By Lisa Ramsden
The plight of wild ponies living in the Mournes once again came to the fore last week when one of them had to be euthanased by a member of a PSNI armed response team.
The pony fell, fracturing a hind leg, and was trapped on a stone ledge within the Glen River, high above Newcastle’s Donard Forest.
As of Monday evening, the pony’s remains still lay in the area where she fell, with the National Trust asking the public “to avoid the area where possible and to keep dogs on leads to ensure safety and respect for the situation.”
The youngster, who was later named Raine by the founder of the equine rescue charity heavily involved in efforts to help her, is thought to have occurred early on Wednesday, but it was not until the following night that she was “humanely euthanased” by a police officer, in accordance with advice from Newcastle equine vet Seán Rooney.
However, as of Monday evening, her body remained in the area where she fell and sustained her injury — which was not treatable — prompting both Seán and Katryna Gamble, of Equine Halfway House Pony Rescue and Refuge, to call for swift measures to be put in place to ensure this situation never happens again.
Acutely aware that it is inevitable these feral ponies will, on occasion, succumb to serious injuries, both Seán and Katryna stress that their welfare is of paramount importance, and suffering should be kept to a minimum.
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