2007/2008
Directors and Trustees:
Professor D.C. Knottenbelt O.B.E., BVM&S, DVM&S, MRCVS; J.T. Waters Esq. BVMS,MRCVS;
Mrs G.L. Charles; Mrs J.A. Gaynor, Cert.Ed., dipHM; Mrs S.M.Pike, BEM.

The Annual Report is a resume of SPEAR’s work throughout the year. The Directors and Trustees extend their most grateful thanks to all those Charitable Trusts and their Administrators, to all our generous donors and to the many people who support our work. It is due only to their kindness and generosity that we can fulfil the aims and objectives of this Charity.
As with many other charities, the so called ‘credit crunch’ has started to manifest itself in our fundraising and in the donations given to us. It is becoming obvious that costs are rising rapidly which may in the future affect the level of work we can do. Like everyone else, the cost of food, wages and all other expenses are rising rapidly and dramatically and as we have an ageing population of animals, we have to budget unfortunately for the costs of disposal when the end of their lives is reached. Over the last year our fundraising activities have increased greatly but like every other Charity we are competing for a smaller slice of available funding and this undoubtedly will affect our finances as the projected cost of winter food and bedding is possibly double what we paid last year. The Trustees are extremely grateful for the continuing support we receive throughout the year and attendance at Open Days.
A new fundraising venture that we have started this year is taking the many and varied items we collect to car boot sales locally. This has proved to be a very well worthwhile exercise and we would be very grateful to receive any items that are suitable to sell in this way. Recent press had an article which was querying the use of professional fundraisers and administration. At SPEAR all this type of activity is done by volunteers out of the goodness of their hearts at no expense to the charity. Annually, the Charity Commission asks us for our expenses and these are always run at less than 2% of our annual turnover. Expenses are for essential items like stationery, telephone, postage etc. No remuneration is taken out by any of the Trustees and Directors of this charity. As ever, the Trustees are grateful to all those who give their time and effort to raise money to help with our horses and ponies; without these people SPEAR could no longer operate in the way we wish to maintain our standards of care.
UPDATE FROM 2007
POPPY 14 year old Bay Welsh Section D Cob Mare
Poppy was admitted to SPEAR for Veterinary and nursing care in August 2005, her case subject to prosecution by the RSPCA. Poppy’s owner pleaded guilty to causing her unnecessary suffering and was fined with heavy costs against and deprived of ownership, with the Court awarding ownership of the mare to SPEAR. Her owner decided to appeal against sentence and the case was eventually heard two years later. The appeal failed though fine and costs were reduced and Poppy was ordered to remain the property of SPEAR.
ADMISSIONS 2007/8
AUGUST 2007
BOBBY 28 year old 12 hh grey gelding
Once again Bobby came to us so that his nursing care could be continued for 2 weeks whilst his owners went on holiday. We are always pleased to see him as he is a delightful pony to look after; as usual, he settled in immediately.
OCTOBER 2007
WILLIAM 5 year old 12 hh dapple grey Registered Welsh Section A gelding
William was signed over to the RSPCA and brought to SPEAR for Veterinary and nursing care as his owner no longer wanted him. It was three years since William’s feet had been trimmed. They were overgrown and during that time he had suffered laminitis. He was lame all round with evidence of a foot abscess having burst through the coronary band at the top of one of his hind feet. William also had a badly infected left eye which was painful
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and discharging pus. William received veterinary treatment on site until he was fit to travel, when he was sedated and brought to SPEAR. On admission, it was apparent that he had received very little handling. His overgrown feet were trimmed under sedation and he was given antibiotic cover as it was impossible to poultice his infected hind hoof. There was considerable laminal separation in all four feet and evidence of old abscesses.
To prevent foot infections and to enable him to be handled, he was kept on a small all-weather surface until he became sound. William’s feet were trimmed 6 weeks later, again under sedation. He was sound by then and able to go out onto restricted grazing to prevent a recurrence of laminitis.
The infection in his left eye cleared after many weeks of being treated with different antibiotic eye ointments and drops; as his eye was still weeping non-infected clear fluid suggestive of a blocked tear duct, the decision was made to anaesthetise him to investigate the problem. This procedure was carried out in March under general anaesthetic, when it was discovered that William did not have a tear duct in that eye – a rare condition. We were advised to keep wiping his eye when it wept and to put a barrier cream on his face where the tears ran. The problem was managed successfully in this way.
William responded well to kind, consistent handling, becoming more confident in all that was asked of him. He is a kind pony and a good example of his breed. William was offered a foster home not long after admission where he would be broken and backed, ready to begin a showing career under saddle when all his health problems had been dealt with. Following a discussion between our two Veterinary Trustees it was decided that William should take advantage of this kind offer, knowing that his eye problem would be well managed in his new home. He left us in April and settled happily into his foster home where he has made excellent progress and has now been broken, backed and ridden away. William has been taken to several shows already to be introduced to new surroundings and has been successfully shown in hand, behaving beautifully which resulted in his young handler gaining first prize for the Best Young Handler at King’s Heath Show. We are delighted with his progress and extremely grateful to his foster owners for giving William the chance in life that he deserves.
NOVEMBER 2007
30 Assorted Rare Breed Bantams admitted to SPEAR on behalf of the Warwickshire RSPCA, which were part of a multiple animal cruelty case. The Bantams arrived in small groups of no more than 4 birds and as such had to be housed in this way. All were hungry and thirsty, having been kept in tiny filthy pens. Many had large heavy clods of dried mud hanging on their leg feathers and balled up on their feet. Diseases such as scaly leg, mites and bumble foot were found on most of the birds. One died and three were humanely destroyed. The remainder, following a lengthy Veterinary examination and treatment were nursed back to health and have since been successfully rehomed in their small groups. SPEAR retained 2 tiny bantams that settled down well, living happily with our other poultry.
