National Trust’s concern at welfare of feral horses in Mourne Mountains

The trust said these horses are not a wild breed and are unsuited for mountain living where food, water and shelter is scarce.

Due to welfare concerns, the National Trust is working in partnership with two equine rescue organisations to remove the horses from the 1,400 acres of land they own in the Mournes and have encouraged the public to report sightings of horses via Mourne Horse Watch Facebook page.

Marc Vinas, area ranger for the National Trust, said: “We’ve noticed an increase in the number of horses on our land in the last three years in particular.

“Since the fire in April, these animals have been seeking out fresh grazing around Millstone Mountain, Glen River Valley and Thomas’s Quarry and can be found in even greater numbers.

“People may enjoy looking at them, but the reality is that no one is taking responsibility for the safety and welfare of these ponies and so we are supporting two local equine rescue organisations, Equine Halfway House and Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary, in their efforts to remove these horses from our land and give them the care and attention they need.”

Years of incessant breeding has resulted in herds of feral horses roaming the Mournes, the majority of which are in extremely poor health, living on steep and uneven terrain that their build is entirely unsuited to.

Recently this has resulted in the death of two ponies, one above Bloody Bridge and one foal named Sunnie removed from Commedagh with an open leg fracture that was so severe, the pony had to be humanely euthanised by a vet.

The trust said the animals have shown signs of inbreeding, genetic deformities, deadly parasite infestations and malnutrition.

The story of Robyn the pony

Robyn the pony, who was only 10 months old was rescued in January by Crosskennan Lane on National Trust land close to Bloody Bridge.

She had either been abandoned or become separated from her herd and was wandering the mountains alone. The vet confirmed she wouldn’t have lasted another 24 hours on the mountain without the sanctuary’s intervention.

Her dental issues were so severe she was unable to chew grass enough to swallow it, and so was surviving solely by sucking the nutrients from the grass and spitting it back out.

She has gone from strength to strength at the sanctuary, going from a feral foal who was terrified of humans to one who adores attention. Robyn has a potential new home with a family with two little girls, where she will continue her training.

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