Whilst some of these facts are sadly true, the extent of the problem has been greatly distorted and whilst shocking headlines obviously make for dramatic reading it does little to help a community whose love for the horse lies at its very heart. Reports of thousands of horses left to

In January Sharon Newsome, co-founder of the Irish Horse Welfare Trust, contacted Ruairi O'Dulaing from Fingal County Council, to see if a jointly managed and organised strategy could be put in place to resolve any problems with equine welfare both in the short and long term. What has happened over the past few weeks is a testament to what communication, understanding and co-operation can achieve in a very short space of time and a Project Management Plan for Equines in Dunsink is now in place.

Education is the key to improving welfare in any area and in any country and the IHWT has started running an educational care programme for young people in the area who have an interest in horses. The course is now in its third week and consists of a European certificated programme that will give those who complete the course a greater chance of finding work in the equine industry. The courses will be ongoing and will form part of a long term objective by Fingal County Council to establish a club which will provide suitable facilities for the horses and where education can continue.

It is impossible to convey the incredible events that I was privileged to witness. The majority of the horses were extremely well cared for and the community of horse owners whose horses have roamed or been tethered on the land are a dedicated group of people consisting of adults, both male and female, and young lads too.

Families also came with their ponies and horses, some of which they have rescued from the sales or from unscrupulous owners, and a wide range of horses from well bred trotters to shaggy ponies stood quietly in line to be chipped and treated. Any horse that was in poor condition was handed over to the IHWT. Community members who have good horse experience and take genuine care of their horses talked to those few owners whose knowledge was poor or whose interest in their horse was minimal enabling the IHWT to take ownership of the horses without any unpleasantness or upset.

Every person that I talked to and spent time with was there because they have a genuine love for the horse. They were all courteous and grateful for help with a situation that has concerned them too. The younger lads began asking questions about their horses and for advice on how they might look after them better and one young owner, whose pony was lame and had mouth sores from an unsuitable bit, begged Sharon for a rubber bit that she had in her car so that he did not inadvertently hurt his pony again. She, of course, gladly handed it over. He was genuinely upset when he saw that his pony was lame due to an unavoidable infection in the hoof. It would have been so very, very wrong but all too easy to have judged him and simply remove his pony and now he and his pony will be supported through the club. During the two days four more people signed up for the Equine Care Course.

Some young horse owners whose animals were not part of the Dunsink group also asked permission to come down to the compound to get their ponies chipped and to have their details taken for passports. By the end of the two day project over 60 horses were treated for parasites and microchipped and twelve were taken into care. When the horses that are now in the ownership of the IHWT are fit and well they will be re-homed through the IHWT Adoption Scheme.

Castrations of the young colts and stallions will begin on Monday and the IHWT will also organise further group meetings so that the horses can be health checked on a regular basis. More ideas were put forth by the community and the project is now well on its way. The camaraderie, the willingness of each and every person who spent two days working alongside the Council and the IHWT, and the condition of the majority of horses was a far cry from the distorted facts that had spread so quickly around the world.

Sharon and Ruairi have achieved what many people thought impossible and I feel so lucky to have been a part of something that was so successful and at times very moving. The IHWT and Fingal County Council joined together to become a part of the solution. Doing nothing would have made them a part of the problem and we want to support this very worthwhile project. Some of you may know that Tony and I are in the process of setting up a charity to raise funds that will help to promote appropriate animal care and handling and as we have already been given some money from supporters of this idea we are donating £2,000 from the money that was given to us to the IHWT which will help towards the ongoing costs of the education programme. They desperately need more funds though as their commitment to the horses and people of Dunsink is one that will be maintained long term.

If you are in a position to help them in any way, however small that may be, whether through funding or simply sending us a pony or cob sized head collar to replace the lengths of blue nylon rope that are traditionally used by some of the people, we, the IHWT and all the horses of Dunsink and their owners will be eternally grateful.

To view a video of the round up please click *here.

For more information on how you can help, please contact the Irish Horse Welfare Trust.

Photo Credit Margaret O'Kelly

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