmoor Ponies Slaughtered</h2><small>December 17th, 2010 </small><br />
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<div class="entry">You may have recently been reading articles in the local and national press regarding 700 Dartmoor Ponies slaughtered by knackerman Andrew Goatman.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #660000;">We would like to make it clear that 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.</span></strong><span style="color: #660000;"> </span><span style="color: black;">We have been helping with this appalling situation for years putting out appeals to rehome those ponies with uncertain</span> futures.<br />
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Farmers are more than aware of the situation yet seem to carry on with their poor management and continue to allow stallions run the moor for the majority of the year. The overbreeding and slaughter of these ponies has been brought into the press as this 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??!! <strong><span style="color: #660000;">The 700 reported with Andrew Goatman is only a proportion of the real number. How many ponies have gone through other slaughter houses and how many have been destroyed on farms by farmers?</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"> <strong>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.</strong></span><br />
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SWEP help the ponies it can each year and the majority it takes in are colts. We are a very small charity and what we do help is a drop in the ocean when you think of the numbers in this article. Another issue constantly being raised is the deformities in foals due to inbreeding. Again this is to poor management of the farmers. We will keep up the hard work and ensure that people are aware of these problem.<br />
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SWEP will continue to ensure people are aware of the problem and hope that regulations can be brought in to ristrict the breeding of Dartmoor ponies and therefore the number having to be slaughtered will be reduced.<br />
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If you can help in any way with our fight please do not hesitate to contact us.<br />
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<a href="http://www.swep.org.uk/700-dartmoor-ponies-slaughtered/">http://www.swep.org.uk/700-dartmoor-ponies-slaughtered/</a></div></div>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-45050849293162560682010-12-13T17:27:00.000-08:002010-12-14T17:05:30.269-08:00Dartmoor Ponies: Saving an endangered species?<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In recent newspaper articles, we have been told that ponies on Dartmoor are an endangered species. Is it really logical that one endangered species is being slaughtered to feed another endangered species in a zoo? Meat from 250 of the 700 culled ponies is being used to feed tigers (which are also classified as an endangered species) in zoos. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1335475/The-recessions-latest-victims-Hundreds-Dartmoor-ponies-shot-animal-feed-fall-demand.html">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1335475/The-recessions-latest-victims-Hundreds-Dartmoor-ponies-shot-animal-feed-fall-demand.html</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Reference has been made to the fact that ponies are rarer than the giant panda...but why is there a double standard...We never hear reports about hundreds of pandas being slaughtered as part of a "<em>sustainable welfare scheme</em>" and fed to tigers in zoos...or about pandas being sent to regional markets to an uncertain fate...or about them being travelled long distances to be slaughtered for their skins. Why on Dartmoor are we proud to state we have an endangered breed, and yet we are not able to manage the pony populations in a responsible way? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>If you are considering donating money to help these ponies,</strong> <strong>please</strong></span><strong> </strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>make sure that you know how your money will be spent </strong>- is it going to be spent in a way that ensures the future of the ponies, or will it instead support/fund continuing indiscriminate breeding and slaughtering as part of an ongoing "<em>sustainable welfare scheme</em>"? Ultimately, this issue does not come down to needing large sums of money. It is simply a case of removing stallions from the moor and maintaining a responsible breeding programme.</span>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-6347446287815498862010-12-12T15:01:00.000-08:002010-12-14T17:06:39.397-08:00Shocking articles exposing the slaughter of Dartmoor ponies<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Media coverage on the slaughter of Dartmoor ponies has continued this weekend. The Guardian published this shocking story on Saturday 11th December:</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>"A Trebor strong mint presented on the flat of his palm is all it takes to lure the Dartmoor hill pony to its death. As it eagerly approaches from within its holding pen, knackerman Andrew Goatman slowly raises his other hand behind the three-year-old mare's head and releases the boltgun into a one-inch "sweet spot" just above the eyes on her forelock. The pony slumps to the floor. Within five hours of her death, she is being butchered, ready to be fed to the lions and other carnivores at a local zoo...</em></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">...With the dead mare now hanging from a hook by one of her hind legs, Goatman uses his knife to swiftly sever the head from the body. In less than 30 minutes, he has removed the hoofs and guts – <strong>including a four-month-old foetus</strong> – and halved the remaining carcass with a specialist chainsaw. After tipping blue food dye over the meat to mark that it's not fit for human consumption, Goatman hoses the spilt blood into the drain before moving on to repeat the process on a dead foal..."