Mule Camp  24th-26th July 2015

Turn up on Friday 24th  Settle in and Meal out at the local pub in the evening.

Saturday 25th: Day - hack out in the local countryside. Set up and practice
Western night in the evening £5 per person £10 for a family ticket.

Includes  veggie or beef chilli and mulled cider and soft drink.
Please also bring your own drink and a wrapped cheese for the cheese board!

Sunday 26th. 10am: Open to the general public free admission 

Western theme with events including
Condition and turn out
Barrel racing
Jumping
Driving
Agility
Key hole
Dolly Parton race!
All events can be done ridden or in-hand!
BBQ
All campers must pre reserve. £20 for non members for the weekend.
Also ticket only for the western night!

Contact Jaqui  01959 523801

Please support our event with or without your mule.

New Arrival

Thanks to Francine for these pictures of Toby a little mule foal and his amazing Mum Beauty who had to overcome the loss of an eye and having a baby all in space of 12 weeks since she was rescued.

With a huge stallion donkey as a dad,  Toby is sure to be a really big hit with his new family!

Remembering the Mules of WW1

Picture from http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205298236

British troops taking up supplies on a mule drawn light railway. Balkan Front, January, 1917.

2014 is the Centennial year of the First World War. You only have to look in any parish church to see that the casualties of this war were immense and widespread - in nearly every village there is a list of those that fought and died in the conflict. In every town the toll was equally high and changed the shape of our industry and transport systems. There were changes to our society that can be followed back to the effects of this war. It is difficult to imagine and overestimate the effects this conflict. Not listed on the memorials were the animal casualties which were at least as high and widespread.

Mules have a special place in war even today - they are highly valued for their resilience, and the same self determined calm and sometimes obstinate nature that means an almost endless ability to stick to whatever task they have taken on.

People trusted mules with their lives.

Harder to document is the effect of a mules natural ability to warm the hearts of whoever the mules trusted. They naturally form a bond with their handler, and in times of tragedy, conflict and dismay their winning natures still managed to shine through in the darkest of times.
Please go over to http://www.warmule.org and take a look at the stories and pictures of their sacrifice.

Thanks to the Blue Cross Burford Rehoming Centre

for letting us use their venue for the BMS AGM May 3rd 2014  and their very interesting tour.    They are doing some really great work finding homes for cats, rats, dogs, rabbits, and horses, chinchillas  & degus.

Of course, my favourite bit was the horses rehoming part, and they seem very well organised, turning out some lovely rescued horses.

Trying hard to not take anyone new home

If you are at all interested in caring for a new equine or know someone that is, give them a call.

See how happy we are!

Once again, Thanks to all those who helped make it a great day.

Falling through the gaps.

Imagine if near where you lived there was a field loaded with horses starving in flooded paddocks amongst the bodies of their dead fellows.

Instinctively you may think that it would be a straightforward matter to get those horses moved immediately  to one of the equine welfare charities there are in this country.   This as it stands is not necessarily so  - there is no right of any organisation to seize an animal for its welfare.

 Imagine if near where you lived there was a field loaded with horses starving in flooded paddocks amongst the bodies of their dead fellows.

Instinctively you may think that it would be a straightforward matter to get those horses moved immediately  to one of the equine welfare charities there are in this country.   This as it stands is not necessarily so  - there is no right of any organisation to seize an animal for its welfare.

.  A police constable, or an inspector may be able to help as in  Section18 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006

Powers in relation to animals in distress
(1)      If an inspector or a constable reasonably believes that a protected animal is suffering, he may take, or arrange for the              taking of, such steps as appear to him to be immediately necessary to alleviate the animal’s suffering.
[.....]

(5)      An inspector or a constable may take a protected animal into possession if a veterinary surgeon certifies—

(a)that it is suffering, or

(b)that it is likely to suffer if its circumstances do not change.

(8)     Where an animal is taken into possession under subsection (5), an inspector or a constable may—

(a)remove it, or arrange for it to be removed, to a place of safety;

(b)care for it, or arrange for it to be cared for—

(i)on the premises where it was being kept when it was taken into possession, or

(ii)at such other place as he thinks fit;

Then  it gets complicated, i.e. slower and the suffering continues.   Magistrates courts, untraceable or deliberately obstructive owners, vets naturally cautious about being sued, the lack of police expertise, resources, or inclination even all work against the welfare of the animal.  The sad fact is that animals can be suffering and dieing whilst organisations like the RSPCA are "monitoring"  helplessly.


That is why Hope For Horses  are going  down to the house of commons on April 16th
to petition for a change in the law.
( https://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-the-horses-of-Fosse-Park-Leicester/215018828693901)

Follow the below link to sign their petition online.

Change in law for Equine charities to remove suffering animals  


Change in law for Equine charities to remove suffering animalsResponsible department: Department for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsDue to the increase of Equine abuse, there are many horses whos suffering is continued as many Equine charities do not have the legal power to remove such animals from the land/premises where they are neglected. The time it takes to get police involved, then make arrangements by staying within the law, many of these poor animals have already lost their lives through suffering, or worse been killed and dumped by such owners. We ask for a change in the law to give such charities more power to seize an animal should its suffering be apparent


Success!

Thanks to all those who have campaigned to end the suffering of horses dumped on unsuitable land

Control of Horses Act 2015 has passed royal assent  will come into effect in 2 months time.

A BIG WELCOME 

To our NEW Members! 

   Hi
I'm Helen Brodie the new British Mule Society membership secretary.  
Please complete Membership Form and return  with payment to the address below. 

Thank you and welcome to THE BRITISH MULE SOCIETY! 

 Helen.

membership@thebritishmulesociety.com

Here's my address:

Membership fees & benifits can be found on the Join us page.

Wishing all mules and muleteers 

everywhere a great 2014

A new year dawns


Lots to look forward to this year. More shows, more adventures, and more pictures.