It is very difficult to find the words to describe the horrendousness of today's sale at Hallworthy. The last couple of years we had seen improvement but today was more like descending back into the dark ages...It is a total onslaught on the senses - the terrified animals - you can hear, see, smell, and feel the terror...they were terrified before the appalling handling by the staff and "helpers". Even the catalogue now omits the names of those entering animals, presuming in an attempt to stop people complaining to the authorities!
No trading standards staff were present - they had been tasked with attending the poultry sale in the morning but they were told there was "no money" to send anyone for the pony sale, not even the Defra vets.
The handling was loud, over the top, and heavy handed..."staff" opening pens yelling at the animals to move - who could go nowhere with the staff stood in the gateway. Absolutely terrified the whole pen would clamber up over each other in an attempt to get away - we saw one foal rear up and get stuck over the top of another foal, the one below collapsing in the end to get the other one off. Panic stricken animals desperate to move and unable to get away. All it would have taken would have been to quietly walk along the rail to the back and the ponies would have moved away without anyone even looking at them....Even in the relatively small ring there were 11 people standing in it at one stage with the ponies being sold.
The work that would be needed to undo the trauma caused to ponies at this sale would be considerable...but of course they are not here to have a long-term future...
...Almost all the ponies/horses went with 3 main meat dealers - everything from the wild foals to 16hh horses, neither domesticated nor wild were spared. The blue alkathene pipe was in play. One dealer loading up full with purchases, disappearing for half and hour, and then coming back to pick up the next shipment - they gloat over the whole performance enjoying the fact that the welfare groups are watching and there is nothing they can do to stop them. Even if there is illegal activity NO-ONE from the authorities ever does anything to stop them. The dealers that had disappeared after the horse meat scandal are now back...it's time to ask questions here - has one door shut but another opened??? Where are they all going? What we are seeing here is just the tip of the iceberg!
There didn't seem to be much hope for the few that went to non-dealer homes either. One young girl - about 14 years old spent 15 minutes wrestling a wild foal in a pen in a battle of strengths until she forced a headcollar on it. During loading it pushed out through the loading gates and ended up running around the car park - people desperate to keep it off the main road. It was pursued by people around the car park for at least the next half an hour...
...Within the hour in a separate incident another foal escaped and again was off into the car park.
A car sized van reversed up to the loading bays - with the aim of loading a Shetland into the back - full of all sorts of things - we saw them being yelled at (not by the auction staff!) and told to go and get a horse trailer or the police would be called.
A pony was loaded into a trailer with no upper doors to fasten - just a sheet - a person was seen to travel in the back of the trailer trying to hold the flap down as they disappeared off on their journey to where-ever they were going...
Another private home trying to cram ponies in the lorry - they loaded some, tried to add more, they all came flying out, loaded again, and one of the horses was going to jump the gates that were shut so the woman whacked it over the head as hard as she could and ran for the ramp to shut it.
There were so many incidents...
Two ponies had earnotches - illegal mutilations which the farmers know they are not allowed to carry out. These ponies also went onto the back of the meat lorry.
No food was provided for the horses and as the sale nears its end some horses start chewing the bars and the chalkboards to get some relief...
...This is another day where Bodmin and Cornwall should be ABSOLUTELY ASHAMED.
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19 comments:
To say that I was shocked by what I saw at Hallworthy yesterday (22nd October 2016) is a gross understatement. The whole impetus of the day seemed to revolve around brutality. No consideration was given to the level of fear these poor creatures demonstrated. Faye's blog says it all really - heart-breaking and to know that those sold to the meat men face a horrendous journey to who knows where and an appallingly brutal end. This is what our country allows. It has to stop.
Jesus, that makes me cry. I have a Bodmin Moor pony. I was told he went through Hallworthy market. He was purchased privately, but then ended up at a rescue centre, from where I took him on loan in 2002.He was a yearling when I loaned him. He hated the metal gate into our field and it's not hard to guess why, he obviously remembered the market pens.
What a Terrible Cruel World that we live in.sometimes im ashamed to be a Human.
This barbarack pony trading must be stopped its sooo wrong
I have only two words to describe this market: Ugly and primitive.