FEBRUARY 2008
SARAH 24 year old 16.1 hh Bay Thoroughbred X Mare
Sarah is privately owned and suffered an accident in which she fractured the splint bones of both hind legs. She was referred to an Equine Hospital for surgery under general anaesthetic to remove the lower 1/3 of the splint bones and the many associated bone fragments. Following lengthy but successful surgery, Sarah experienced a post-operative complication in that she was unable to pass droppings or lift her tail due to temporary paralysis of her rectum and the top of her tail. Sarah was hospitalised for two weeks and when discharged, admitted to
SPEAR so that her nursing care could be continued. She has made excellent progress and is now able to pass droppings normally and her wounds have healed beautifully. She lives out at grass with Pansy Donkey as her companion, happily sharing their field shelter.
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MARCH 2008
5 young White Bantam Silkie Cockerels
A sealed box containing the Bantam cockerels was abandoned on the platform of a nearby railway station.
When livestock was discovered inside, the birds were kindly given water by the railway staff. SPEAR was contacted and agreed to admit them immediately. They were brought by taxi to Cotswold House and housed separately from our own poultry. Although hungry, hot and thirsty, they were all in good condition. We waited to see if an owner came forward to claim them but without success. Eventually we were able to rehome all five.
MAY 2008
SARAH CHICKEN
Sarah was rescued from Melton Mowbray poultry market where she was taken to be sold for meat. She was bought out of pity and rehomed with SPEAR 2 days later. On arrival, Sarah was hungry and thirsty; she had refused to eat or drink at her temporary home. With other poultry nearby she quickly settled down in her own house and run, but it was obvious that she had been denied exercise as walking tired her out – she spent a lot of her time sitting resting. When trying to scratch ground in the normal way, she could only perform this normal function by walking backwards. She has strengthened considerably over the last months and can now leave her run to enjoy a natural, free way of life roaming the land and yard with our other chickens. She has also begun to lay eggs every other day.
JUNE 2008
SAM Black Lamb, approx 8-12 weeks old
SPEAR was originally asked to admit a goat that had been reported to the RSPCA as being in distress in a block of inner-city flats occupied by immigrants. When the Inspector arrived, the ‘goat’ had disappeared, ‘rescued’ by those who had reported their concerns. One month later, the ‘goat’ was discovered in the same city living outside in an alley way of a house. The goat turned out to be a black lamb, male, neutered and with two ear punch holes in one and one in the other suggesting he had been removed from a well managed flock. Sam had survived in an alien environment by being bottle fed on goats’ milk. He had run with dogs and showed no fear of them on arrival, and was completely used to humans. Sam had a full Veterinary examination on admission, was assessed at being between 8 to 12 weeks old. He was treated for a minor chest infection, given anti-tetanus cover and an injection of vitamins. We continued to bottle feed him with goats’ milk four times a day and gradually introduced him to grass with our two remaining elderly sheep, which ignored him and he them but gradually Sam began to recognise them as his own species.
Disaster struck 10 days later. Sam suffered bloat and received immediate Veterinary treatment. He appeared to respond but suffered a relapse 3 hours later. Despite further treatment Sam died suddenly and unexpectedly.
We had no knowledge of his past history in relation to immunity from disease. His symptoms of bloat were not typical of this condition, suggestive of a larger underlying problem associated with lack of immunity that he would have had if he had been left on his mother to feed naturally. Sam was adorable and it was very upsetting to lose him at such a young age.
JULY 2008
WILLOW 10 year old 13 hh Dapple grey Registered Part Bred Welsh Mare
Willow was admitted c/o the Warwickshire RSPCA having been signed over to them and admitted to SPEAR for
Veterinary and nursing care. She was the cause of concern because of long term foot neglect and laminitis.
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Willow underwent a full Veterinary examination on admission when she was wormed, vaccinated against tetanus and her feet examined, with the advice that it would take a year to repair the damage with consistent remedial farriery. As with her feet, her teeth showed evidence of long term neglect which could not be dealt with by normal rasping. Once settled, Willow was sedated to enable the many sharp edges to be removed using an electric rasp. Her overgrown feet were trimmed showing evidence of old abscesses in all four, pedal rotation through laminitis, considerable bruising of her soles and laminal separation. Willow appeared more comfortable on her feet following her farrier’s visit in which all four feet were treated with antibiotic spray to try to prevent infection. She makes full use of the soft, all weather foot areas which means we can minimise the amount of pain-killing drugs she was given prior to admission. Willow is extremely well bred; she is a quiet pony and has a very kind and sweet nature. We hope to repair the damage to her feet and in time to provide her with the happy future she deserves.
LUKE 9 year old 16.2 hh Chestnut Gelding
This large, quiet and extremely charming horse is privately owned. He is currently being box rested and receiving treatment for lameness. Because his devoted owner lives nearby, Luke was moved so that his owner can continue to care for him on a daily basis.
PERMANENT RESIDENTS
Bodie
Ginger
Pansy Donkey
Sergeant Lemon
Teddy
Barney Goat
)
)
)
)
)
) see Adoption Report
BRIAN 30 year old Black Shetland Gelding
Brian was diagnosed with a degree of liver failure in Autumn and subsequently received treatment to boost his liver function and periodically this is repeated. He wintered well, living happily with Whisker. In Spring his sweet itch begins to be troublesome but so far this year the daily medication and frequent topical treatment have proved effective. He like Whisker is fed three times a day and has managed to maintain good bodily condition despite having lost several molars. He and Whisker are a delightful pair of extremely sweet old ponies who still enjoy life, happily settled in a quiet daily routine. Brian is cared for devotedly by Manda, our part-time groom.
