THANK YOU to Monica Ward for going to 2 events for Lluest this weekend and running a tombola, raising £106.00!

Monica has raised over £1,500 for us this year - and we are HUGELY grateful for Monica's constant support over the years.

Also HUGE thanks to her husband Frank Ward who is here again today helping us with the endless DIY jobs on the farm - for example Frank built all our mangers from donated material. Lluest is very lucky to have such wonderful volunteers!

BIG BIG THANK YOU to Selina Puckett for braving Swansea Train station on the 3rd Dec (an international rugby day) and fund-raising for Lluest! Selina raised £160 which is terrific!

Not only that but Selina is very kindly doing a 25 mile sponsored walk for us next year and has raised £377.00 already! Please visit Selina's fund raising page for more information. http://www.everyclick.com/selinapuckett

We are SO very lucky to have such wonderful people out and about all the time doing all kinds of fund raising activities to support Lluest.

Snowball and Angel are finally out of isolation and have stables in the main barn. They are also now  out of the garden because their feet are good enough to walk to a paddock! We are over the moon for both of them!

Snowball (left) and Angel content and comfortable out of isolation


Snowball asleep


Snowball awake - the ears give it away :0)



To read Snowball's and Angel's story please click here to go to our appeals page

Llew and Lowri who were rescued with the 5 minnies settled in so well and have now joined our big herd. For the first time in their lives have met horses the same size! We are still waiting for Llew's liver results and we are managing his arthritis so at the moment he seems great. Lowri is fabulous! She is growing in confidence by the day and is a stunning girl.

Lovely Llewelyn

Luscious Lowri

Sunday the 2nd October
We had a poor horse reported to us because the police and RSPCA would not attend! It took  ALL DAY to try and get help to this animal. We are a tiny, underfunded charity that once again found its self  responding when bigger, wealthier organizations either don't work weekends!!!! or pass the buck!!! HUGE HUGE THANKS to Lisa Lanfear who has helped us wade through the amount of phone calls and hoop jumping required to help the horse. The situation  was not over  but we made sure he was safe for the night. 

Monday 3rd  October
This horse is yet another victim of no one taking responsibility and everyone turning their backs. The excuses from far greater powers than us are something else!!! I cannot repeat them for fear of being sued. We are full to the brim but no one will take this poor horse who is now classed as a cruelty, neglect and abandonment case. For us to take in yet another we will need as much help as we can get. Lluest cannot survive under this pressure when no other agencies will help and are more than happy to pass on our number for us to pick up the pieces in every single way. One of the big welfare organizations immediate suggestion was to just put the horse to sleep, but will they announce this is their policy to the general public - of course not! Equine welfare in this country is like a dirty little secret and at some point in the not too distant future it needs to be exposed!. In the meantime if anyone can donate to help us we would be so grateful. We are one of the few remaining registered equine charities in Wales and at the moment we feel very alone.

Tuesday 4th October
With absolutely no thanks to any of the big welfare organizations who did nothing to help, we picked up the horse this afternoon and he is now safely back with us. The only organization that did help was Trading Standards, who gave us the go ahead to seize on cruelty and abandonment grounds. Due to this we sadly cannot post any  photos or information about the horse. The vets are booked for a full health check, meanwhile we will keep a close eye on him through the night. Huge thanks to the staff Julia and Jerome who entered in to a very difficult situation with me, Lisa who was on the phone for us the whole time and  Sara and Andy Gray who lent us their trailer - again!

Up date on previous blog.......

We went back yesterday to see if the two big horses we left behind would load.  I don’t deny that I had not slept much the  last two nights going over the previous loading session. Had I laid enough ground work from the past attempt to help them find enough courage to load this time?
 I need not have worried…..The dear 18 year old chestnut slowly went on first, and only about 10 minutes later the beautiful black mare loaded like a dream. Yet again  these amazing animals left me feeling humble in their presence. The old boy in pain and the mare exceptionally wary did what was asked of them.  We  got back to the Trust, settled them for the night and turned them out this morning. 

Both are totally fine and tomorrow the vet is coming to take bloods from the chestnut so we can asses the problems with his liver and work out the pain management for his arthritis.

On her way to work our lovely Julia and her friend picked up Bonny, the lovely old dog, Bobby the Budgie and Lucy and Megan the cats.

