On Tuesday 14th February, our External Welfare Team was asked to assist the Police with the removal of two young ponies, Bullseye and Lasso (named by staff). Both in very poor condition, the ponies were malnourished and emaciated with a sickening body condition score of just 0.5 out of 5. Concerns grew for Bullseye and Lasso; they were infested with lice and as a result, had lesions covering their bodies.
On arrival, Bullseye, a bright and cheeky pony, was administered pain relief and probiotics to give him some support. Bullseye underwent routine tests, including full blood profiles, and of faeces and saliva. A high-spirited pony, the staff are currently working tirelessly with Bullseye to assist him on his long journey to rehabilitation to build his strength.
The more concerning of the two ponies, Lasso, was quiet and lethargic on his arrival at Bransby Horses. With barely enough energy to eat, Lasso was weak and sadly, was severely dehydrated. The attending vet administered 5litres of intravenous fluids as soon as possible, along with pain relief, steroids, antibiotics and a probiotic to help support his condition. Lasso was administered more fluids through the night and showed slight improvement. A full blood profile was taken to test for Strangles and his faeces and saliva were tested as part of the routine intake tests.
The next morning, Lasso showed signs of improvement. However, our experienced staff decided that he still needed some extra support, so he had a plasma transfusion from Rehoming Barn resident, Thor. Lasso will continue to be provided with pain relief, steroids, antibiotics and probiotics. Still very weak, he is beginning his long road to recovery. We would like to thank the Police involved with this case, they monitored the ponies closely and contacted us upon their seizure.
We could not continue to help and rehabilitate equines like Bullseye and Lasso without your support, thank you.
