Elderly pony is saved by vets after being overfed by walkers

Flash, aged 31, had an episode of colic brought on by overfeeding from walkers passing through his field near Bartestree.

Owner Gillian Griffiths said that fortunately she was in the field when the horse went down and thanked Three Counties Equine Vets for their 'swift response'.

"He’s pulled through the worst of it, although he’s still being monitored closely," said Mrs Griffiths.

"He is already on medication for a condition that means he can’t just eat anything, because it could give him further complications.

"He also has very few teeth - he can’t eat hay therefore has to be in the field 24 hours a day so he can nibble at the soft grass.

"He also has mashed/soaked feed twice a day to help him keep his weight on, which is currently good.

"So he does not need feeding or interference from anyone.

"In the current situation of lockdown I get that the only thing people have to do is go for a nice walk in the countryside but for gods sake don’t feed any animals that do not belong to you because you are most likely putting them at risk of choking, poisoning, bloating, death, the list goes on.

"Look and enjoy the countryside, don’t touch or feed because of those irresponsible, thoughtless actions my 31-year-old pony that has never been ill in his entire life until very recently, could have died, slowly and painfully."

Kate Jones, who shares the field with Mrs Griffiths, said that 12 sheep and four horses are homed in the nine-acre field, which are in individual paddocks protected by electric fencing.

A footpath runs through the middle of the footpath which is fenced off from the animals with signs from West Mercia Police informing people to keep to the footpath.

"People have taken it upon themselves to tip animal feed over the top of the fencing into their paddocks," added Mrs Jones.

"We have also found whole apples in a separate paddock, which our ponies would have chocked on, again behind electric fencing, that can only be accessed by leaving the (fenced) footpath, and walking across over half an acre of the horses paddock to get to them."

Mrs Jones said that local walkers also refuse to keep their dogs on leads when passing through the field.

"They refuse to pick up after their dogs, snap our fence poles, rip the signs down, encourage and let their dogs pee all over our private possessions including our fence poles which we regularly pick up and move when the fence is tampered with," she added.

"You can imagine how revolting it is when they are covered in dog wee.

"Dogs run around by the sheep and horses, people leave their litter, and constantly refuse to use the footpath for what it is intended for - walking.

"We have made some lovely friends purely from meeting them on the footpath, however the small minority are causing daily stress and worry to animals, not to mention they are breaking the law."