Melody - The forgotten mare
As horses get older they need even more care. 27 year old thoroughbred mare Melody was not so lucky.
She was often abandoned in a sparse field for months at a time with nothing to eat but the leftovers of mouldy hay. Her excessively overgrown feet caused her to walk on her heels, worsening her arthritic condition and making every step agony, a gentle trot was impossible. Melody’s naïve owner even turned out a fiery young stallion with her, putting the fragile mare in a very dangerous position.
After a series of phone calls from local horse owners BHS volunteer welfare officer, Moira Pemberton, stepped in. Moira approached the owner offering friendly advice but it when it become clear that the additional care that Melody needed was too burdensome for the owner, Moira gained the owners approval to find Melody a new owner who could, and would, give her the care she needed.
“You can’t always educate the owner – they have to be willing to learn and have the time to do the extra care and sometimes they just aren’t,” explains Moira. “These situations can be quite uncomfortable, approaching people can be hard, but being part of the British Horse Society gives a real advantage over being a private individual expressing concern. My welfare officer training immediately gives me credibility and makes it easier to get the point across,” she adds.
Melody is now doing well. Her new owner Kerry describes the dramatic improvement in Melody’s condition. “Melody looked like she was slowly giving up, it’s amazing she was as strong as she was, but after just a couple of weeks she has completely changed, she’s galloping and bucking around the field and she’s got that spark back in her eye”.
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