British equine charities trained Welsh authorities recently on how to handle Wales’ feral ponies and keep them healthy.

The trading standards and environmental health inspectors were given hands-on training in how to round up feral ponies and load them onto a vehicle, and how to assess the ponies’ welfare. A separate course covered identification and biosecurity measures for common endemic infectious diseases, such as strangles, and exotic diseases such as African horse sickness. The inspectors also learned how to assess the needs of foals and geriatric horses, and how to assess whether a horse is fit to travel.

The training courses, which were organized and run by equine charities The Horse Trust and Redwings Horse Sanctuary, took place March 16-17 at the Society for the Welfare of Horses and Ponies in Monmouth, and March 24-25 at the Bransby Home of Rest for Horses in Stoke Prior, Herefordshire. The training, which was funded by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Companion Animal Welfare Enhancement Scheme (CAWES) and facilitated by the Welsh Animal Health and Welfare Panel, was carried out by Nicolas De Brauwere, head of welfare at Redwings, and Liane Crowther, training manager at The Horse Trust.

"Understanding the symptoms of infectious diseases and the control measures that need to be invoked is vital to prevent the spread of infectious diseases," Crowther said. "Local authority inspectors may be the first to come across a horse suffering from a disease, so it’s vital that they know what to look for and remain vigilant