Feral horses find new homes

A herd of feral horses on a common in Wales have been rehomed by three equine charities.

Norfolk-based Hillside Animal Sanctuary took 39 horses and ponies last Thursday (24 July).

The Mare and Foal Sanctuary in Devon took three mares with foals at foot and the Carmarthen-based Lluest Horse and Pony Trust another mare and foal, and a coloured cob gelding.

The horses had been abandoned on Manmoel common in South Wales.

Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly County Borough Councils took ownership of the horses on 8 July after their owners had failed to claim them.

The councils asked the members of the National Equine Welfare Council for help in finding new homes for the animals.

John Watson, a spokesman for Hillside said the sanctuary had offered to help the ponies last year after it heard that 37 had died over the winter of 2012/13.

“Our supporters rang a month ago and said a seizure notice was going up and we told the council any that can’t be rehomed, we would take,” said Mr Watson.

The horses are unhandled and will be kept together in a herd at Hillside.

The sanctuary has recently doubled its grazing to 1,000-acres. There are now 1,100 horses at Hillside, 500 of which were taken in the past two years.

The charity was started by Wendy Valentine in 1995.

At the Mare and Foal Sanctuary the foals taken in, once weaned will be loaned out through the charity’s loan scheme.

The sanctuary’s Coombe Park visitor centre has an open day this Sunday (3 August) with free entry.

For more information visit: www.hillside.org.uk and mareandfoal.org

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