Scared, hungry and alone, Misty, a 19-year-old, semi-feral and partially blind Welsh pony, was in desperate need of help.
She had escaped from the safety of her field and was running free across the Lincolnshire Fens.
Her new owners couldn’t catch her and were becoming increasingly aware of the danger she posed, not only to herself but to unsuspecting road users and people.
Owner Lorna Seal said: “We tried everything. We called the police and received advice from a zoo, but no one could get near her.
“We also had well-meaning people trying to advise us and help but, sadly this only made matters worse.”
“It got to a point where we were considering the possibility of darting her but even this didn’t seem possible. It was only when a friend suggested we call Bransby Horses that we started to make progress.”
Acutely aware of the need to get Misty to safety, we immediately sent our Rescue Support Team (RST) to help.
On the team was handler Jane Dunn who has vast experience of working with feral ponies and was the obvious choice for the job.
Armed with tempting food, Jane was the first person to get near Misty, leading to her eventual capture.
Explaining how she did it, Jane said: “Normally we get near equines that are difficult to catch by herding them into a smaller holding pen, but in this case, Misty was in a huge, open field. I took a bucket of feed and a loaf of bread and after a few hours I was able to get a hand on her.
“I would get close to her and then back off, rewarding her each time I got a step closer. I eventually managed to clip a rope on to her headcollar but, the headcollar broke so I spent another couple of hours, patiently getting close again.
“At this point the headcollar was around her neck and when I eventually clipped the rope on to it, she attempted to gallop off – naturally I hung-on and refused to let go. And yes, I was dragged along the grass for a while too.”
Jane was determined to keep a hold knowing there would be no more second chances and this was the point the pony lived or died – as the authorities would not allow Misty to run free for much longer.
“I knew if I let go we would probably not get her again and it was in my mind the whole time she may have to be put to sleep if we can’t catch her.”
Misty was dehydrated and hungry, but once she realised she wasn’t in danger she settled down and allowed the team to walk her back to her yard.
Her nose had been badly sunburned, and she was in desperate need of a drink but other than that, she was in relatively good health.
Misty’s challenging behaviour stemmed from the fact she was originally rescued from the Welsh mountains as a semi-feral pony with an unknown history.
Her eyesight was also poor having had one eye removed due to an injury caused by the hundreds of burrs she had in her mane when she was first taken in.
Her original rescue home had passed her to Lorna in the hope she would settle as a companion to her other pony – but sadly Misty did not cope as well as everyone had hoped.
Her escape led Lorna to make the very difficult decision to sign her pony into our care.
Sadly, the little mare has developed a deep mistrust of people despite most of them trying to do their very best for her.
Bransby Horses Are Here To Help
- Bransby Horses welfare team are always happy to help in difficult situations and understand things are never straight forward when it comes to equines.
- The team has vast experience of working with feral and semi-feral equines such as Misty and are always happy to provide advice and support where they can.
- Vulnerable equines such as Misty are taken-in by the charity on a case-by-case basis.
- For welfare advice call: 01427 787 369 – lines are open 8.30am – 4.30pm, email: welfare@bransbyhorses.co.uk
