More Horses Rescued from the Amersham Farm
A further 17 horses and ponies have now been evacuated from the Amersham farm to sanctuary at The Horse Trust, to augment the 14 rescued last weekend. They include three Fjord ponies (a Scandinavian breed), two coloured ponies, a "Black Beauty" gelding with a white star and a black yearling. These are in nowhere near as bad condition as the original consignment but have had to be removed for their own protection.
"I have never seen anything like this in my whole life," says Shirley Abbott, yard manager at The Horse Trust. "You don't think things like this go on in this country, but they do."
All the horses in the Trust's care are receiving special nutrition and veterinary care to nurse them back to health - but this costs a huge amount of money.
"Our resources are certainly being stretched, with the unexpected extra care that is being required," says chief executive and resident veterinary surgeon Paul Jepson. "It costs, on average, about £100 a week to keep a horse here - and of course these horses are undergoing additional tests and receiving often expensive emergency treatment."
To help it respond to the crisis, the Horse Trust is launching an emergency appeal called "Horse Heaven". Donations can be made directly here or cheques may be sent to The Horse Trust, Slad Lane, Princes Risborough, Bucks HP27 0PP.
Becky Evans, head of welfare at the Trust, said: "I have never seen such poor emaciated animals. The worst of our group are mere skin and bone, their withers and hips protrude so much they look deformed and their spines have a huge drop where there is no accompanying flesh. It's all too easy to imagine how close these animals came to total starvation. Their coats are matted, their skin is riddled with sores, ringworm and lice, their tails exhibit the signs of standing in their own excrement for long periods and a total lack of human care and attention.
"And yet you handle these horses and you can sense their relief at being rescued. They are wary of people but they see that we come with food and water and a clean sheltered stable to sleep in and their trust is growing as their strength increases gradually each day."
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