In 2013, on the rolling hills of Manmoel Common in South Wales, a group of semi-feral mountain ponies roamed…
The fly-grazing law is designed to stop the dumping of horses and ponies and for good reason. These animals often have numerous health issues including over-breeding, in-breeding (resulting in genetic diseases), poor weight management, dental issues and problems with their hooves resulting in lameness. Equines need to be properly managed otherwise they can suffer with medical problems, sometimes for years and these can sometimes lead to death.
In 2013, when these four ponies arrived at Bransby Horses, they spent some time in the Animal Reception Centre, as is the way with new arrivals. As well as the necessary medical checks, the Bransby Horses team started to work on befriending Wish and after a lot of patience, she started to take food from their hands. “This is always an amazing moment, when they first accept you are a friend and there to help them” said Nadine Hall, External Welfare Coordinator at Bransby Horses.
Wish had a very painful abscess in her lower jaw. Both the root of the tooth and her lower jaw were compromised and would be a very challenging extraction. Wish was also in foal and two weeks later, gave birth to a healthy colt called Whisper, in the special care pony barn. The following weeks weren’t easy as Wish cared for her foal but struggled to put weight on. Once her foal was strong enough, Wish needed to focus on her own recovery.
This was the turning point for Wish. Her condition quickly improved, with the hard work and care of the team, she had more energy and even started to make friends with another mare near her stable.
The offending tooth was then extracted and jaw bone stabilised. This was a very long day for the team caring for Wish, who waited with bated breath to find out how well it had gone. The operation went well and the team breathed a sigh of relief. Wish came home to Bransby Horses the very next day. When Wish returned to the yard, her best friend, the neighbouring mare, was there to greet her. The friends spent some time catching up by enjoying time in the paddock together.
Whisper, Wish’s foal is now flourishing in a foster home as a companion but what about Wish herself?…
Wish is a very special little mare who has gone through a lot but she has come through it all with a fighting spirit. The Bransby Horses team don’t believe she was ever handled by humans before but with knowledge, patience and care, Wish has come on leaps and bounds at Bransby Horses.
This Christmas, Bransby Horses is wishing for health and happiness to all their equines, teams and supporters but they do have a very special Christmas wish…
Bransby Horses would love to find Wish the right home as soon as possible, maybe even before Christmas?
“Wish has been with us for about six years and has been looking for a home for three years now. We hope that this Christmas, we can find the perfect partner for her, by way of a fantastic foster home. Each and every horse, pony, donkey and mule is very special to us and it is important we find the right family for Wish and all of our other horses and ponies looking for new homes. It would be great if it was around Christmas but finding the right home and family can sometimes take time; the fit has to be perfect!” said Rosanna Elliott Hart, Rehoming Manager.
If you have everything you need to be the perfect fosterer and more, please contact the Bransby Horses Rehoming team by emailing rehoming@bransbyhorses.co.uk
