This is the story of skewbald Murphy, a 21-year-old pony who landed on his hooves when his new owner, Gemma Brown took him on three years ago....
Among the variety of media work we do, we press officers are occasionally asked to write features and news stories for our supporter magazines Animal Life and Animal Action - which is aimed at our younger members.
So in search of a story about a rescue horse for Animal Action I recently visited stables in Ferring, near Worthing.
That’s where I met Murphy; who was found in a field in East Sussex in 1991
when he was just over a year old. He had a nasty chin injury caused by a head collar which had been left on him as he grew, getting tighter and tighter until it cut into his skin.
when he was just over a year old. He had a nasty chin injury caused by a head collar which had been left on him as he grew, getting tighter and tighter until it cut into his skin.
Murphy was fostered on behalf of the RSPCA for three years before he went to a new owner and all was well for many years. However, Murphy’s owner had to move away and he was rehomed to a riding stable and livery yard. It was here that Murphy met Gemma in 2009.
I found out that Gemma is just 18 and a student at Chichester College. She has been riding since the age of nine and works part time at the stables where Murphy lives. Gemma told me how Murphy helped her to get her confidence back after she had a bad fall when out riding four years ago, leaving her reluctant to ride.
She said: “I had known Murphy for several years, but took on his care three and a half years ago. He didn’t completely trust people when I met him and could be quite stubborn.
“I realised he needed a confidence boost just as much as I did and did lots of work with him - he’s a different character now. Murphy is still a bit cheeky especially with me, but he is so safe and good with people now. It’s so great to see him happy.”
We hear so much about irresponsible owners, that it’s great to get out and meet some of the millions of people who really care for their animals. Gemma is just one of those. She was keen to point out that if anyone is thinking about taking up riding or getting a horse, they need to make sure they are prepared to care for them for them properly.
She explained how much time and hard work owning a horse can be and how, when Murphy was in full time livery, she had to get up before her GCSEs to get to the stable every morning. Now Gemma works part time to keep up Murphy’s care, as well as studying.
Every year the RSPCA works hard to improve the lives of the thousands of horses which aren’t cared for as well as they should be. Last year we rehomed hundreds of horses and dealt with 669 calls about abandoned equines, all with a field staff of just 402 officers in England and Wales, which equates to just one RSPCA officer for every 337 police officers.
Did you know?
Horses can live well into their thirties and much longer, although their working (riding or driving) lives may be shorter.
There are estimated to be between 600,000 and just under a million horses in the UK
The total cost of keeping a horse could amount to over £70,000 during its lifetime, so a substantial commitment is required
