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Post by joto on Dec 12, 2007 20:34:16 GMT 1
great idea. well done jennyf.
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Post by sarahfox on Dec 12, 2007 20:35:19 GMT 1
Thats fantastic jenny!!
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Post by janetgeorge on Dec 13, 2007 13:08:41 GMT 1
this whole situation is very difficult and is an on-going thing. whn I was a child I remember newspaper headlines about ponies fetchingvery little money. nothing seems to change. The only thing that will SORT the problem once and for all is a proper management with subsidy programme - by which farmers get a subsidy for each breeding mare PROVIDED that they adhere to a strict management programme. That could start with: a requirement that ALL colts over 12 months are gelded - or sold off the hills. Possibly, for humane reasons, the best way to deal with 90% of the colts in the short-term is a large lorry going straight to a licensed slaughterhouse here. Once the quality lifted, and numbers reduced, prices could rise - and possibly a handling programme could be introduced. A requirement for all farmers to cut their mares by 10% - the poorer quality ones! Farmers would be allocated a 'quota' for the number of mares they could keep - so they'd either have to cull older mares or sell fillies A requirement for all stallions other than agreed top quality ones to be removed. A requirement for regular worming - at least! I don't know what it would cost - depends on the number of farmers and mares involved - but there are organisations who would part-fund - and I suspect that if enough media pressure is put on the Government, some funding could be obtained for welfare/environmental programmes.
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Post by fin on Dec 13, 2007 18:35:59 GMT 1
Hmm. Given that initially there was no exemption for the welsh hill ponies when the passport scheme came in (despite a media outcry), I'd be amazed if there was any official funding It's worth a go though, although I suspect that a lot of Welsh farmers might see any attempt to regulate the breeding from outsiders as being irritating townie interference But it might well depend on how the subject's broached and what sort of incentives are available. To be fair, our local farmers are trying to 'improve' the stock, and they already do remove the colts and some of the fillies every year (I don't know how many, or if they manage to catch them all). The numbers of ponies are already down, and the stallions ARE bought in with the idea of 'improvement.' So the farmers are already moving in the right direction. But yes, they're still breeding too many for the market available (my own pony would have probably ended up in the slaughterhouse had she not been bought as part of a job lot by my ex-YO). But TBH it's hard to create a market for ponies that are seen as unregistered halfbreeds of unknown parantage when you can go to the sales and get a reg Sec A with a pedigree longer than your arm for practically nothing. And what's 'quality?' I mean, the ponies are very well adapted for living on a mountain (maybe cow hocks are useful for something up there?!), and I do wonder whether trying to 'improve' them to conform to human standards of what's desireable isn't actually going to compromise them if it's not done wisely (a local gentleman some years ago is supposed to have introduced a very fine PBA type to the mountain to help improve the stock, only to have her 'rescued' a few months later as a total bag of bones by some friends of ours!). So yes, while I am generally in favour of a management program and an end to the indiscriminate breeding, I think it's a plan that's going to be pretty hard to implement. I can't help thinking that if there was actually a registration scheme, if the breed was recognised in its own right, that it might have a bit more 'market presence' and desireability, as it were.
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Post by janetgeorge on Dec 13, 2007 19:05:49 GMT 1
Hmm. Given that initially there was no exemption for the welsh hill ponies when the passport scheme came in (despite a media outcry), I'd be amazed if there was any official funding It's worth a go though, although I suspect that a lot of Welsh farmers might see any attempt to regulate the breeding from outsiders as being irritating townie interference But it might well depend on how the subject's broached and what sort of incentives are available. There's not much poing 'having a go' - it would need to be a very carefully worked out plan which would rely on: 1. Getting ALL the necessary information (no. of mares, no. of farmers, area over which they're grazed, any environmental 'issues' (i.e. do they damage the environment - or do they benefit it, are there too many for the available areas, etc.) how are they managed now (in terms of worming, feet, vaccination, gathering up, etc etc etc.) - and what 'returns' do the farmers currently get overall. That in itself would be quite a big project - possibly something for an Equine Degree student. 2. Preparing a proposal - in stages - for improving the situation - and costing it (roughly). 3. Getting some potential funders/supporters on board - possibly NEWC (as the broad equine welfare group), and one or two of the orgs. that have funds for welfare projects (Home of Rest, Horserace Levy Board etc.) 4. Getting a couple of suitable Welsh MPs and Welsh Assembley members on board and actively backing it (Lembit Opik is one MP who springs to mind who has an interest in environmental issues, farming AND animal welfare.) It would HAVE to be well researched and presented - but it could be done! It won't happen overnight, but hill ponies (not just in Wales) are not going away and will continue to present welfare problems until there is real money, effort and Government will!
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Post by jackiedo on Dec 14, 2007 12:41:31 GMT 1
lets keep this one up. good comments. any news from countryfile.
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Post by joto on Dec 14, 2007 13:26:00 GMT 1
upping
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Post by jennyf on Dec 14, 2007 19:10:21 GMT 1
I've only had an automated response so far, but will flag it up so I can re-send if I don't get a proper reply.
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Post by janetgeorge on Dec 14, 2007 19:59:24 GMT 1
I've only had an automated response so far, but will flag it up so I can re-send if I don't get a proper reply. TBH - in my experience with Country Fart (which is quite considerable ) you probably won't get any great response from them at this stage - they do tend to follow the news rather than MAKE it! They like it when MOST of the work is already done for them - they're a bit thin on proper researchers and the ability to develop a story. It's possible your e-mail MIGHT strike a chord with someone and get them interested - but it will probably go into the 'too hard' basket until the 'story' is rather more developed!
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Post by janetgeorge on Dec 14, 2007 20:30:24 GMT 1
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Post by tessatoo on Dec 15, 2007 22:34:25 GMT 1
Am I right in thinking that there was a Brecon sale today? Did anyone go and were things the same?
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Post by fin on Dec 15, 2007 23:08:01 GMT 1
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Post by SarahW on Dec 16, 2007 10:48:51 GMT 1
I have written to the ILPH today asking them about their current level of involvement in the welfare of the British semi-feral ponies and suggesting a meeting to see where I might be able to help on the handling side. EMW I am going to e-mail you too.....
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jinglejoys
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Post by jinglejoys on Dec 16, 2007 12:21:26 GMT 1
Are these the same people that are shooting the goats?
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booboo
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Post by booboo on Dec 30, 2007 0:54:39 GMT 1
Just upping this and EMW will I be seeing you at the next APGAW meeting at the Welsh Assembly? I can introduce you to the BHS rep and ILPH rep there is you don't already know them.
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