A pony re-homing charity has thanked volunteers and businesses for their help in saving around 240 ponies from dehydration.
The Welsh Pony Rescue and Rehoming Charitable Trust have thanked their team of local volunteers as well as local mining and aggregate companies for their help in delivering water to Gelligaer Common.
Miller Argent, a mining company operating in the Merthyr Tydfil area, provided a tractor, a water bowser, and a member of staff’s time to deliver water provided by the Hanson UK quarry in Gelligaer.
Following the recent hot weather, the wild pony population on the common were at serious risk of dehydration as natural sources of water became dangerously scarce.
Officers from Caerphilly County Borough Council have been monitoring the situation while there have been reports of the natural watering hole drying up, and ponies becoming trapped in the resulting mud.
Sharon Mock, volunteer and trustee of the charity, said: “I’m delighted to announce that we now have the situation under control. We want to say a massive thank you to both Miller Argent and Hanson for their ongoing help and support, they have been fantastic.
“We now have 20 baths on the common, that are being regularly filled up, and the watering hole has been replenished. It has not been this dry here for more than 40 years.
“I would also like to thank South Wales Fire and Rescue Service for their continued support.”
The charity’s attention now turns to a lack of food on both the common and its sanctuary on Caerphilly Mountain, where 41 ponies have been taken off Gelligaer Common and castrated ready for re-homing.
The hot weather has meant that grass has become scorched and food is scarce in both locations.
Around £750 is needed to provide 27 large bails of hay to both sites, and the organisation has started a fundraising page at https://mydonate.bt.com/donation/start.html?charity=185212.
Good work and nice to see that Miller Argent, normally depicted the villain of the piece, are helping.
Although very nice, these animals do not belong on the common. Under common law only sheep are allowed to graze on this land. Cattle and horses cause a lot of damage. These horse were probably pets that people have as a fad and are then dumped. If we want to help these animals round them up and move them to a sanctuary instead of leaving them to suffer
You are correct but, as you say, they are very nice. I don’t think there are sufficient sanctuary places for these animals so the choice is really either help them or slaughter them. I prefer the help option, when I walk the common I do get a lift when I see these animals that I just don’t get from seeing sheep.