WHISKER 40 year old Skewbald Shetland Mare
Whisker is now a very great age. She is stiff but receives daily medication and frequent Farriery to keep her feet balanced which helps relieve the problem. She has hardly any grinding surface left on her molars which are few and far between, but is fed three times a day and has maintained good bodily condition.
Whisker and Brian her companion had a joint birthday celebration during May Open Day. Whisker is 40 years old this year; Brian 30. They enjoyed their birthday with all our visitors but Whisker didn’t think much of the birthday cake so there was more for Brian and our visitors to share!
BUTTONS 39 year old 10 hh Grey Pony Mare
For several months, Buttons was “Foster Granny” to Nettles our orphan foal until he became too much for her with his endless boisterous games. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Buttons for the wonderful way she looked after him, protecting him, helping him to realise he was a pony and teaching him good manners. Buttons is a very old pony with few teeth, that means she has to be fed soft food five times a day as she cannot now eat grass or hay. She has maintained good bodily condition throughout the year and for her age is in remarkably good health. She is a “feisty” little pony rarely walking anywhere because everything is done at a trot or canter.
For her size she is extremely bossy with others and likes to rule the roost with her field companions. Nettles of course was the exception! Buttons has Cushings Syndrome and because of this she grows an extremely thick
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heavy coat which we clip out in warm weather and fortunately so far this is the only symptom she experiences.
Earlier this year we had a lovely surprise when, on reading our Annual Report, a family contacted us to say that they thought that many years ago they owned Buttons. This proved to be true when they came to visit her bringing photographs of Buttons in her much younger days when she was ridden by small children. Since then her original family have kept in touch with us, visiting Buttons on Open Days.
CHARLIE 6 year old 14 hh Chestnut Cob Gelding
Charlie was kept on his own in a “stable” for most of his young life until the age of 4, the consequence being poor development as he grew. Once gelded and his health problems dealt with, he was turned out for a year with an old large gelding for company, in a field on a hill to hopefully strengthen his weak hind quarters. During this time,
Charlie grew and strengthened considerably behind sufficiently for him to be carefully broken and backed, always bearing in mind his very poor start. Charlie returned to us three months later working well but lightly under saddle and continued to be ridden in this way for another few weeks. He was turned away in the Autumn and has recently begun light work once more. We are very pleased with Charlie’s slow, steady progress. He is an affectionate pony and very easy to do. We may rehome when we feel he is ready.
PIPKIN 12 year old Black Miniature Shetland Mare
Pipkin suffered a foot abscess in one of her front feet in late November last year, causing her to be very lame.
From November to January she was poulticed every day and given pain relief and four concurrent courses of antibiotics. Pipkin has Cushings Syndrome, diagnosed when she was eight, making the infection extremely difficult to treat because of her depressed immune system. We very nearly lost her as there was great concern that her foot was beginning to destabilise through infection. She lost the outer quarter of her hoof which has now almost grown back. Shortly after this episode, Pipkin developed another abscess in the other front foot but fortunately this one responded to treatment. Her feet require trimming every three weeks to keep them balanced and to alleviate the discomfort of the intermittent bouts of laminitis she has suffered through Cushings Syndrome.
Her grass intake is very carefully monitored. She has remained sound for the last three months and is well in herself.
NETTLES Black pony yearling
Nettles, an orphan foal was admitted when he was 24 hours old, born on 23 June 2007. A blood sample taken on admission showed that Nettles had never suckled from his mother and therefore he had no immunity to disease. During his first week of life he was given plasma intravenously under sedation to counteract this problem. Nettles was bottle fed every 2 hours day and night for 2 months and continued with his bottle feeds until he was 5 months old when he was weaned. Buttons was his Foster Granny for 7 months until he became too much for her with his endless boisterous games. William took over as Nettles’ companion, followed by Teddy when William was moved to his new foster home; Nettles was gelded at 10 months. Orphan foals can be difficult to handle as they grow having been reared by humans and have a tendency to treat their handler as an equine with little respect for that person. We were so fortunate in having Buttons to teach Nettles that he was a pony so early in his life. Nettles has developed normally despite being so disadvantaged from the start. He is a strong healthy yearling with a truly lovely temperament and so easy to handle, delighted to try anything new such as loading into the trailer etc, etc. We celebrated his first birthday on Adopters Open Day in July. He was completely happy and behaved beautifully surrounded by all our visitors as he was led out in hand into the back paddock, shown his birthday cake and promptly ate 1/3 before it could be cut, much to everyone’s and his huge amusement! Nettles will stay with us until he is ready to begin his working life when we hope he will become a safe, children’s riding pony.
RAFFLES 13 year old 12 hh Grey Welsh Mountain Pony Gelding
Raffles has experienced a difficult year in relation to his health. He suffers from Equine Metabolic Syndrome
(raised insulin levels) and receives daily medication for this condition. He occasionally experiences a ‘flare up’ which presents with lameness as in laminitis, but with drugs he can be kept comfortable until his insulin level drops which it does in time. It is very important to keep his feet trimmed and balanced to try to reduce any discomfort he may experience in these circumstances.
