A special equine training clinic for vets, hosted by The Mare and Foal Sanctuary in Devon, has provided a unique opportunity to learn valuable field surgery and anaesthesia skills on semi-feral ponies.
Events like this rarely happen in the UK. The specialist clinic, organised by the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), enabled vets to demonstrate castration techniques in the field, rather than an operating theatre. It’s a valuable professional skill and greatly improves the future of colts who, uncastrated, are often difficult to find homes for. As geldings they could become riding or companion ponies or return to moorland sites to graze in gelding herds, helping land conservation.
Working in partnership with Dartmoor pony keepers, the Mare and Foal Sanctuary recently invited delegates from BEVA to learn and share best practices at its Beech Trees Veterinary and Welfare Assessment Centre in Newton Abbot. Seven ponies from Dartmoor and three colts (including two Shetland ponies) from a private owner based in Cornwall were brought to The Mare and Foal Sanctuary ahead of the clinic for pre-operative training. The colts spent more than a month adapting to their new environment, gaining confidence and being expertly trained by Sanctuary Care staff for close handling by the vets.
Syra Bowden, The Mare and Foal Sanctuary’s Head of Equine Welfare says:
“As a champion of excellence in equine education and welfare, we were glad to host such a valuable training event to help the continuing professional development of 17 vets who work across the UK. We had delegates from as far as Kilmarnock, Northumberland, Norfolk, Wales, the Midlands, Wokingham, Reigate and Cornwall. The clinic was extremely successful, and nine of the ten colts were able to undergo surgery, showing calm and relaxed behaviour throughout. “
During the training event, relatively newly graduated vets had equine specialists at their fingertips to help guide them in understanding the best ways of doing this kind of specialist work. Some of them will already have a little bit of experience, some will have never castrated an animal. They may never have done a general anaesthetic on a horse. They will vary in their ability but all of them will be at the earlier stage in their career and it’s vital that vets get the opportunity of these training days where they are able to work in an environment where they’ve got support, and they can make mistakes.
Seven semi-feral ponies from the Dartmoor Pony Chinkwell Herd, working alongside the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust (DPHT), were brought to the Sanctuary to take part in the training. The Chinkwell Herd’s generational farmer and breeder Margaret Rogers says:
“Collaborative partnership work like this is essential if we are to meet our objective of the survival of important heritage breeds with very rare bloodlines, following thousands of years roaming Dartmoor.
“The DPHT is dedicated to supporting breeders and keepers to preserve the native Dartmoor pony on Dartmoor. The semi-feral herds run on the uplands, continuing the essential conservation grazing and environmental management of the moor. But iconic breeds like The Dartmoor Pony face a struggle with diminishing numbers and their survival is dependent on breeders being able to sell drift colts that have been handled and castrated successfully. That’s why I’m pleased to have been part of this vital training.”
The Mare and Foal Sanctuary wishes to thank all those who took part in the event and who are dedicated to sharing the highest standards of equine education and welfare.
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Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.