THREE PONIES are embarking on a new, safe and better life thanks to the actions of Gardaí in Kilkenny.
Last week, Gardaí on patrol in Kilkenny town came across a pony who was carrying a person on a cart, also known as a sulky, through the streets.
Images: An Garda SíochánaThe officers performed an inspection of the animal and contraption and found the pony to be in a neglected state.
The pony was seized under Section 12 of the 2013 Animal Welfare Act, but with no horsebox available, the animal-loving Gardaí walked her directly to the station.
Officers pledged that the mare-- who has been taken into the care of My Lovely Horse Rescue and who has been named Lydia-- would be "starting a new life in greener pastures".
But the story didn't end there.
Once Lydia was rescued, she was immediately taken to the vet to undergo an emergency examination, where she was found to be pregnant.
Not only that, but Lydia was bearing milk-- meaning there was a young foal out there somewhere who still needed its mother.
The Gardaí acted swiftly and decisively, and within a few hours a foal which was confirmed to belong to Lydia was seized from a property and returned to its mother.
A second foal, a miniature, was also seized and taken to safety.
My Lovely Horse Rescue, who assisted in the rescue of Lydia and the two new foals, later shared a heartwarming video of the mother and baby being reunited.
"The two of them have been absolutely inseparable," a MLHR worker explained in the video, as the foal nuzzled up to its mother.
"He's only about four months old, maybe a little less. He's a big guy. And he's absolutely beautiful.
"She's much more relaxed now," she added.
Gardaí in Kilkenny came across this pony recently and brought it to My Lovely Horse Rescue. While in MLHR it was...
Posted by An Garda Síochána on Sunday, 6 September 2020
The treatment and subsequent seizure of all three horses remains under investigation by Gardaí.
