Devonshire ezine Spring 19

they did, resulting in the tangle of
red tape we see in the NHS today. I
was not that innocent, as I was fully
aware that although every member of
staff had a pet, I could not recall over
the years, a single one ever asking
me to vaccinate their pet.
Region’s largest rescue charity
appeals for loving homes as it
runs out of stables
Generally I found
people to be very
honest
After I left my ex-partners were
subjected to the biggest scam of
all, involving some £200,000, but
it was really their own fault as they
were reluctant to become involved
in the paper work. I recall a similar
case in Plymouth of a well known
solicitor who when he came to retire
discovered that his clerk had made
off with his entire capital account.
This resulted in me giving his wife,
hitherto an excellent client, free
treatment for her pets for life.
Thus can a person’s actions, like
throwing a stone in a pond, cause
waves that affect many people. But
to return to the misfortune of my old
practice, I was amazed to learn that
the Inland Revenue decreed that as
the misdirected money should have
gone into the till, then the practice
owed the VAT on that £200,000! It
graciously allowed them some time
to pay it off.
These incidents I have mentioned
took place over some 35 years, a
very small proportion over time.
Generally I found people to be very
honest, and I always ran incentive
schemes which ensured that if the
practice was doing well they had a
share of it.
Ken Watson
The Mare & Foal
Sanctuary recently
warned it was nearly
full to capacity
after dealing with a
rise in rescue and
abandonment cases.
Ponies are being dumped on waste
ground, busy industrial estates
or left to breed indiscriminately
leading to more and more ponies
needing new homes.
Wild moorland ponies, including
abandoned foals, can take months
or even years to rehabilitate and
train and with more rescue ponies
coming in almost every day, the
Sanctuary has appealed for help.
Senior Director of Equine, Syra
Bowden, said: “We’re doing our best
to take in as many as we can but we’re
currently over-capacity at some of
our yards.
Bambola with Freya
“We can’t take any more ponies in until
we have free stables. We have 38 ponies
rehabilitated, retrained and ready for
rehoming right now which will free up
space for more to come in.
The charity currently has more
than 214 horses and ponies at its
five Devon farms and a total of 38
waiting to go, with dozens more
in training.
The Sanctuary offers ponies under
various rehoming schemes from
companions to project horses and
unbroken youngsters - and each
one has been well handled, halter
trained, is good with the vet and
farrier.
Syra added: “Some people think
these ponies have no value. We totally
disagree. They are clever and willing.”
If you think you could offer a pony
a home visit www.mareandfoal.
org/rehoming-list or alternatively,
you can call the charity’s Equine
Team on 01626 355969.
PEOPLE HOME DESIGN LIFESTYLE HISTORY
CONTENTS 25