</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/dec/11/dartmoor-ponies-slaughter-zoo-feeding-lions">http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/dec/11/dartmoor-ponies-slaughter-zoo-feeding-lions</a></span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">This story was featured in the Daily Mail on 10th December: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1337642/Why-hundreds-Dartmoor-ponies-slaughtered-fed-tigers-zoo.html">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1337642/Why-hundreds-Dartmoor-ponies-slaughtered-fed-tigers-zoo.html</a></span>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-55743748691516219202010-12-09T19:05:00.000-08:002010-12-13T17:48:22.728-08:00Dartmoor Hill Pony Association statement<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">From the following link: </span><a href="http://www.dartmoorhillpony.com/news.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.dartmoorhillpony.com/news.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">(important</span> parts for discussion are highlighted in red)</span><br />
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"<em>I think you are doing a valuable job at highlighting the issues we are facing on the moor...</em><em>The various herds are all owned and managed by farmers but to ensure that the ponies do not group together to form one big herd and therefore graze the moor unevenly, <span style="color: #cc0000;">the use of stallions is vital as they keep their own mares to their own 'lear' and do not stray to other areas therefore ensuring that grazing levels are balanced all over the moor. </span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Therefore it is not possible to simply "stop" breeding</span> <span style="color: #cc0000;">unless valid forms of contraception could be introduced...</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #cc0000;">...</span>The farmers earn very little money from keeping ponies and it is now a labour of love rather than a profit making enterprise. They want to keep the moor looking as it traditionally always has and should. Charlotte Faulkner, who has worked very hard on behalf of the ponies for the past 10 years has said "at the moment the markets for foals from the moor are at rock bottom as a result of credit crunch and legislation. This creates a welfare problem as they cannot go back on the moor and the breeders cannot keep them in all winter. I realise now that we must face the bleak reality that we must put our own bottom in the market in order for the future of the ponies on and off the moor to be secured. <span style="color: #cc0000;">This has sadly led to the introduction of a sustainable welfare management scheme for those ponies we have to take off the moor but for whatever reason cannot provide a home for</span>, in the two reports commissioned by the National Park on the future of the ponies the same conclusion is drawn. <span style="color: #cc0000;">We now have a purpose built local ³humane welfare disposal site, taking ponies straight from the farms to slaughter. This is proving to be a sustainable scheme where by the farmer¹s breed ponies of which the quality ponies go to the sale, and those who don¹t make the grade for whatever reason are dealt with, with compassion and without suffering ordeals of long journeys, going to more sales once they leave Dartmoor etc</span>. It would mean we are no longer in this cleft stick of needing the ponies for conservation on the moor and not having anywhere for them to go, as sterilisation is still not feasible and other methods of not producing so many young stock are still being worked upon." </em><br />
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<em><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ponies are needed on the moor, but it is not possible for the farmers to stop breeding."</span></em><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On Wednesday 13th October 2010, Charlotte Faulkner from the DHPA featured on BBC Radio 4's Farming Today programme, in a story about the drifts (pony round-ups) on Dartmoor. When explaining about what happens to the ponies, we were told they do not go for meat and that they are bought for riding ponies. When asked about how the farmers know which ponies belong to them, it was stated that it was because the farmers "recognise" them. Now we discover that, in fact, a large number of drifted Hill ponies were going to be culled by the DHPA, and their carcasses used for meat. This contradicts what we were told in the BBC interview. It was also disguised that ponies could be "recognised" from ear mutilations. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In this DHPA statement, it is admitted that unwanted Hill ponies have been sent off on long journeys and endured suffering (presumably, just like the ponies that ended up at Maurs?? How many more have had to endure such journeys and suffering?). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Reports from Dartmoor suggest that culling of ponies is something that has been happening for many years. As things stand, next year will be no different. Mares out on the moor will already be pregnant with next year's crop of foals - foals that are born, only to be culled as part of a "<em>sustainable welfare scheme</em>". The large scale, indiscriminate breeding continues, and yet, we are told there are fears that Hill ponies will become extinct! We are also told that there are not enough ponies on the moor for conservation grazing. This website has highlighted so many incidences of poor management of these ponies on the moor...ponies that are victims of a supposed "<em>labour of love</em>".