Detangling a prickly situation to help a Shetland pony and his new owners

Our Field Officers help horses and ponies of all shapes and sizes – and their owners too. Field Officer Rachel Andrews didn’t hesitate to go out when we received a call recently about a Shetland pony who’d found himself in a bit of a tangle after his owner sadly passed away.

“I left a card, as I couldn’t locate the new owners when I first visited, and swiftly received a phone call which revealed a tragic tale. Aero’s elderly owner had sadly passed away, leaving his sons to look after the pony without any experience of caring for horses. It turned out that they couldn’t catch Aero – who’d got himself absolutely covered in burrs by this point, which were irritating his eyes and in danger of causing a painful ulcer – and they were unsure where to turn to for help and advice,” explains Field Officer Rachel Andrews.

We know caring for horses can be challenging even for experienced owners, especially if circumstances change or life throws you a curve ball. Aero’s new owners had found themselves facing the extremely daunting prospect of caring for a pony for the first time, whilst grieving for a family member. However, our Field Officers are experts at working with horses and owners to find solutions and a bit of support and advice can make a huge difference during times like these.

Rachel continues, “Unsurprisingly, the new owners wanted to keep their dad’s beloved pony and they were really keen to learn how to look after Aero properly. I gave them lots of advice over the phone, and arranged to return with one of my colleagues, Ryan, to catch Aero and check him over to assess him properly.”

By the time Rachel and Ryan arrived, Aero’s new owners had already followed Rachel’s advice and cleared his field of all burdock plants, preventing Aero from getting any more burrs stuck in his mane and tail. “It turned out that although he hadn’t been handled, Aero had been fed and tended to daily and was used to having people around, so we managed to catch him without too much difficulty,” says Rachel.

“Having checked Aero over, we could tell that he was in pretty good shape and the main problem was the burrs, which we really didn’t want scratching his eyes. A few burrs tangled in manes and tails do not generally cause much of a problem, but Aero had so many stuck in his incredibly thick forelock that he looked like he was wearing a helmet and his mane was so tangled that it was pulled really tight all along his neck, which must have been very uncomfortable for him. We set to work, armed with scissors and hair detangler and used a long-lasting treat he could lick to help keep him occupied.”

Seeing Aero’s makeover in progress, neighbours soon came over to marvel at how Rachel and Ryan had been able to earn his trust. “People love talking about their animals, so we got all sorts of stories to keep us entertained whilst we tackled the mammoth task of getting all Aero’s burrs out. A couple of hours later, Aero looked amazing – and much more ‘Aero-dynamic’ – whilst Ryan and I were absolutely filthy!” laughs Rachel.

“We were quite worried about how watery Aero’s eyes had been but, to my relief, they stopped watering quite quickly after his transformation, so we had been called out in time to prevent any significant problems. I’ve given his new owners plenty of advice on how to get Aero used to being handled and what they need to do to look after him going forwards. Hopefully Aero will now go on to be a happy, healthy little pony for many years to come,” says Rachel.

We see lots of cases where people have found themselves in a difficult situation, but some friendly help and advice can make a world of difference for both the people and ponies involved. “I’d urge anyone struggling to look after their horses – or who knows someone else who is – to ask for help sooner rather than later,” adds Rachel.

“Our team of Field Officers are brilliant at working with horse owners to help them find sustainable solutions together. We know it can be a worrying time and a big step to reach out for help when things have slipped but we really are here to help you and your horses get back on an even keel together,” says Chief Field Officer Claire Gordon.

Anyone wanting advice and support can find out more on our Help for Horse Owners page – and it’s thanks to our supporters that our Field Officers can continue to be there when horses and their owners need us most.