A mare has lost her third foal in a road collision in Devon, leading to renewed pleas for motorists to take more care when driving among livestock. The filly was found beside the road with broken back legs and was put to sleep due to the severity of her injuries.
Dam Nibbles was stood beside her foal following the unreported incident on Cadover Road. Local equestrian Jill Moreno discovered the pair and is calling for drivers to ensure they log such collisions, as well as slow down when driving on the moor.
“We drove past Nibbles on the way to do our ponies and on the way back home I knew something was wrong with her so we stopped to check her out and her foal was down a ditch,” she said.
With assistance of the ponies’ owners, Jill pulled took the foal out of the ditch and discovered her broken legs.
“There is no way she had broken her legs falling, she had been hit by a car and adrenaline got her off the road,” Jill said. “I can’t believe this poor mare’s luck to lose three foals in three years.
“The worst thing is that it wasn’t reported — most incidents are avoidable by driving at the speed limit and to the conditions, but some are genuine accidents. Regardless of how it happened, report it.
“Had we not known the mare well and it had gone unnoticed, this foal would have been left suffering out of sight potentially for days.
“Please, please slow down, the moor animals don’t know that a car will end their lives but you do.”
Livestock collisions can be reported by calling 999 or 101 depending on the circumstances, through the Dartmoor livestock protection officer, or directly to the farmer.