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There doesn't seem to be any evidence to suggest that taking stallions off the moor would cause it to be unevenly grazed, or that the ponies would group together to form one huge herd. Studies of equine herd behaviour show that it is not the stallion who is "in-charge" of a herd, but the lead mare. The area that wild ponies regularly use is known as a home range and there is usually a pattern to where they are found. Sue Baker's research states that "<em>A home range is the part of the environment an animal or herd of animals uses for its day to day life and is completely familiar with. It contains all the resources the herd needs for food, water, shelter, and rearing the young. So, the range must be large enough to supply all the ponies' needs but is not limitless. This is because under truly natural conditions, the farther the animals wander, the more likely they are to encounter dangers. The smaller the range is, the better the ponies will know it. Thus, when disturbed or frightened, they will know exactly the safe routes to follow and the places of refuge</em>". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Whilst the DHPA has ensured that ponies aren't sold for a couple of pounds at the markets, it appears that the increased price of some ponies has only encouraged farmers to continue breeding more. Whilst this continues, it undermines any long-term progress. The current scheme still sees "quality" ponies unsold at market, and farmers still maintain that they are not making much money from the ponies that are sold. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>There needs to be change if there is truly going to be sustainable management of these ponies.</strong></span></span>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-81119635631949013412010-12-06T15:26:00.000-08:002010-12-14T17:07:23.168-08:00Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust press release<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">From the DPHT website: <a href="http://www.dpht.co.uk/">http://www.dpht.co.uk/</a> (this organisation works with and promotes wild, native Dartmoor ponies, which are different to the Dartmoor Hill ponies featured in the press) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">"<em>Western Morning News and Daily Express - DPHT response to the front page articles regarding the culling of 700 ponies on Dartmoor. Sadly this news has not come as a surprise. The DPHT has and will continue to campaign for Pony Keepers on Dartmoor to control the number of foals produced. There are currently no licenced equine contraceptives available in this country. We believe the only answer to the current problem, is to remove stallions and where this is not possible to use vasectomised stallions. The DPHT has already paid for one stallion to have this relatively simple operation. The stallion has successfully kept his herd of mares out of foal to date. The DPHT is committed to restoring the Dartmoor Pony marketplace through a range of initiatives...The DPHT will continue to provide pony keepers with the support they need to make the right decisions to curb the annual foal crop and to add value to the good quality foals which are produced</em>". </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">In a previous press release, the DPHT stated: "<em>The DPHT does not agree with culling of stock as a management solution to over production</em>". <a href="http://www.dpht.co.uk/news.php">http://www.dpht.co.uk/news.php</a></span></span>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-65590384034993203702010-12-04T17:57:00.000-08:002010-12-05T09:08:29.654-08:00Tavistock market cancelled due to weather<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Tavistock pony market, which was due to take place on December 4th, was cancelled due to the weather conditions. 155 ponies had been entered into the market, the majority of them were foals. What will happen to the ponies that were destined for this market? </span>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-70448876346757698782010-12-04T16:59:00.000-08:002010-12-04T17:00:31.664-08:00"Slaughter of Dartmoor ponies" in the national press<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The</span> disclosure of the numbers of Hill ponies shot this year by one slaughterman on Dartmoor has been picked up by the national press. Today, the story was covered by The Daily Express, The Daily Mail and The Sun newspapers. The stories can be found here:</span><br />
<div><a href="http://www.express.co.uk/features/view/215394/Slaughter-of-the-Dartmoor-ponies" title="http://www.express.co.uk/features/view/215394/Slaughter-of-the-Dartmoor-ponies"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://www.express.co.uk/features/view/215394/Slaughter-of-the-Dartmoor-ponies</span></a></div><div></div><div><div><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1335475/The-recessions-latest-victims-Hundreds-Dartmoor-ponies-shot-animal-feed-fall-demand.html" title="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1335475/The-recessions-latest-victims-Hundreds-Dartmoor-ponies-shot-animal-feed-fall-demand.html"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1335475/The-recessions-latest-victims-Hundreds-Dartmoor-ponies-shot-animal-feed-fall-demand.html</span></a></div></div><div></div><div><a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3259667/Foals-fed-to-lions-as-market-crashes.html"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3259667/Foals-fed-to-lions-as-market-crashes.html</span></a></div>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534637195054202922.post-1415941754372012502010-12-03T17:04:00.000-08:002010-12-04T17:01:48.562-08:00"Shock as 700 ponies culled"<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The front page story of the Western Morning News on the 3rd December 2010, reveals that "More than 700 unwanted Dartmoor ponies have been shot on farms this year, with their carcasses being sent to zoos to feed the animals...Knackerman Andrew Goatman told the Western Morning News that 700 ponies, ranging from foals to four year olds have been shot this year."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the full story, click on the following link: </span><a href="http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/Shock-700-ponies-culled/article-2966369-detail/article.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/Shock-700-ponies-culled/article-2966369-detail/article.html</span></a>Wild Ponies SWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10392576389275137114noreply@blogger.com