Help us make Pit Ponies History

Pit Ponies still left dangling over the abyss?




Despite all the consultation & talking, Pit Ponies have been left out of the protection of the new UK Animal Welfare Act.  Although they are used to such treatment it seems wrong that whilst other animals will enjoy the full protection of the new Animal Welfare Act.  Working Pit Ponies are left with a piece of legislation dating from 1956 as their primary protection. Due to the fact that the Coal and other mines (Horses) regulations 1956 has not been repealed, legally it will supersede the new Act and leave it still quite legal for Pit Ponies to be used again in mines as they have been used traditionally in Wales and other parts of the UK for many generations.  Wales holds the unenviable position of being the last part of the UK to use Pit Ponies.  Working Pit Ponies Gremlin & Robbie were the last to work in Wales. When they retired from Pantygasseg Colliery in Gwent in May 1999 bringing to a close the use of Pit Ponies underground in the Principality.  However when Pant-y-Gasseg colliery closed the price of coal was 25GBP perton.  Some mines owners have kept their working ponies, hoping to one day return to production.  They see the coal underground as money in their Bank, waiting to be withdrawn.  What of the Pit Ponies??  At the Pit Pony Sanctuary in Pontypridd we just hope that the rising wholesale price of coal (currently 150GBP perton ) does not entice some of the traditional Pony Powered small drift mines back to business before something is done to protect them.   Do we really have to see Pit Ponies working again before something gets done? We sent a detailed submission to DEFRA during the consultation process and made sure they were aware of the short comings of the said 1956 Regulations and the problems we had observed around the collieries in the 1990s. Initially The Home Office, DEFRA and others said Pit Ponies would be protected.  Now they finally admit they will not.  They now say they did this quite deliberately to ensure that the Act did not inadvertently ban certain practices involving animals It is difficult to understand why DEFRA would want to preserve the working Pit Pony. During the formation of the new Act DEFRA changed and repealed a long list of legislation that they considered would interfere with the new Act.  Why they left Pit Ponies so vulnerable beggars belief.




Now our tiny little Charity is faced with trying to get some better protection.  We contacted our local MP Dr Kim Howells who has a long historical association with miners, expecting him to have empathy with Pit Ponies.  However he said he is not prepared to help and feels it is unimportant.  We are contacting other Parliamentarians from both Houses to try to find a Westminster Champion for the Pit ponies.



In Wales we have our own government and have prepared a Petition asking;



We the undersigned, call upon the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to include in the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Equines that equines should not be utilized underground



This petition can be signed online by going to www.visitpitponies.co.uk/petition or traditional paper sheets to collect signatures can be obtained from the Centre info@pitponies.co.uk




We would welcome any help, support and advice on this matter. 





Especially help to publicise the existence of the petition.






Contact=



Roy Peckham.  07798 584735 roy@pitponies.co.uk  The Pit Pony Sanctuary. Penycoedcae, Pontypridd CF37 1PS http://www.pitponies.co.uk/

'We the undersigned, call upon the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to include in the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Equines that equines should not be utilized underground'
We have to approach all three UK Governents with this issue.  We have started with Wales as its the most likeley place that Pit Ponies will be used.  Thank you for your time.
Should you need more information please visit our website at www.visitpitponies.co.uk or e-mail us at info@pitponies.co.uk

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