Care of abandoned ponies

Humans eh!

Long story short.
I have assumed the care of two ponies 1m + 1f who's owner has simply abandoned them. I have five rural acres so they are ok for space and have been feeding them throughout the winter a diet of Hay (when I could get it) haylage and Cool Mix. They are in good health but I need to get them checked out by a professional. I am willing to take them on rather than see them destroyed or sent to Smithfield, IHWT are snowed under with abandoned horses - 19 last week alone in my area so I'll do what I can myself.
I don't know anything about horses and would like to know what fees I should expect from vet / farrier etc. I am not rich but will try to pay what needs doing.

I am willing to keep them just as a slight balance redress against the disgusting attitudes to animal welfare in this country, it sickens me to hear of the rampant neglect and abandonment of these beautiful gentle creatures and I have been genuinely shocked at the attitudes of people who hear that I have taken on these poor horses. I posted another thread on boards about the comments I get which frankly are pathetic. It seems that if an animal isn't worth something financially it should be jettisoned asap or left to starve on someone else's land.

It is so sad that once a recession descends, peoples true selfish and cruel natures are exposed and from what I have heard there seems to be no shame in hiding the fact that most people are ignorant cruel and heartless.
Even the New York Times wrote about Irelands pathetic attitude to these supposed cherished creatures - yeah! cherished as long as they can make you money.
Apologies for my rant but It just makes me so angry. :mad:

Anyway I digress, what I would like to know is what I should realistically expect to pay to keep these ponies and give them a nice life free from stress and harm and light a small flame of compassion in the world.

The Sweeper

I can't help you, but wanted to thank you for provided your time, space and money for them.

I know EGAR has horses and can give you some info, I think andreac also has a horse or horses - hopefully you can get some feedback and recommendations on feed and care.

Would you be able to let folks know your location, so they can recommend a vet / farrier / etc in your area?

Humans eh!

Louth /Dundalk area.

Wisco

I would imagine you'd be looking at €40-60 for a vet to callout to examine the ponies, plus the cost of any treatment needed, although these charges will vary depending where you are and how far from the vets you are, etc. Ring around your local vets and I'm sure they'd give you a quote.
You'll need to worm them- that would be my primary concern for abandoned horses- a good broad spectrum wormer runs around €15-25, but depending on the size of the ponies, one tube of wormer may be enough for both- your local vet can advise on approximate weight.
I'm afraid I can't advise on farrier costs, but I'm sure someone else on here can.
Good luck and well done to you for taking on these poor creatures.

betsie

Wisco wrote: »

I would imagine you'd be looking at €40-60 for a vet to callout to examine the ponies, plus the cost of any treatment needed, although these charges will vary depending where you are and how far from the vets you are, etc. Ring around your local vets and I'm sure they'd give you a quote.
You'll need to worm them- that would be my primary concern for abandoned horses- a good broad spectrum wormer runs around €15-25, but depending on the size of the ponies, one tube of wormer may be enough for both- your local vet can advise on approximate weight.
I'm afraid I can't advise on farrier costs, but I'm sure someone else on here can.
Good luck and well done to you for taking on these poor creatures.

Vets will treat large animals in their own yards if you can borrow a trailer for a few hours it would save you the callout fee. Also most vets will give out free advice over the phone. Also if maybe you could fence off some of the field to have new fresh grass coming on it'll reduce your need for hay in the next few weeks. hope this helps

Cookie_Monster

Humans eh! wrote: »

Long story short.
I have assumed the care of two ponies 1m + 1f who's owner has simply abandoned them.

well done, I applaud your attitude to helping them.
I would however be a little wary, how do you know for definite they were abandoned and have you simply taken them from where they were without notifying anyone?

missloulou

Well done for taking them on.

As they are ponies I think you should read up on laminitis, can be a curse for ponies.

Ideally they should be wormed every 6 - 8 weeks, I think the callout for my vet is euro45 plus treatment costs. They would need annual vaccinations which cost under euro100.

The farrier would need to pair their hooves every 5 - 8 weeks, depending on growth and how much they wear down in the field (i.e. if there are rocks, gravel in an area)

I assume you have checked if the male has been gelded?

I have had my horse for 15 years so know a bit, feel free to pm me any questions you have.

Humans eh!

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

well done, I applaud your attitude to helping them.
I would however be a little wary, how do you know for definite they were abandoned and have you simply taken them from where they were without notifying anyone?

Let me allay your fears, I am not in the habit of horse rustling.
The person who owned them was paying me a nominal rent to have them in my field since last summer. He was from Dublin, and never came to check on them in all that time. I was paying for their food all through the winter and he would leave some money via a third party in a shop for me. He kept saying that he would buy a load of hay and drop it up to them but it never happened Then the money stopped last December and he became uncontactable. I kept feeding them out of my own pocket and checking on them and tried to contact him but he remained elusive.

As the rent and food bill added up to more than they were worth I managed to contact him by text (eventually) and he told me that he was unable (unwilling) to pay for their upkeep. He told me that he was too busy to look after them and I got the impression that if I pushed the matter he would just leave them somewhere else and I asked him should I take them off his hands and assume their care in lieu of the money owed.

He agreed and here I am .
He hasn't checked on them or enquired about them since last August, and allowed me to pay for their food since December which is when I reckon that he effectively abandoned them.

Cookie_Monster

seems perfectly reasonable given the circumstances then.

Thanks for the explanation

I would also report him for it at this point, he shouldn't be able to just walk away from it all like that.