Blog entry by Elaine copied from Facebook.

Busy day over now. Thanks to extra hands, and today there were five of us at the Equine Market Watch Sanctuaries (UK) yard, we got done in record time. It has been dry and mild all day which also helped and oh how nice to be able to wear yard boots and not wellies.
I and Amy got to Leominster by 10-30am in plenty of time to walk round the auction holding pens, get a catalogue and a quick drink. As always Brightwells Horse auctions rarely give any concerns ( and when they do those are dealt with courteously and quickly) and this time was no exception. Not many horses and ponies on sale but it is early in the year and the weather is never dependable. There were some lovely horses for auction but prices were not great with some lovely Tb yearling fillies fetching under £100 each. Even thebig quality horses didn't fetch much bidding. I hope things pick up in the coming weeks and months.
We left the auction to get back to the office for around 1pm as we have another auction tomorrow where we expect prices to be abyssmal ( Brecon)
This evening we got the yard work and feeding done in good time and it was nice to get some pictures of the pony herd on the gallop round for their evening haylage although Willow, Chadd and Larry opted to stay on the big meadow so ended up getting 'waitress service' their haylage!
Grateful thanks today go to @Caz Thorne, Astrid, @Pete Andrews and @Amy Tasker-Andrews. I shall miss Amy next week as she is back at Uni.
I forgott o mention yesterday that it was lovely to see old horses EMW Flynn and Fella looking splendid in the care of one of our lovely fosterers @Alison Woodyatt. Our foster carers are vital to this charity, allowing us to say yes to horses who otherwise would have a very uncertain future indeed.

EMW Jim, his posh name is Mourn Warrior, he was trained by Jonjo O'Neill and raced under NH rules from his youth till he was around 14. Then he did the spiral down thing... ended up in serious trouble and was signed to the charity back in 2005 in February (around the 8th) so he's been with us for 7 years now.  He was very thin and poor on intake and was a fussy feeder but we've not had a probelm with him and his eating issues for years and he always looks well - maybe a bit goosey rumped these days but he's in his 30th year now so he's allowed! He blipped a year ago with hoof abscess problems and then again back in wet December but now he's back in fine fettle!! such a nice lad is our Jim.

Daily Blog 8.2.12 by Elaine

Such a chilly evening though very still and a lot of bird song around 4pm. thankfully the water tanks are still free running so no bucket carrying tonight. 
Also it was nice to have the soaked fibre ready for feeding immediately at room temps, we'll keep bringing it home for the time being to stop it freezing up.
There is serious talk about snow coming again. We've geared up today just in case and got the tarps ready to drop over the barn storm shielded openings. Once again it's nice to report all our residents are well. Tomorrow morning we have a visitor so we need to crack on to be finished in time. 
It's been a busy day welfare wise with 3 calls asking for help, one unfortunately we are unable to help with due to distance involved but have sent it the way of a closer organisation, the other two will be dealt with in the next 48 hours as although there are issues they are not desperate.
Today’s thank yous go to Jeanette and Christian for a very kind donation to the charity for our assistance in helping to place a horse in a nice home. Another Thank You goes to @Horse Toys For Training Ltd for the very kind donation of hoof wraps and vetwrap!!! Thank you so much we are always grateful for such items that are in heavy use within a sanctuary.

Sad times.

Such sad times in equine welfare of late. 

Over the last 36 hours FaceBook pages have once again shown how badly we humans are letting down all manner of animals and horses and ponies in particular. How sad when those charged with protection turn out to be the ones who offend against our vulnerable friends. Infant of any species are precious and those who are taken away to fend alone are never more at risk than in the hands of the ignorant and callous. This charity applaud those who turned out last night to help a 4 month old foal in terrible trouble despite being warned off by some who seemed to think an animal is mere property! Also we applaud whistle blowers who have once again brought to light serious welfare issues with horses supposedly in the hands of those who should care. Those of us who really care have our work cut out now, things, I fear, may only get worse.
Sanctuary life is ticking along fine despite the weather that is a real pain now, slush and mud eugh! All are eating well and wrapped warm where they need to be. EMW Larry has become quite cheeky, nipping into Chadds' bucket and stealing an odd mouthful! naughty Shetland! he does have his own (very) small feed! Just two of us today, myself and Pete, even so we were finished morning duties by 10-15am and evening duties by 5pm, good job as the fog is rolling in thick and the temperatures are coming down on wet roads, it may be a bit icy tomorrow morning. Tomorrow Astrid is back after an urgent call to work today.

We always need volunteers to help with Yard duties like making feeds, changing rugs, “grooming” but mainly poo picking no experience necessary, hours to suit ! 

JANUARY 8th 2012 Sanctuary News

January at Herefordshire Sanctuary.

The grass is green, daytime temps ranging from 6C to 12C...could be any month really  but although the general feel is more spring than winter we've had gales most weeks. On the whole I prefer this weather to the snow of last year.
Daily 'blogging' has now moved to our Facebook page EMW(UK) Facebook page

but  it doesn't  toll the death bell here by any means. It's just time that is tight to bring the blog up to date. It's not like there isn't much to talk about with welfare of animals in the UK  abysmal and our esteemed welfare ministers  turning deaf ears to those of us who take time to inform them of what is wrong, how we feel things should change and how to implement those changes.
right now it feels like no one is interested. Campaign groups spring up and  ideas are bandied about and there is much hot air but then that fades and nothing changes. so hoe do we go forward? Sanctuaries ( rescues) are not the answer by  a long way. Non of us can make much difference and with  world economies  falling apart the precious funding we all need gets ever smaller and harder to bring in. The law makers have to get tough, have to make those who wilfully neglect and abuse pay. No longer should we hear the plaintiff wail of 'civil liberties being breached' and 'minority group persecution'  those two defences should be thrown out before they are uttered. I my world it would one offence against an animal and you are hit with the harshest penalty the law allows ( and penalties need to be  extreme)
I know all old fogeys harp back to 'when I were a lad'.. but in all honesty  we had got it almost right  and we had real deterrents, real decency, real values and compassion in our world many decades ago. then along came the liberals and blew our world apart and with it went all the values that kept the majority of vulnerable creatures safe and cared for.

If I could I would happily take us back to a time when if you did wrong you got punished, be that a kid at home where a clip round the ear taught you to not do that improper thing again. where teachers were respected and a little feared for the cane  kept us all in line. where older folk could walk safe and sure and enjoy their  lives. Where fould language was frowned upon and considered  common and uncalled for. ... where kids were taught to care for animals and not harm living things. Long gone now , those times ... so what should we do? I actually think  society has gone too far to get it back now. I think  that we are on the brink of a vigilante style society ( it's already here in many inner cities)  and that our government is out of control of the population with our Police unable to take control and hamstrung by the very laws that should be protecting the law abiding public.
In a sentence, God help us all. Maybe 2012 is armegedon but with the destruction coming from the inside  instead of from outside of our fragile world.

Posted by EMWelaine at 04:20