In March Raffles had difficulty in swallowing and was treated for a throat infection which needed 3 separate courses of antibiotic injections before it cleared only to recur the following month. He was endoscoped which
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showed as suspected very swollen tissue in his throat caused by infection. Two further courses of antibiotics were given as before and fortunately he made a full recovery. He was well and sound until a foot infection in
June which cleared up quickly with poulticing etc. At the time of this report Raffles is extremely well. Looking at him you would never know that he has experienced ongoing health problems. He lives out with his friends Pie and Poppy who need and have as little grass as he, as all three have a tendency to put on too much weight.
POPPY 13 year old Bay Welsh Section D Cob Mare
Poppy has remained in our care because we feel to move her to a foster home would unsettle her. She can at times be difficult with strangers, especially men and this behaviour relates to her past life. Poppy likes routine and is so settled here, trusting those she knows which makes her easy to do and a pleasure to care for. Her feet have greatly improved with consistent Farriery and are now a normal set of feet. We did begin the process of breaking and backing her which she took in her stride but unfortunately she became unlevel behind consistent with spavin, a hock problem. In view of this the decision was made to retire her. Poppy is surprisingly meek and mild when turned out with others, despite her large size. The feral aggression she showed to all humans on admission is fortunately not meted out to those of her own species. We have watched her confidence grow over the last three years and take pleasure in all she has achieved knowing that she now leads a happy life.
GOATS
BARNEY – see Adoption Report
WALLACE a large white neutered Billy goat approx 12 years old
Wallace appeared to be losing weight in winter and received treatment for liver failure. He has a very good diet; in addition there is plenty of herbage for him to browse and his bodily condition has since improved, although he is losing his coat. He lives happily with Barney but is fed separately out of their stable due to Barney’s immense greed. Our Farrier regularly trims the goats’ feet.
HARRY and HENRY neutered horned Pygmy billy goats. They are brothers approximately 6 years old and in extremely rude and naughty health. Nothing escapes these two and they are quite a handful. Henry can still be unnecessarily aggressive for no reason and Harry is not always easy to contain as he is the most athletic of them all. We have had interest from prospective foster homes but have refused these kind offers as the families had children and neither of these horned goats is suitable to be near children. For safety’s sake, our policy is not to rehome horned goats where they will have contact with children because of risk of injury.
SHEEP
Our small flock consists of only two elderly sheep, Rachael and Pod II. Pod is at least 12 years old. During the last year he has become rather stiff but so far daily medication has helped him. Rachael is 10 years old and in good health.
POULTRY
Again this year, our numbers have greatly varied.
OLIVE TURKEY is 8 years old. She is a commercial breed, not meant to reach her 1 st birthday. Although slightly stiff in one leg she remains in remarkably good health and laid one single egg this year – in previous years Olive laid many eggs but now in great old age her egg producing days are probably over. Olive loves human company, especially that of our Handyman, Harry. When he is working she finds him, even if he is away down the field - she will sit quietly ‘talking’ to him all day as he works.
HEIDI and HATTI Buff Orpington Chickens
This splendid paid of large ginger chickens live with Olive Turkey. They lay lovely eggs every day and have happily accepted all our new chicken arrivals that we have kept as permanent residents.
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BILL and JOYCE GOOSE
Bill is now rather frail and has sight in only one eye. We don’t know how old he is. He is devoted to Joyce and she to him, calling to each other when they are out in the paddock during the day. Joyce failed to lay any eggs this year but remains in very good health.
ANIMALS THAT ARE NO LONGER WITH US
August 2007
THELMA white, horned Nanny goat – aged approx 13 yrs
Thelma and her companion, another small, white, horned goat were discovered 11 years ago in one of our fields one morning. Both had “collars” made of binder twine and it was obvious they had been abandoned there, unwanted by their owner. Shortly after they arrived, both produced kids so the numbers increased from 2 to 5 goats overnight. We were fortunate to rehome both goat families to the same foster home some months later.
Thelma was returned because she was being bullied by the now fully grown kids. She settled down happily with our resident goats that she had previously lived with. During the last year of her life, Thelma developed an inoperable fibrous tumour on the front of her chest wall that gradually increased in size causing her discomfort.
She was put to sleep at home because there was no more we could do for her.
September 2007
TOSCA 30 yr old 16.2 hh bay thoroughbred gelding
The livery yard where Tosca lived was due to be sold and because his owner could not be contacted to remove him, Tosca was homeless. He used to be a competition horse used for show jumping and eventing but latterly used for teaching as he was in semi-retirement. SPEAR agreed to admit Tosca on the basis that he had been virtually abandoned. Tosca had worked hard in his life and this showed as he aged with increasing stiffness in all the joints of all four legs. We were able to keep him comfortable with a joint supplement and appropriate medication daily which relieved his stiffness, but during the last few months the treatment became less effective.
In addition, Tosca was losing weight as his molars were very worn and this despite as much good grass as he could eat and 2 substantial feeds a day. Rather than let him suffer and with winter approaching, he was put to sleep at home. He and Nelson (see below) were the best of friends and we could not separate them. We had cared for Tosca for 9 years.
NELSON 28 yr old 16 hh Chestnut heavy weight hunter type gelding
We admitted Nelson in 2006 when his owner died suddenly and there was no one to give him long term care.
He suffered from arthritis in his hind limbs and since admission, like Tosca, had been given medication to ease this stiffness. Despite treatment, which was becoming less effective, we were very concerned when he began to find difficulty in getting up from lying down. We made the sad decision to put him to sleep at the same time as
Tosca. It would have caused them great distress to be parted from each other.
January 2008
Mary Chicken - Mary was the sole survivor of a fox raid in which all the chickens she lived with were killed.