I have lived and worked with horses and their people all over the world and I have never seen anything like this. The rescue organisations (and there were a number there) did their best but without the support of the market owners they have no authority and just observe in horror at what is happening.
This is not about bunny hugging or fluffy ponies this is basic animal welfare. I cannot imagine any sheep or cattle farmer allowing his animals to be treated in such an appalling manner.
The vendors should be held responsible. As long as horse-owners keep sending their animals to sales like this one, the nasty trade will go on. I see auctioneers, authorities and meat-men being blamed, but not the horse-owners.
It's time that we, concerned for the horses welfare, got together to police these sales ourselves. Photographic and video evidence can be used in prosecutions. And if the authorities won't do it, we should.
Oh I forced myself to read this.. heart breaking. I wanted to say thank you for writing this and more importantly for witnessing it, I donated a little money to your people4ponies through paypal (link on your website) and would urge anyone else who reads this to do the same. The work you do is so worthwhile Sara xx
This is absolutely heartbreaking to read. The bloody despicable market should be shut down and fined....where were the so called inspectors??? This sort of barbaric behaviour HAS TO STOP NOW!!! Wish I could something to shut these bloody things down. Wish I had the money and land to buy every one of these poor poor horses and foals. Makes me sick to my stomach and very very angry. Could go on and on but think I have made my point! xx
This is disgusting hope something will be done poor horses glad I wasn't there it would have broke my heart & I would have lost it
Speak volumes that the cornish let this happen! !
Where are the RSPCA when this is on.Surely they know what goes on here.
Very sad indeed ..I cannot believe there was no defra there what happened to animal welfare they so proudly shout about money should not have even come into the equation..sad this sale has deteriated through greed of those involved and I mean auctioneer buyers for meat and mostly all owners names should be printed in the catalogues if they had nothing to be ashamed about it should not be a problem ..I many many years ago bought a foal from theses sales when it was properly managed yes it was carnage of terrified animals and it was stressful but I do remember authorities being there on the ball and making sure things were safe and welfare taken into consideration was upmost priority the horse we bought was the most loving and relented horse we had who jumped to big classes evented and overall was a gem we had contact with the breeder and even went to there place to see the dam and sire and there stock they was breeding I feel as others who have bought at this sale to have been very lucky in our purchases my horse will be 20 this year and I am glad I saved him from the likes of today's sales I like other attended this sale few years later and could see how it was failing in its welfare I have not returned since how sad I feel for theses animals that are now being overbred and just profit for the meat vans ,..sad times
I just wish people would stop breeding indiscriminately, and that owners had the guts to have old horses/ponies put to sleep at home rather than send them off to this kind of end. I could never, ever, send a horse to one of these places, as heart breaking as it is, we will always have them PTS at home, with us there with them.
By not being present are Trading Standards breaking any regulations or is their presence discretionary? Also do the RSPCA ever attend any of these markets?
How can this be allowed to happen? Surely there are welfare laws to protect livestock from this sort of treatment? It feels a bit futile just posting a comment on here to express my outrage, but I feel at a loss to know what can be done if it the case that welfare organisations were present but powerless to do anything! What can be done to prevent this happening?
This sounds absolutely barbaric, so have the various local animal protection societies been notified? When is the next proposed market taking place and are the people who are against this going to turn up and make a stand against it, because until that happens it will continue?
Where exactly IS this place??
Sadly as someone said until people stop breeding and horse owners have some morals not to sell through auctions these awful sales will go on. I myself ended up saving 2 poor pathetic ponies from 1 of these sales. Thanks to a very good friend the colt who was given 24 hours to live due to being so emaciated under his long coat and riddled with worms and lice he pulled through and made a wonderful little horse. The other filly who kicked the owner in the face at the sale after being hit with a broom i purchased as i was convinced she would suffer when she got home it took 4 days of hell to get near her but she came round in the end. But why ,why does it have to be like this. I also am ashamed to be part of the human race when in todays age this is still happening. Poor poor ponies its just barbaric and awful.Even the criminals in our country get treated sooo much better and these poor things are innocent. Wish the markets would stop,maybe thats what we need to do is campaign against the markets.
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