The arrival of this little group meant we had rescued 11 animals over the last few days.
 




By the end of today one of our wonderful volunteers  Bobby stepped up as an emergency foster and had taken Bonny home. Julie from Gwynfe Cat Rescue picked up  the cats to take them to  their new foster home and even Bobby the Budgie found a guardian angel thanks to Sarah’s friend Lyn.

We are totally blessed to have such amazing people who stepped up without hesitation, to make sure all the small animals where in warm loving homes tonight.

 Yesterday we picked up four mini mares and one mini stallion. The two above are sisters called Sixpence and Tilly.
 
We were contacted regarding a very  tragic human story  and went to assess the situation for  2 big horses and 5 miniatures that were caught up in it. Once there we were also asked to take two cats, one elderly dog and a budgie which all other contacted rescues refused  because technically they had not been abandoned! I will  come back to these little souls  later.
 
The ponies were not in bad body condition and as the ridiculous law stands unless animals are starving and about to die welfare organizations have no power to seize -  making the prevention of neglect or cruelty virtually impossible.


 This photo shows the depth of the muck

The place the horses and ponies were living in is hard to describe.  Tucked away up in the hills,  no one would know they were there, I  looked in to a tiny shed to see four little faces in the darkness.  The four mares  could barely move or lie down, not only due to lack of space but because the muck was knee deep. A faint whinny from another small, dark shed revealed a little lone stallion in the same squalid conditions.



This is little Tara with her crooked fount legs

The two big horses fared no better. Filthy, dark stables that were far too small – so  here is the dilemma.  The horses and ponies  are being given food and shelter, so in the eyes of the law there isn’t a problem and we have no right to act.


This is Candy, Tara's Best friend

The law offers absolutely NO scope to PREVENT problems. The law says leave them until they are at deaths door and then you can do something – instead we secured a release agreement and loaded the four mares in to a trailer. 




This is little Star the stallion

The 18 and 12 year old who have never loaded before did not fancy the idea, which was not surprising. The loading area was incredibly difficult, the old gelding was in obvious pain  and the Section D had the scope to  cause a battle. Despite wanting to get them out of there, the difficult decision to leave everything on a positive note and build on what had been achieved another time. We sadly had to leave them but arrangements have been made to return this week .

We had wanted to take the mares and big horses and go back  again for the stallion. Instead we loaded him into the second trailer and we headed back to the Trust.



All enjoying some space, clean bedding hay and feed



We are a Horse and Pony Trust but when you know there are other animals in trouble and no one is helping how can we turn our backs? We will also bring the little 16 year old dog,  budgie and two cats back with us next time we go. This is not something we would normally do but we cannot leave them and we will need help to find homes for them. 

Lastly THANK YOU to Julia and Jerome for giving up their time off (especially Julia who has been going regularly to look after the horses and ponies since we heard of them) and THANK YOU to  Sarah and Andy Gray for giving up their Sunday and bringing their trailer along to help with the rescue. It takes very special people to give up their free time to go to difficult places and see things most people never want to see.

Up dates and photos of all the animals will be posted here and on our face book group as soon as we can.  

One of our biggest winter costs is the amount of hay we need to feed between 30 to 40 horses and ponies. HUGE thanks go to ALL our supporters. It is  their donations and fundraising events that help us feed and care for all our rescues. 

Once this this load of 48 big bales was in the barn we  took a huge breath because we knew we will not get caught out with an early snow fall. A lot of haylage has been made this year but not much hay so prices are still very high. We will have 20 big bales of haylage arrive shortly as well. The price is lower but it is too rich for many of our residents, so it is either fed half and half with hay or used for those with any breathing problems. 

3rd September 2011 Sennybride Show

We will be there with Zorro and Patchwork!
Come and meet them and the amazing Bethan and Suzie who have just completed a 300 mile sponsored ride for us.
Please use this link for directions.
http://sennybridgeshow.com/Sennybridge/Welcome.html
Look forward to seeing you!


24th September  - Llandovery Sheep Festival

We will be there offering pony rides
Please come and see us.


Please use this link for more information

http://www.llandoverysheepfestival.co.uk/

Chico came back to us because his young rider out grew him. He is now in his new loving home with his very special little owner.

Our rescue ponies are great for families because when they are out grown we can find another loving home for them!