Mary came to us for company and settled with all our poultry. Sadly she suffered a leg injury which despite treatment did not improve so she was put to sleep to prevent further suffering. All our chickens are truly free range. The fields abound with wildlife i.e. foxes, badgers, rabbits, hedgehogs all types of birds including birds of prey, Canada geese and mallard ducks. Our poultry is in danger if there is a daytime raid and we think that unfortunately Mary’s injury was related to an attack of some sort.
February 2008
Gerry Donkey (see Adoption Report)
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Anna Chicken – died suddenly of a heart attack. She was brought to us in 2007 when her owners abandoned her and another chicken having sold their house and moved away. Both chickens were left in the garden without food or water. Anna’s companion disappeared but fortunately Anna was rescued by the family next door and as they had relatives in Norton Lindsey, she found her way to us.
June 2008
Sam Lamb (see Admissions)
July 2008
MISTY 25 year old grey Welsh Mountain Pony gelding
Misty was admitted in 2005. He was signed over to SPEAR when pressure was put on his owner by the RSPCA and attending Veterinary Surgeon to deal with his many health problems. Misty had lived entirely on his own for more than 20 years in the same field. His health problems consisted of severe dental neglect with inoperable malignant melanomas in the corner of his mouth and under his tail. He had suffered laminitis not helped by grossly overgrown feet. On top of this he was found to be suffering from Cushings Syndrome. Although Misty had experienced the bare minimum of care for all those years with very little education in every way, he willingly co-operated with all the new experiences he faced i.e. travelling from isolation in his field to be where he could see and eventually meet as companions, those of his own species. All the Veterinary work, Farriery and daily nursing care, he took in his stride much to our surprise. This lovely, kind, quiet pony should have enjoyed a happy, useful life. He was a very good example of his breed and deserved much better.
FOSTERED HORSES AND PONIES
We are deeply grateful to our foster carers who provide long-term foster homes for our horses and ponies. They benefit so much from the individual care and attention given. Thank you all on behalf of:
BLUEY
HERCULES
LADY DIANE
BRAMBLE
HOVIS
MOLLY
BRYONY
JAKE
NUTMEG
DOODLE
JENNY BROWN
PEANUTS
HENRY
JIM
PEPPER
PETER
ROBIN
TILLY
ROSIE
WEESEL
POLLY
RUPERT
POSIE
SPARKLE
RIKI
SUSIE
JASPER OF SPEAR FUND: August 07 – July 08 by Karen Gray
Jasper and I started the Fund seven years ago as a “thank you” to SPEAR for saving Jasper’s life.
Since it’s inauguration Jasper and his friends have raised over £20,000 which has helped to save the lives of several horses and ponies and set them on the road to recovery and a better life with the expert nursing care from Sue and her team.
Thanks must go to my husband John for designing and painting the “Jasper of SPEAR” Christmas card for 2007
“A Sleigh Ride with Jasper”, and a special thanks to Richard and Kate Cashmore of Printeq Ltd who printed and donated the cards for us. (Look out for the new 2008 Christmas card at September Open Day!)
Thanks also to the Swift Family for organising a very successful Halloween Quiz and refreshments at Alvechurch
Village Hall. The money raised was donated to Jasper’s Fund. An enjoyable and fun evening was had by all.
Thank you so much.
In June, Dawn arranged a Rug & Tack Sale at “Woodclose”(Jasper’s home) which we combined with a small
Open Day and raised £920 for Jasper’s Fund.
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We are also becoming experts at “Car Booting” and have raised several hundred pounds for the Fund. We are always on the look out for suitable car boot items so think about us next time you have a “Clear Out”!
Jasper wishes to thank everyone who supports his Fund, especially Barbara Hadley who helped start the Fund and supported us ever since.
We desperately need Tombola prizes and good quality cuddly toys which can be brought to Open Days at
SPEAR or I will collect. We need individuals or organisations to arrange fund raising events on our behalf so that we can ensure there is always enough money in the Jasper Fund for SPEAR to use in an emergency.
Every penny earned or donated goes directly to the Fund. We do not take anything out for administration.
PLEASE, PLEASE HELP JASPER TO KEEP HIS FUND GOING SO THAT HE CAN HELP OTHER
UNFORTUNATE HORSES AND PONIES – WE NEED YOUR HELP!
JASPER UPDATE – August 07 – July 08 by Karen Gray
Jasper and Phoebe are still “a force to be reckoned with” in the show ring! Jasper loves his jumping and the more interesting and difficult the course the more he enjoys it!
So far this year they have eight wins, six seconds, four championship and three reserve championships in Cradle
Stakes and Novice Nursery classes at shows throughout the Midlands.
They have qualified for the British Show Pony Society Championships to be held in August at Arena UK,
Grantham, Lincs (a new venue to replace Peterborough) and also the Northern Counties Pony Association
Championships to be held in September at Cheshire.
Sadly this is Phoebe’s final year competing on Jasper as she will be too old for the class he competes in. We will be sorry to lose her after three years. Jasper and all at SPEAR wish her well for the future riding her own pony.
A big THANK YOU from us all, especially Jasper!
Jasper is a happy and contented pony who can still put in the occasional buck when excited at the prospect of jumping!
GOOD LUCK TO PHOEBE AND JASPER AT THE CHAMPIONSHIPS FROM ALL AT SPEAR
ADOPTION UPDATE - July 2008 by Anna Smith
Dear SPEAR Adopters,
This is my first adoption update as the SPEAR Adoption Secretary since taking over form Barbara Hadley last
September. I had a hard case to follow with someone so competent as Barbara. We all wish her well in her retirement. The time seems to have flown and I have met so many of you at our Open Days and put a face to a name. This year and in future years our Adopters Day will be combined with an Open Day for which there will be no charge for Adopters, only members of the general public. We hope many of you will be able to make this on
July 6 th this year at Cotswold House, Norton Lindsey at 11am until 3pm.
