In February 2018 a welfare concern was reported to Bransby Horses regarding a group of seven horses in the Doncaster area that were underweight and had no access to food or water. When welfare officers investigated, they also found a stallion in the field and foal that had unfortunately died.
The group were identified as a serious welfare concern and the RSPCA ordered the removal of all seven horses from the site, however before Bransby Horses arrived to assist, the owner removed the stallion and one mare, leaving the remaining five to run loose onto the road. The team acted quickly as there was huge potential for a serious accident involving both motorists and the group of horses. Thankfully the horses allowed for a smooth rescue and were caught, loaded onto the lorry and brought to Bransby Horses.
On arrival at the charity, assessments were undertaken and it became very apparent they were all in poor condition; none of the horses had a Body Condition Score (BCS) higher than 2.5 out of 5. Ariel, one of the mares only scored 0.5 out of 5, and Cassie was a BCS of 1 out of 5. The whole group had very sharp teeth and had clearly not had adequate dental treatment. They also had long hooves and high worm burdens, all of which are being treated in the Animal Reception Centre at Bransby Horses.
Most of the group were in foal at the time of their arrival but Aurora was a huge worry as she was heavily in foal and there was concern over the stress of her rescue bringing on her labour. Luckily, two days later she successfully gave birth to a colt that has been named Jupiter. He has a huge character and loves the attention from welfare staff.
Cassie who had the BCS of 1 on arrival has since given birth to a healthy colt named Neptune and Pandora has also foaled and her filly has been named Lyra. All foals are doing well and developing their individual personalities.
The group has now been signed over to the care of Bransby Horses and are completing their quarantine period at the Animal Reception Centre, receiving all the necessary treatments and health checks before they are moved to the main farm where they will be assessed for their suitability to be rehomed.
Bransby Horses is running entirely on donations and without our supporters kind donations, we would not be able to help horses such as these to enjoy their second chance or give their foals the best possible start in life. For more information about how you can donate and help to care for horses like this please go to the Get Involved page.
