Latest News

May 2009 Update

Thank you for all the lovely kind messages of support and the donations we received in your Christmas cards. They are a great morale booster at this, our busiest time of the year.

The day we printed our Winter Newsletter in October, the contractor turned up and cut our hay fields! It was no good for the horses, so the contractor took it away for cattle and gave us some that he had made earlier in the year. This wasn’t brilliant and the horses and ponies were leaving most of it. Trying to find hay with some goodness in it was challenging due to the disastrous wet summer we experienced again last year. When we did find some, Mother Nature dropped a load of snow and blocked us in so the got through just before we ran out. Phew!!!

As our fields were cut late, it meant we had no re-growth of grass to carry us through the winter, and then the snow came so extra food and bedding was needed to feed our residents. As well as it being a very hard winter for the horses and carers, it has also been a very expensive one. We thank everyone who donated towards our Winter Feed & Care Fund, which raised £6,402.

Thank you to you all for helping us to continue with our work.

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NEWS ROUND-UP

The recession is affecting everyone, including us. With the rising costs of everything from feed, bedding and fuel to name but a few, this has left us struggling just as everyone else is.

We have received a number of calls from owners who can no longer afford to keep their horses due to losing their jobs. We have directed these calls to the bigger charities who have the resources to deal with them. We can only do what we can with the funds we have available, and our priorities lie with the horses and ponies that are ill-treated and neglected, and with those already in our care, including the ones in foster homes because, if any of the foster carers lose their jobs and can no longer afford to keep them, we would need to accommodate the horses here at the Centre until a new home could be found, which would be especially hard in this economic climate.

The new stable block was finally finished and ready for use at the beginning of November. We did go over budget, though, due to the unforeseen rise in the cost of materials. The ponies love their new accommodation, especially when the snow came and it was too deep for their tiny legs. They had the choice of going into the paddocks outside their stables but spent most of the time socialising and sharing hay inside during the day and then put themselves back into their separate stalls at night and waited for us to close their gates. There was a lot of mucking out to do! A horseshoe plaque will be put up on the building in acknowledgement of the donor, once the wording has been agreed.

A big thank you to all the volunteers who helped with this project, to Bob and Rob who gave their time to construct the buildings, and to those who helped with the labouring. Without their help, it would have cost us £7,200 for paid labour! We would also like to thank the company, Sadaline, for donating the wood preserving paint for the stables.

We have a lot of land maintenance work to do this year due to the fields getting poached up over the winter. After the snow melted, our fields were left flooded, so we had to dig out the ditches by hand because no machinery could get onto the land. Hard work but satisfying when the water started to drain away. Parts of the hedge rows had to be trimmed back so we could get to the ditches. Old fencing has been replaced with post and rails on the east side of The Horse’s Voice’s field. The old sheep netting had snapped and broken from where the tiny ponies use it as a scratching area.As soon as the ground dries sufficiently, we will start chain harrowing and rolling the fields. Some areas will need reseeding, especially around the gateways, fence lines and water troughs. Hard standing areas in front of the field shelters will need to be repaired with hardcore, as will our long driveway. We also have three very large muckheaps to dispose of.

We need to replace the roof on the feed room block, as it has many leaks now, despite it being patched up over the years. This will be paid for from some of the donation we received from The Edith Murphy Foundation.

The first part of the new hedgerow, that we are planting and dedicating to our supporters who are no longer with us, has suffered from the wind and rain. Many of the whips were either snapped in half or blown over and uprooted. We have replanted them and added more to thicken up the hedgerow. The horseshoe name plaques are ready to be placed within this area.

Work will start soon on the Reception/Information Area. This will be a wooden building and resemble a mobile log cabin. Rob, my son, has volunteered to erect this building, so we will only need the cost of materials, which we have allocated from the Ella de Grey-Jones legacy that we received last year.

Tosca

Sadly, Tosca is no longer with us. As mentioned in the Winter Newsletter, he came back from his foster home where he had been retired for the last four year. He was losing weight and blood tests revealed he was unable to process his food properly due to deterioration of the gut, which left him very thin, even though he was eating loads. He was given a course of treatment and closely monitored. He was still active, interested in life and had plenty of spirit, but we knew he couldn’t go through the winter.

On 1st November, Tosca was put to sleep by injection after his left eye suddenly ulcerated, leaving him blind. He was 31 years old. We were all deeply saddened, as it all happened so quickly. I held him as he fell asleep peacefully. This dear little soul inspired me to highlight the plight of equines after I bought him on 4th November 1977 as a four-month old foal. He had been rounded up off the Welsh Mountains along with lots of other foals, most of whom sadly went for slaughter.

Tosca and his friend, Jubilee, who was rescued a few months later, taught me a lot about equines—how to interact with them and to understand their needs. It was those experiences that inspired me to help other equines and to set up The Horse’s Voice. Bless them.

Robert, Tango & Timmy

Robert is well but he did give us a scare in December when he went down with spasmodic colic. The cause was found to be some dried out haylage that he had found in the shelter bedding and eaten. He responded to treatment but needed to stay in the stable for the night so we could monitor him. He didn’t mind as long as Tango and Timmy were next door. He was back to his normal self the next morning and pranced out of the stable with the carer dangling on the end of the leading rein.

Tango wasn’t too impressed at being stabled for the night but she wanted to be with Robert. When I nipped out to check on Robert, she wickered at me then kicked the door with her front leg. Her ears were pricked forward and big eyes were staring at me as if to say: “now can we go back out?”.