Bodie wintered well and is now out at grass with Sergeant Lemon. The large, inoperable melanomas under his tail have increased in size and spread to his sheath, but so far he has remained comfortable with careful management. Bodie’s looks belie his age – he is 29 this year and could be taken for a horse half that age. It is pleasing to watch him load confidently onto the lorry to travel between Cotswold House and Claverdon, and vice
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versa. He’s realised that at the end of each short journey something nice awaits, either lovely grass in Spring and Summer or lots of treats on Open Days!
Bodie is a popular member of the Adoption Programme. His pure white colour and lovely kind temperament make him very appealing to our members and visitors.
Sergeant Lemon. As last year, we tried to keep Lemon out at grass for as long as possible because when stabled his stringhalt becomes more troublesome. Lemon and all of our horses, ponies and donkey are all beautifully clothed thanks to the very kind people who donate rugs to us throughout the year. This helps so much in keeping Lemon warm and dry in all weathers, because being a thoroughbred he doesn’t grow a very thick winter coat. Lemon wintered well remaining free of mud rash on his legs, by having daily applications of barrier cream. Both front feet are kept shod and he has remained sound thanks to our farrier Ray Walker’s consistent efforts. Lemon has somewhat mellowed with increasing age and for a thoroughbred is a joy to look after.
Pansy. When we sadly lost Gerry, Pansy was miserable for about four days. It worried us because donkeys can suffer badly from losing a long term companion. We tried very hard to find a suitable donkey companion, preferably of the same sex and age but were unsuccessful. The only ones we could find were male and young which would have been too much for her. Fortunately she knows our three old Shetland ponies well, and with
Gerry had grazed with them every day in the field. We decided that it was best if we let her do and be where she was most happy. We spoilt her of course and within a week she had settled down with Whisker as her close companion.
During this time we admitted an aged thoroughbred mare called Sarah for nursing care, and Pansy was quite happy to be stabled next to her for company, as she was when Poppy came into our care. Sarah and Pansy got on well which meant they were company for each other when Sarah was well enough to begin her rehabilitation out at grass, happily sharing a field shelter with Pansy. Fortunately both travel well and were able to progress to our land at Claverdon, where they are happily settled in the same situation and will remain there during the summer, returning home for Open days. It is a great relief to know that Pansy has recovered from the trauma of losing Gerry and she is doing a wonderful job keeping Sarah happy and settled at grass.
Teddy has remained in excellent health all year. He is a sturdy little chap that we can at long last treat as a normal healthy pony. During the winter Teddy’s field companion was Raffles until Raffles, who has ongoing health problems, became ill meaning that Teddy had to be moved to be Poppy’s companion, as he was for a time last year. Poppy was quite used to Teddy’s antics, tolerating his games by mostly ignoring him!
By spring Nettles, our orphan foal needed a new, safe companion as William, who replaced Nettles’ “foster granny”, Buttons was ready to rehome. Teddy took on his new job with great enthusiasm, delighted to have a youngster to play with, (as Poppy was far too boring!) We could trust Teddy not to hurt Nettles who was only ten months old at the time and recently gelded. They settled down together immediately and spend their time happily grazing, interrupted with frequent games that can be quite rough at times, but never nasty. Teddy is such a good companion, liked by every horse and pony he meets and we are very lucky to have him.
Ginger has had a difficult year. Her intermittent lameness is caused by laminitis due to Cushings Syndrome which was diagnosed last year. She also suffers from arthritis in the lower parts of her legs, due to the past long term neglect of her feet. Sad though this is we are able to keep her comfortable by giving her daily medication and using the soft all weather surfaces for her to live in when the hard ground affects her feet. Her farrier’s visits are more frequent than normal as her feet have a tendency to grow very quickly and it is important to keep them balanced so that she is comfortable.
Despite these problems Ginger was well enough to take to Ladbroke Fete in the trailer, last month. She enjoyed being bathed prior to her outing, loved the travelling and spent a few happy hours at the fete standing and walking on the very soft grass, being duly admired by people of all ages who came to see and admire this very small, sweet pony. Ginger was an excellent ambassador for this charity. Her behaviour was perfect and the outing cheered her up enormously. She arrived home quite full of herself and is well enough, we hope to take to
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Lapworth Village Fete later this month, as she obviously enjoys the occasional afternoon out and it seems to do her good!
Barney is very well, very round, very happy and very greedy. He enjoys the winter months because they mostly consist of eating and sleeping - his main joy in life! We do however insist on daily exercise though as far as
Barney is concerned it’s for as short a time as possible! Barney is always first to be fed – we have no choice in the matter, as he uses his considerable weight, bulk and strength to push and shove his way to the nearest feed bowl, finishing everything as quickly as possible. Feed time is an art to make sure that Harry, Henry and
Wallace, his companions, have time to eat their feed in peace.
At this time, all four goats have been persuaded to live out in one of our fields, using the large field shelter for cover if it rains. There is plenty of herbage to browse and judging by their condition they are doing pretty well – especially Barney!
All the goats have their feet professionally trimmed by our Farrier. Barney’s hind feet were slightly distorted due to neglect, but now through consistent trimming have greatly improved.
Open days are hugely enjoyed by all the goats but especially Barney because of all the treats he is given on the day. He is a lucky chap and despite his little ways we are very fond of him.
