Burnley equine charity HAPPA helps rescue 40 ponies

Burnley equine charity HAPPA are inviting guests to come and meet their newest members following a joint rescue operation.
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The Horses and Ponies Protection Association worked alongside World Horse Welfare to rescue a herd of 40 Welsh mountain ponies.

The charity has since taken six of the ponies into its care at Shores Hey Farm, Briercliffe.

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The team involved in the rescue had to act quickly while carrying out the operation, with the remote location of the farm, the fact that many of the ponies were unhandled, and treacherous weather conditions, all adding to the difficulty of the task.

Meet Wotsit, one of the 40 Welsh mountain ponies rescued by HAPPA, Burnley.Meet Wotsit, one of the 40 Welsh mountain ponies rescued by HAPPA, Burnley.
Meet Wotsit, one of the 40 Welsh mountain ponies rescued by HAPPA, Burnley.

Each pony was successfully loaded and taken to a triage centre to assess their condition in advance of them being moved to their final destination.

Tracy Heaton, Equine Inspector from HAPPA, said: “It is always a pleasure working alongside World Horse Welfare supporting them, offering our resources and enabling such great teamwork.

"Especially in today’s difficult equine welfare climate, working in partnership is key to getting the job done.

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"Any task involving the round up of large groups can be extremely challenging and is reliant on a knowledgeable, proficient team working in harmony with each other; likewise, HAPPA equally works with World Horse Welfare calling on their resources to assist us on equine operations where necessary.

"The ponies have settled well into HAPPA’s Rescue Centre, Shores Hey Farm, where they will continue on a Rehabilitation Journey, learning to interact and socialise under the guidance of our equine team.”

All six ponies received a full health check on arrival and are receiving the care and attention needed on their own bespoke rehabilitation programmes.

One of the mares is heavily in foal, due any day soon and another mare has also been confirmed in foal, and should give birth later in the year.

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The new intakes have been named after the HAPPA team’s favourite snacks, visitors to Shores Hey Farm will now be able to meet HAPPA Pringle, PomBear, Dorito, McCoy, Wotsit and check in on their progress.

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