A POWYS rescue is appealing for a home for a pony whose former owners were banned from keeping equines for 10 years after she was found emaciated, collapsed and shut in a horse trailer.
 
Llanfechain-based Totem Horses, a small not-for-profit rescue and re-homing centre, is appealing for a home for a pony called Holly, who was caused unnecessary suffering by her former owners who left her emaciated and unable to stand with a heavy worm burden.
 
Sarah Morris (see notes) and Debbie Smitherman on Winllan Farm, Winllan Road, Llansantffraid-Ym-Mechain pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the two-year-old Welsh cross pony when they appeared before Welshpool Magistrates Court on 27 November 2018. The two were banned from keeping horses or ponies for 10 years and ordered to pay a £300 fine, legal costs and a victim surcharge*.
 
Totem Horses founder, Jo Barr, said: "Having previously worked for the RSPCA for 10 years I honestly thought I had seen everything, but when we went to collect Holly, who they said was simply 'unwanted due to lack of time', I could not believe what I saw.
 
"Sarah said rather than use a stable they had shut her in the trailer three days before as she was cold, but the pony was lying in her own urine with no food or water. I was amazed she was still alive.
 
"All of her bones were visible and the skin on her withers and in other places had broken down. It beggars belief two so called horse lovers could allow an animal to be in that state, shut in a trailer dying just feet away from the back door of their house where they sat safe, warm and well fed."
 
Holly was signed over to Totem Horses who sought immediate veterinary treatment for her and alerted the RSPCA. It was touch and go whether she would survive for the first three days, but with around the clock support from Simon Woods and his team at Lower House Equine Clinic she pulled through.
 
Jo said: "For the first three nights I slept in the barn with Holly as she had drips and other treatment. I had to lift her head to give her water and feed from a scoop as she wasn't even strong enough to lift it herself.
 
"Lower House Equine Clinic were brilliant and made sure she had pain relief and fluids everything else she needed around the clock. I was determined that if we did lose her she would not die alone - so I stayed with her.
 
“Thankfully she didn’t, but it still it took a further two weeks before she was actually strong enough to stand up without some help."
 
Now Totem Horses is appealing for a home for Holly where she can start a new life. The not-for-profit’s horses go out on a loan agreement and homes are subject to regular home visits.
 
Jo added: "I am very grateful to RSPCA inspector Phil Lewis for everything he did as well as Simon and his team at Lower House Equine Clinic, but I could not have saved Holly without the support of our volunteers Lyddy, Kelly, Holly and Jiri, and also Helen and Adam who got involved later on and helped this young pony to regain her trust in people.
“I am very pleased the court recognised the serious nature of the neglect and also the RSPCA exists to investigate and make sure the people responsible are held accountable for their actions.”
 
Holly is still a young pony and it takes a while for her to trust new people so she needs an experienced home anywhere in England and Wales where she will get regular handling. For further information or to offer Holly a home please visit www.totemhorse.org.uk or their Facebook page.

​A Chester tech firm has been announced as the sponsor of a local developer’s group for the third year running. 
 
WM Reply, which specialises in enhancing collaborative tools and business systems platforms for large organisations is proud to announce it is the sponsor of the tech community group for 2018/2019.
 
Chester Devs is a not for profit community group for over 1,000 developers in the region, providing free monthly events for its members to learn new skills, keep up with technology, best practice and network. It has proven an important forum for those working in the city’s tech scene, something WM Reply wanted to acknowledge and support.
 
Through their financial sponsorship of the group, WM Reply have also been invited to speak at one or more of the events held throughout the year, which will also be streamed live via the group’s YouTube channel.
 
Cathy Taylor, who heads up the WM Reply team in Chester, said:
 
“Chester Devs has played a key part in the development of a strong and thriving tech scene in and around Chester. As a company which places importance on investing in the local tech community, sponsoring Chester Devs was a real no-brainer.”
 
Fran Hoey, the founder of the community tech group said:
 
“We’ve grown a lot since we first started in 2012, but one of the most important things for me was for Chester Devs to be free of charge. Thanks to WM Reply’s sponsorship this is still possible.”
 
This latest news follows the company’s relocation of their Chester office from Crook Street to One City Place, and an ongoing recruitment drive which has already seen a number of recent appointments to the team based there.