I would just like to thank all the adopters for taking the time, interest and care to adopt our animals. It is with your help that SPEAR’s animals have the financial backing to be properly cared for. Our special thanks go to Sue
Pike and her team of dedicated helpers for all their hard work. Our animals are very happy and very much loved.
They love their treats of carrots, apples, polo mints, ginger biscuits. We all hope to see you at our next Open
Day.
With lots of love from Bodie, Sergeant Lemon, Pansy, Teddy, Ginger and Barney xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
And Anna Smith (SPEAR Adoption secretary)
The Grove, King’s Lane, Snitterfield, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 OQA. Tel: 01789 730039
Important Notices
1. Please come to our Open Days at Cotswold House, Norton Lindsey on:-
SUNDAY 14 TH SEPTEMBER 2008 OPEN DAY – 11AM – 4PM
SUNDAY 30 TH NOVEMBER 2008 OPEN DAY – 11AM – 3PM
2. Please could any of the adopters who have not given me their email addresses please do so in order that we might save costs by emailing instead of postage.
FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE
Open Day – 9 th September 2007
The fund-raising committee have agreed that September has proved to be a very successful time to hold our main Open Day, and this will remain as a permanent fixture in our diary. We were blessed with good weather
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and due to our advertising, we saw an increase in numbers – which included first-time visitors. The display of ridden and in-hand foster horses and ponies entertained us all. A big thank you to Sue Kruze who has increased the range of SPEAR clothing – which again has increased sales.
Thank you to all who ran stalls, made tea and cooked sausages – and not forgetting Karen and Thelma’s ever popular cakes.
Fat Chance – 29 th September 2007
Clare organised a very popular evening which was held at Mappleborough Green Village Hall, fish and chips were served for supper. Thank you Clare for a very successful evening in every way.
Nearly New Rug and Tack Sale – 20 th October 2007, Alvechurch Village Hall
Kindly organised by Dawn Swift and her family. Again this was a very successful event. Many grateful thanks to all who so kindly donated the many lovely rugs and all manner of useful ‘horsey’ things.
Halloween Quiz and Fun Night – October 2007, Alvechurch Village Hall
Kindly organised by Dawn Swift and her family, this was enjoyed by all and grateful thanks to all who supported this event.
Open Day Christmas Fair – 9 th December 2007
Lisa and Mandy surpassed themselves with a beautiful Santa’s Grotto –which was enjoyed by our younger members and a few older ones too! Although the weather was cold and wet, we had a good turn out and the
Christmas spirit was high – no one grumbled about the weather! The cold weather encouraged the sale of sausages and burgers on the b.b.q. Well done Mike and co.
Sainsbury’s Collection, Warwick – December 2007
Maxine and Karen split the day into two shifts – we spoke to lots of Christmas shoppers who kindly donated their spare change and gave gifts from our Wish List. Further collections are planned for next year.
Tesco Collection, Warwick – 14 th February 2008
Maxine, Karen, Dawn and Manda split into two teams and divided the day; shoppers donated their spare change and items from our Wish List. People were very interested in the work that SPEAR undertakes and some have since visited us at open days. Many thanks to all. Further days are planned for next year. Thank you to Mike,
Jono, Arran, Bethany and Hannah.
Veterinary Lecture, Stratford upon Avon Civic Hall - 18 th February 2008
A most interesting and informative evening was enjoyed by over 150 – supporters who listened with intent as Dr
Derek Knottenbelt gave his 2 lectures. Thanks to the NFU for their sponsorship and for Blue Chip’s gifts of raffle prizes and goodie bags, also to Karen for supplying supper prior to the event. The next Veterinary lecture is planned for early 2010.
Annual Quiz Night – Mappleborough Green - 8 th March 2008
A very popular event in our diary – the bronze statue of a horse kindly donated by the Bonner-Evans family in memory of their beloved pony ‘Nutkin’ was presented to the winning team.
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Nearly New Rug and Tack Sale - Cotswold House, March 2008
Organised by Dawn and Manda, who washed, proofed and sorted rugs and tack for many weeks beforehand and again our grateful thanks to so many people who kindly donated the items we sold. The day was well organised and attended with tea, coffee and fresh sandwiches provided by the fund-raising committee.
Jasper’s Open Day – 30 th March 2008
This is the second year running which Jasper of SPEAR has hosted his own very popular open day –Jasper being the main attraction. He was accompanied by his rider Phoebe and all this year’s rosettes and cups won in competitions. Jasper raised a substantial amount of money for the Jasper Fund set up to fund the care of horses, ponies and other large animals in desperate need.
May Open Day – 11 th May 2008
A beautiful sunny day helped to ensure a relaxed and profitable day, with supporters staying well into the afternoon.
Nearly New Rug and Tack Sale, Netherwood Livery Yard – 29 th June 2008
Organised by Bethany and Maxine – a well worthwhile event. Thank you to Kate Matterson for the use of her indoor school and everyone who attended.
Adopters’ Day/Open Day – 6 th July 2008
This year we combined Adopters’ Day with an Open Day. Although the start of the day was wet and windy, our loyal supporters stayed long enough to see the sun come out. We celebrated Anna Smith’s first year of running the Adopters’ programme and thank her for her continued support and hard work. We also took the opportunity to wish NETTLES a happy 1 st birthday and gave him a cake which he ate with much delight!
