World Horse Welfare Involved In Exciting Horse Contraceptive Project

Dartmoor ponies - Credit Dartmoor Photographs World Horse Welfare is pleased to be involved in an exciting new 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 Dartmoor Hill Pony Association and leading pharmaceutical company Pfizer on proposed plans to provide a group of 20 mares with a contraceptive injection. In late spring this year, the plan is for the semi-feral ponies to be rounded up into a holding area where they will be micro-chipped and also marked in a way in which they are identifiable at a distance. They will then be given an injection, and four weeks later a second dose will be administered. After a six month period the mares will be blood-tested to see if their oestrus levels have been suppressed due to the injection. If the mares respond positively after the initial six months of the project, then they will receive a further does which will last until spring 2013. 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. We are close to starting the initial injections now that we have the vaccine, provided by Pfizer, in our possession and after the Veterinary Medicines Directorate gave us the go ahead for the vaccine to be imported from Australia into the UK.” Secretary of the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association, Charlotte Faulkner said: ‘The adult pony numbers on the moor need to be maintained at its 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, grazing to keep it as we know and love it for generations to come, creating the habitat for its wonderful birds, plants and animals to be conserved.” The project is being sponsored by 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 fund raising ideas as well as volunteers to help them to support and promote the ponies of Dartmoor. 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 means that we can continue to do our work of reaching more horses desperately in need of help. Please visit www.worldhorsewelfare.org for more details.

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