I received some feedback from one of my blogs which basically, tells me that my grammar is bad and that my blogs are like a wall of text. WOW!

They also suggested that I am doing my topic which is Horses, or more so, equine welfare, is dis-service. This was a blow to the heart.

They suggested that I do my research!

These suggestions that have been put to me, made me feel like I was in school again. The last recollection that I have of feeling like this, is when I was in Primary School. When we were asked to do a Holiday Brochure for the area that we live in.

This is Llanmorlais Primary School (courtasy of Google) The task of setting out to produce a holiday brochure was an exciting one for my class mates; (In fact I was sitting in the classroom with the largest windows when this task was given to us) I had never been on a holiday where you would look at a brochure and choose your destination. Local attractions were not really prominent in the 1970’s But I knew just what I was going to do.

Below is an extract from http://www.visitswanseabay.com/destinations/gower-peninsula/

Outstanding Natural Beauty

The Gower Peninsula covers 188 sq km and was selected as the first AONB for its classic coastline (much of it is Heritage Coast) and its outstanding natural environment (33% is National Nature Reserve or a Site of Special Scientific Interest).

The Peninsula’s richly varied natural environment is renowned for its heathland, limestone grassland, fresh- and salt-water marshes, dunes and oak woodlands. Its mixed geology has given rise to a wide variety of scenery in a relatively small landscape area. Dramatic limestone cliffs, interspersed with sandy beaches and rocky shores, dominate its southern coast. In the north, the coast is low-lying with extensive salt marshes and dune systems.

My brochure was to going to sell the real Gower Peninsula. How I saw it through my child like eyes. So I set about with great gusto, telling the story of the ponies, how they would graze the salt marshes and play.

Above is a picture of my view point. I would spend the most of my childhood, here, playing and watching. The park now, has new fencing, but the ponies used to come into the park when I was a child. It would flood at high tide and you could have great fun sliding directly into the water.

So my brochure, rather macabre actually was going to depict the ponies, their lives and explain to people what it was really like. I could not see why anyone would want to come here; I had no intention of glossing over the truth. Rather opinionated even at the age of 9.

I told of the high tides, the rain and wind, the lack of shelter, the ponies who didn’t make it, due to ill health, drowning or hunger. How I would see them dead and decaying, or herded onto the Lorries to go to market. All of the things that are in my previous wall of text blogs.

Needless to say the teachers did not like my brochure and I had to rewrite it with nice things, not what I actually saw. That being said I have learnt that not everyone will like what I write. You can gloss over the truth and paint pretty pictures. But behind the scenic shots there is a story.

These ponies have been here for centuries, they are the reason for my passion. They are semi feral ponies, part of the Welsh Heritage and blood lines that are shipped all over the world and not just as meat. The classic Welsh Cobs and Welsh Mountain Ponies.

http://welshjournals.llgc.org.uk/browse/viewpage/llgc-id:1272866/llgc-id:1276482/llgc-id:1276522/getText

They belong here, but they deserve to live good lives, to be managed and tended when needed. What my childhood brochure did not depict was the greed. The reasons why they died, why there were so many or the lack of care.

Recently there have been many press stories and campaign groups set up, focussing on the suffering and calling for the removal of the horses and ponies. There has been suffering for many years in this area, but with the market for horses previously being good, the breeders got greedy. Bigger horses were turned out onto the marshes, the ones who would fetch a higher meat value. They were not given the chance to establish themselves into herds, who knew when the tide was coming to head for higher ground. Once probably loved and cared for, bought as part of a bulk sale, to graze until the time came when the value was greater. Thoroughbreds, gypsy cobs and children’s ponies no longer wanted. Left to fend for themselves, once tended to, or loved now abandoned on the harshest terrain in Wales.

So the campaign groups set about calling for the removal of all the horses.

Which is not the solution; it is a quick fix to obliterating heritage. The solution should involve managing the herds, providing shelter from the storms. Working with the dealers and breeders. Embrace the breed, our heritage, save it for the future generations whom might, just might, become inspired to become horse people of the future. Govern the land, enforce legislation put the value back into an area, that has become an embarrassment and blight on an area, of outstanding natural beauty. Enveloped by marsh lands and commons where ponies graze.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-26625340 this link 9th in worlds best beaches, surrounded by hills that are grazed that ponies, destined for a long journey, highlighted by some of our welfare organisations. Not all of these ponies will make this journey but the majority of them will. Breed for one thing now. Not heritage or bloodlines, just greed.

http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Live-transportation

This is equine welfare, this is my blog, and this is my research. This is what drives my passion. Creates my goals. This is the changing environment of greed that is stealing the heritage for future generations.

I hope that this blog does my cause, good and not a dis-service, my research is my life, my goal better understanding, working solutions resulting in better equine welfare standards.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/ponies-feel-chill-wind-change-2257529

http://www.swansea.gov.uk/article/9149/Marsh-ponies-at-centre-of-animal-welfare-operation

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-25006452

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/number-abandoned-ponies-gelligaer-merthyr-9028101

http://www.swhp.co.uk/latest-news/update-on-contraceptive-programme/

http://www.passinglight.co.uk/inland/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/nature/sites/species/mammals/mountain_ponies.shtml