Ladbroke Fete – 7 th July 2008
On receiving this kind invitation which included a request for a pony, we decided to take our very small and quiet
Shetland pony called Ginger because at the time she was well and enjoyed going out to events. It was a lovely summer’s day held in beautiful surroundings – a most enjoyable few hours where we met many new people who expressed interest in SPEAR’s work. Ginger behaved beautifully and thoroughly enjoyed her outing. She was an excellent ambassador for SPEAR.
Lapworth Cricket Club Fete – 13 th July 2008
The Fund-Raising committee was out in full with stalls that included strawberries and cream, tombola, caps and bags and games on what proved to be a worthwhile event, helped by the beautiful summer sun. Thank you to
Lapworth Cricket Club for inviting us and to everyone who supported us.
Snitterfield Fete – 22 nd July 2008
Anna Smith, our Adoption Secretary, with her donkey Rosie represented us at the fete to promote SPEAR’s work. Despite strong wind and rain the fete was well attended. Thanks to Anna, Rosie and the fete organisers for making this a worthwhile exercise.
We would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to our Adopters and ALL our supporters of
SPEAR, who through your generous contributions, enable us to carry out the work we do and assist in the rehabilitation of suffering animals.
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100 CLUB REPORT
The 100 Club continues to thrive and we are pleased to report another year of successful operation. We are very pleased to say that the cost of membership has been maintained at just £12 per number for a full year’s participation. Many thanks to the members of the Club who have supported us during the last year and congratulations to all the winners of the monthly draw. All the proceeds from the Club go directly towards the care of our animals and provide a valuable and steady contribution to the charity’s funds. If you are not a current member, you are very welcome to join the 100 Club at any time and if you would like more details or have any queries please contact Sue Kruze on 01926 859848.
FARRIER
We depend on Ray Walker, our Farrier, to deal with the many and varied problems encountered with most of the horses and ponies in our care, as detailed in this report. Consistent remedial Farriery is vital for their well-being to maintain comfort by correcting the long-term damage to their feet caused by previous neglect. However daunting the case may be, or how difficult the animal, Ray’s persistence and skill always wins! We give him our most sincere thanks.
YARD STAFF
DAWN Dawn gained her BA (Hons) in Equine Studies last year and is now our Yard Manager. Her interest and enthusiasm for Animal Welfare is reflected in her consistent hard work in caring for all our animals, running the yard and also helping to organise and help with any fundraising events throughout the year. We are most grateful for all she does. Dawn has fostered Pied Piper, a 13 hh, 12 yr old Skewbald gelding, for 3 years. Pie moved from Karen Gray’s yard (where Dawn kept him) to be with her at work so that she could continue to care for him. Being with Dawn helped Pie to settle in when he moved. He is a complex character and needs devoted understanding which he gets, on a daily basis.
MANDA Manda is a BHS Assistant Instructor who became our part-time groom after a year’s voluntary work for
SPEAR in the yard. Manda is a much valued member of our team. We are very grateful for all she does for the animals we care for and for her support and enthusiasm in all aspects of the charity’s activities.
WORK EXPERIENCE
SOPHIE Sophie stayed on at the Warwickshire College of Agriculture to successfully complete another year’s studies for a second Diploma in Animal Health and Welfare. We wish her every success in the future.
VOLUNTARY HELP
AMY Amy was a great help in the yard from early Autumn to late Spring, undertaking all manner of jobs without a murmur. We were particularly glad of her help during the winter months and were very grateful for her help and support with all our fundraising activities at that time.
ANGELA This year is Angela’s 11 th year of voluntary help in the yard at weekends and on Open Days. We are most grateful for Angela’s unfailing support throughout the year and in addition for volunteering her considerable secretarial skills.
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ANIMALS’ WISH LIST – please if possible
For Horses, Ponies, Donkeys, Goats and Sheep:
Digestive and ginger biscuits, polo mints, carrots and apples.
Any make of Horse and Pony herb mix feed.
Washing up bowls that we use as feed bowls.
For Poultry – mixed corn.
Treats are very special and greatly enjoyed by all our animals. A huge thank you to all who give so generously throughout the year. Every mouthful is hugely appreciated!
HUMANS’ WISH LIST o Rubber gloves, medium size if possible – a wonderful help. o Scissors o Kitchen knives for slicing carrots and apples o Washing up bowls.
Thank you so much for all the many wonderful donations for our animals and humans so kindly and generously given throughout the year.
WIDER NETWORK
SPEAR cooperates with the RSPCA and assists in emergency situations when requested and also through its specialist hospital care services providing nursing care for individual equine and large animal case animals.
SPEAR has close associations with numerous equine and animal welfare groups in advising and supporting their activities as well as dealing with daily telephone calls from the general public on numerous large animal welfare matters.
From time to time, police forces use the Charity to assist with the capture and in some cases impounding of loose and straying large animals and equines.
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Sunday
Sunday
Sunday
OPEN DAYS 2009 – all at Cotswold House, Norton Lindsey
March 22 nd 2009
May 10 th 2009
July 5 th and Adopters’ Day 2009
11 am – 3 pm
11 am – 3 pm
11 am – 4 pm
Sunday
Sunday
September 13 th 2009
November 29 th 2009
11 am – 4 pm
11 am – 3 pm
FORTHCOMING EVENTS 2008/2009
Saturday 18 th October 2008 – Charity Ball at the Coleshill Hotel, Coleshill, Warwickshire
3 course meal and disco; auction and raffle – tickets £20
Friday 12 th December 2008 (7.30 pm) – Christmas Quiz
Mappleborough Green Village Hall. For further information, tel Dawn on 078165 37036
Saturday 7 th March 2009 (7.30 pm) – Annual Quiz Night for the Nutkin Locris Trophy. Venue to be decided.
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