Welfare Tour of the Forest: Friday 15th May 2009

The Verderers Spring Welfare Tour held last Friday, was attended by representatives of the RSPCA, the British Horse Society, The Horse Trust, World Horse Welfare (formerly ILPH), the Blue Cross, the Donkey Sanctuary, the New Forest Commoners Defence Association and the New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society, as well as the Regional Operations Director from the Governments new Animal Health Agency (formally the DEFRA State Veterinary Service).

The Verderers Welfare Tours take place every spring and winter, and give an important twice-yearly opportunity for the national and local welfare organisations to see the condition of the stock for themselves. The tour covered a wide area of the Forest and over 500 ponies and foals were inspected, as well as 21 donkeys and several cattle.

All representatives present remarked how surprised they were to see the good condition of all the animals seen, particularly in view of the cold, wet winter we have just experienced. Once again the agisters were praised for the brilliant job they have done in removing ponies which have fallen below the Verderers standard.

The Official Verderer, Oliver Crosthwaite Eyre, said: Despite the tough conditions out on the Forest over the winter the animals have fared well, and there have been no welfare problems, thanks in no small part to the very hard work of the Agisters.



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I would like to know where in the forest this tour took place. I live in Highwood, Ringwood, and the condition of the forest ponies here is not good . I estimate that more than 50% are too thin, several have problems with lice and most look in need of a worming. I called the agister about a poorly looking mare during winter. Nothing happened and she is still out there, looking not much better. Another one had to be put down because of her poor condition and yet another one died of starvation. This is in spite of several people around here feeding the forest ponies during winter. I do not know who or what to blame - except maybe ever-growing herds of cattle - but I cannot praise the condition of the ponies or the hard work of the agisters!

Actually the agisters do work very hard, perhaps if some commoners checked their stock reguarly they should tske it upon themselves re the welfare of their stock. If you cannot get your own ponies in - you shouldnt have them. The agisters are not there to at commoners beck n call.
I think we had a very rainy winter and the mares are not in the best of condition but are starting to get there now and yes alot of them do seem to look a tad flea bitten this year perhaps there is some midgies going around becasue of all the damp weather recently

On the whole, I think the Forest ponies handled this past winter well. It was the worst combination of weather - a lot of wet, followed by some extreme cold patches. There will always be some who, for one reason or another, fare less well than others.

Paradoxically, sometimes they do worse when people put food out for them, as they hang around waiting to be fed instead of going off foraging for themselves, so their over-all intake of nutrition can actually end up being lower.

The Agisters do an incredible job, under hard conditions - but, as stated before, it's up to the commoners themselves to check their own stock regularly and take action when needed - not to wait for an animal to be ordered off!

When you think about it: 5 Agisters; several thousand stock to oversee. It's hard to see how they could possibly do their job any better than they do already - hats off to them

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I drive almost daily across the Forest and see alot of ponies in good condition. And, yes, it has been a hard winter for forest stock. Still I cannot accept animal suffering.
I own, among other horses, two forest mares bought as foals from BR. They ran in the forest for two summers. One always looks well, the other tends to loose condition in winter. Conseqently, I would never leave her out in the Forest during winter.
I agree that it is the owner's responcebility to keep an eye on his/her animals. However, I read about people, who have not seen their mares for 6 month. My neighbour inherited a herd last year - he does not know where most of them are or how they look. The brand is not visible through a wintercoat, so he has taken care of the few, he has found. Had they been looking poorly, I do not know, what he would have done; he has no land to speak of.
I did not set out to blame the agisters, I know they work hard.According to the bye-laws ( 11d ) you cannot leave your animals to starve in the forest. It is the agister's job to police this. If they do not have the time or the means something must change. Is it a good idea that you are paid money from Defra to despasture stock in the forest? Should there be a maximum number of ponies and cattle? Why are ponies with strangles allowed to stay in the Forest (11a)?
I just think that a lot of questions are in need of good answers. I cannot keep seeing the poor creatures daily without acting.

