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Exciting Horse Contraceptive Project Launches

12 years ago
1922 views

Posted
21st May, 2012 13h17


Friends of the Dartmoor Hill Pony logo For the first time in the UK, World Horse Welfare is teaming up with The Friends of The Dartmoor Hill Pony organisation and local vets to carry out a ground breaking new experimental project that could help to tackle the problem of overbreeding amongst ponies on Dartmoor. Our Veterinary Consultant Keith Meldrum has been working closely with The Friends of The Dartmoor Hill Pony and leading pharmaceutical company Pfizer on plans to provide a group of 20 mares with a contraceptive injection. The project is about to commence with the first round of injections being administered this week (Wednesday 23 May). The semi-feral ponies will be first rounded up into a holding area where they will be micro-chipped and also marked so that they are identifiable at a distance. They will then be given the injection, and four weeks later a second dose will be administered. The mares will be carefully monitored to see how they react to the drug both in terms of pregnancy and possible changes in herd behaviour. Keith Meldrum says: “A project of this kind has never been carried out before in the UK and I am delighted to be a part of it. We are hoping that, if successful, this could become a long-term solution to the issue of overbreeding within semi-feral horse and pony populations. We feel that this method of control is advantageous as the mares can come back into foal after the treatment; there is simply a reduction in foal production for the duration of the project.” Vice Chair of The Friends of The Dartmoor Hill Pony, Charlotte Faulkner said: ‘The adult pony numbers on the moor need to be maintained at the present number for the benefit of Dartmoor, but the foal crop needs to be reduced as there is no market for the foals at present. Controlling the production of unwanted foals will ensure their welfare. We are optimistic that this project will help us to ensure the future of ponies on Dartmoor. They will be able to graze to keep the moor as we know and love it for generations to come, conserving the habitat for its wonderful birds, plants and animals.” The project is being sponsored by the charity, The Friends of the Dartmoor Hill Pony, who are grateful for the help they have received to take this project forwards. They are always looking for fundraising ideas as well as volunteers to help them to support and promote the ponies of Dartmoor. Please contact them at www.dartmoorhillpony.com World Horse Welfare relies on people’s generous donations to help ease the suffering of horses in the UK and overseas every day. The donations we receive allows us to reach more horses desperately in need of help. Please visit www.worldhorsewelfare.org for more details.

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