Pony recovering after being tied up outside office on busy Doncaster industrial estate

Workers arrived at S.I.M Warehouse and Logistics on Doncaster’s Shaw Lane Industrial Estate to find the pony tied to the gates and looking bewildered but otherwise calm.

They created a holding pen and gave him a bucket of water before calling Lincolnshire equine welfare organisation Bransby Horses’ Welfare Line, which they found on their website, for advice.

Welfare manager Rachel Jenkinson said: “When we arrived we knew we would have to remove him from where he was as it was not a safe environment for him to remain in, mainly due to the high volume of lorries and trucks entering and leaving the facility.

“As we are not allowed by law to take any animal without the owner’s consent we issued an Abandonment Notice, which meant the police were then able to grant us the authority to take the pony to Bransby Horses for the duration of the notice in the hope an owner would come forward and claim him.”

An Abandonment Notice is part of the Control of Horses Act and involves a notice being clearly displayed where a horse has been taken from, informing the owner where their animal is and how they can get it back.

This notice runs for four working days and if no one comes forward in that time the horse then becomes the responsibility of the land owner who then has a number of choices as to what they do next.

In this case, the pony was not microchipped and his owner could not be traced. As the two year old pony was in the best place with Bransby Horses, he was immediately signed over to them as they were able to provide him with the care and attention he needed.

Since being at Bransby Horses, the pony, who has been named Simmy after the company that found him, has received veterinary and farriery treatment and is enjoying life out in a securely fenced grass paddock – a far cry from the industrial estate he was found on.

Simmy stands around 12hh high, is dark grey and has a very friendly nature.

Overall, he has settled well into life at Bransby Horses and it is hoped he may be rehomed through the charity’s Perfect Partner rehoming scheme once he is ready.

What the law says about horse ownership

Since 2020 it has been a legal requirement for all equine owners to make sure their horses are microchipped and the details of ownership are up to date.

Microchips are important as they allow owners to be traced through the Central Equine Database - check www.equineregister.co.uk.

If you have a horse make sure your details are up to date with the Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO) and the microchip is properly registered with them. This will help

lost or stolen horses to be reunited with their owners.

• Bransby Horses are hosting an event aimed at horse and landowners looking at the legalities of the issues affecting them, such as equine passport requirements and how fly grazing laws work.

It will be the last talk in their Make A Difference series, which has covered a number of topics from laminitis to grass land management.

As well as members of the charity’s Welfare Team, there will also be representatives from the Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Humberside Rural Crime teams who will be happy to answer questions and provide guidance on applicable laws and how to use them, such as the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the Highways Act and the Control of Horses Acts 2015.

What guests will learn:

What is the role of the Rural Crimes Team.

How Bransby Horses can support horse’s owners / carers.

Equine legislation and the law explained.

What to do if horses appear on your land and understanding the process.

Bransby Horses’ Make A Difference event on equine legislation takes place on Wednesday, September 20 at 6.30pm – 9pm

To reserve your free space call 01427 788 464, email [email protected]

or visit BransbyHorses.co.uk/MADE

Light refreshments and free parking will be available.