Do not blame the cattle - they eat different grass etc. to the ponies & in fact a few years back people were being urged to turn out more cattle so that certain species of vegetation were grazed off.

The condition and welfare of forest stock is the responsibilty of their owners,the commoners. The agisters oversee the stock,and do a sterling job,but the ultimate responsibility is that of the owner. Like all groups of people,there are good and bad commoners,pleases do not tar us all with the same brush. Take a look at my post on this forum headed Ashlett Alice-May,to see what forest stock should and often does look like.

tut they obviously didnt look at the ponies between Burley and Thorney hill most of them look like toast-racks

The ponies between Burley & Thorney Hill are looking very well ATM.

no they are not they look disgusting, if you think they look well........

Then may I suggest that you contact the verderers office & pass on the details of the ponies concerned to them so that they can take the necessary action.

I think 'disgusting' is a slightly over the top phrase to use on a public forum. Forest Fern.

Burley ponies are always admired by myself when driving through. My best friend runs his stock up that way and would be most upset to hear your comments!



repetition.... repetition...... such a boar!!!!.........................

I agree with Forest Fern , I live in Thorney Hill and some of them are VERY poor, thats our opinion, you have opnions on other peoples ponies, so we are entitled to have ours, which is yes some are VERY poor.

If they are that bad Jane,why have you not reported them to the agisters?

Why havent the agisters been down to do their job to check on these ponies? Why havent the people who own them bothered to check on them? Why do I have to run around to get hold of these people? In my opinion they are very skinny!

because if i can see them then the agisters can when they do their rounds ?? and i also noticed a few v v skinny ponies at holmsley today

BULL



repetition.... repetition...... such a boar!!!!.........................

I AGREE THERE ARE SOME IN HOLMSLEY THAT ARE VERY SKINNY ITS A SHAME THEY DONT LOOK AFTER THEIR PONIES, MAYBE BECAUSE THEY JUST PUT THEM OUT IN THE FOREST THEY THEN CANT BE BOTHERED TO CHECK THEM

Several of you have mentioned very skinny ponies in the Burley / Holmsley area and feel that this is unacceptable and mention that you cant tolerate welfare issues. I suggest that if you feel this deeply that some of the ponies are too poor that you would actually do something about it and contact an agister, they are not mindreaders!!!!!

Yes they have a job to do and yes it is ultimatley down to them but they are very few of them for a very large area and not all the ponies are visible from a drive around the forest in a truck, even walking or riding in the depths of the forest will only reveal a small proportion of animals. Therefore they will rely to some degree on the public telling them about 'poor' ponies.

Don't sit and winge about it, do something about it. 99.9% of the owners of stock on the forest care about their animals and would also want you to say something. It is not always feasable to find every animal you have on the forest on a regular basis, i have known some mares to go awol for months and then suddenly turn up in a completely different haunt.

I think the ponies in general have done well this winter and this has to be thanks to the hard working agisters.

Ultimately, the condition of any Forest-run pony is the responsibility of its owner. However, as a 'concerned member of the public', make a note of the pony (colour, gender and most importantly its brand), phone the Agister for that area (Burley is Rixie's area, Holmsley is Jonathan's), and let them know.

If they share your concerns about condition, they will contact the owner. However, do bear in mind that the Agisters are very good at knowing what is, and what isn't, cause for concern / removal, so don't be surprised if (at this time of year, with the whole summer's grazing ahead), they think the pony will be OK.

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Funny that. EDBALLS! & FOREST FERN.... I've been up that way all morning???

Echo Somer.... got a problem - do something about it. Dont bleet on here.



repetition.... repetition...... such a boar!!!!.........................

dont know about the other two people but ive reported them to the rspca so there wont be any bleating from me

Jane, contact the ILPH if your worried as the RSPCA are s bit slow on the communications side of things.



repetition.... repetition...... such a boar!!!!.........................