It was 3am, freezing cold, but I could see why she wanted to go out. There was a full moon with millions of stars twinkling away, lighting up the frosty ground for as far as you could see. I think she thought it was morning and I was coming to give them breakfast.

Timmy didn’t mind staying in. He is quite amenable but prefers to be near Tango and Robert. Last summer, when they were being lightly exercised - mainly to keep Tango’s weight down - Timmy chose to go with them. His little ears were pricked forward, keenly walking along as if he was being ridden as well. Tango was just as keen until Robert got excited and spun around (Claire kept her seat very gracefully) and bumped into her bum. Tango then decided she didn’t want to do any more, marched over to the other side of the field and refused to move. Lucy, who was riding her bareback, managed to eventually persuade her to rejoin the others. It is lovely to see these old timers (the horses not the riders!) still enjoying life with plenty of spirit.

Molly and Weetabix

Molly is well and managed to lose a few kilos during the winter. She still needs to lose a bit more, which we hope she will with her exercise routine. She loves being lunged and trotting over poles. She’s very responsive to the voice and quick to learn.

Molly doesn’t like injections at all, so, every year when her flu/tetanus booster is due, we have to distract her while the vet does the deed. This year, it was over and done with before she realised what was happening, but she fell out with me for a couple of days after. I was nowhere near her at the time of the injection but she seems to know who instigates it!

Weetabix is very well and likes to keep active. He enjoys being long-reined and going out for walks. He’s very keen and forward going and strides out like he’s on a mission. You can hear him coming with his special boots clip-clopping. They are both nosy and playful. They often play with sticks out of the hedge and tufts of grass or dock stalks. Recently, I found them playing tug-of-war with a chunk of old rabbit fur.

The Tinies

Cracker is very well but he refused to have his teeth done even under mild sedation. He just stood up on his back legs and boxed at anyone who went near him. Katie, our vet, came out and only just managed to sedate him without getting boxed. Even under heavy sedation, he was still trying to protest, so we blindfolded him as well. This worked and Katie was able to rasp the sharp edges off his teeth. He is definitely getting worse - he’s never had a bad experience with the vet or dentist but he just gets himself worked up no matter how we approach the situation. He keep us all on our toes.

Poppy is on medication for asthma/hay fever that affects her breathing. She is responding but we won’t know if she will have to be on it permanently until she has finished this course. She is well in herself and plays with her friends as normal. Her sweet itch was kept under control again last year through wearing the fly sheets. We had to invest in a couple more for her, though, as she manages to tear them whilst socialising with her friends - don’t know what they get up to!

Charlie is well and hasn’t had any recurring foot problems since being on the treatment for Cushing’s. In fact he has become more cheeky and playful. When I fetch him in at night, he comes charging across the paddock bucking and shaking his head and, if he thinks he can get away with it, he nips Poppy on the bum. He likes to carry the lead rein in his mouth and sometimes he gets hold of Poppy’s and pulls her along. It’s very comical to watch!

Miffy went off her bucket feed during the winter. A blood test revealed liver failure due to old age and deterioration. Miffy is 30 years old and has been in the care of THV, along with her son, Marty, since the early 1990s. She was given a course of treatment, which did get her eating again. However, the results of a second blood test taken recently have shown no improvement in liver function. Sadly, there is nothing that can be done to reverse this condition.

We are monitoring her closely and she is at present comfortable, eating what she wants and happy to be with her friends.

Marty is now 25 years old and is very well, though he knows his Mum is not right - he is reluctant to leave her side, even when Cracker tries to play with him. As we know that Miffy does not have too much longer left, we are not sure how he will be affected, but when the time comes and we will do all we can to help him then. Hopefully, the other tinies will help as well.

Ellie, the aged New Forest mare that we took in last June suffering from a painful arthritic hock joint and respiratory problems has improved. She will need on-going anti-inflammatories and pain relief for the arthritis, but her breathing problems are under control and at present she doesn’t need any medication for this. Ellie is a kind soul and loves attention from humans, but she is not very sociable with other equines. She tried to beat Timmy up over the stable door and had a kicking match through the fence with Tango, so she has to stay in a paddock on her own, which she much prefers. As long as she gets attention from her carers, she is happy. We have put Ellie on the sponsorship scheme to help finance her future care.

Harry the Haflinger, who was signed over to us in 1999 aged around 20 years, was sadly put to sleep by injection last June at his foster home, with his carers, Sharon and June by his side. Harry had arthritic joints which, in the end, affected his mobility, making it difficult for him to either get up or lie down.

We thank Sharon and June for giving Harry a wonderful home over the past 10 years and for being with him in his final moments. Bless him.

Open Day 2008

Thank you very much for coming to see us last August—we’re so glad the weather wasn’t as bad as 2007 so that you could actually come to the Centre and meet us all. We always enjoy getting to see the people who do so much for us and thank you for all the affection and, of course, the yummy treats. We also think the orchard looks lovely with all the gazebos and stalls. We did have a little rain in the afternoon, but it was mainly dry. Everyone seemed to enjoy the games and lucky dips as well. The Tinies said they didn’t even mind having to stop for photocalls as they were being turned out! You’ll be able to see the lovely new stables when you come to see us this August. We look forward to seeing you all then and thank you again for your generosity and continuing care for us. Lots of Love from all the horses and ponies.xxx

PS:Our carers have asked us to say that for the 2009 open day, whilst you are welcome to bring treats for us (yes, please!!!), could you please not feed them to us but give them to our carers to give to us over the following few days. Apparently, we weren’t very well behaved last year and rather greedy and also rather quick to try to bite each other and our carers on the day and afterwards.

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