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Notices

Please don’t feed the Ponies

Quantock Farmers ask ‘Please do not feed the ponies’

Since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic there has been an increase in people feeding the ponies on the open hilltops of the Quantocks.  These ponies thrive on the grasses, heathers and plants on the hilltops and do not need extra food.

Some horses have special dietary considerations and can be intolerant to foods such as carrots and apples and cannot have too much sugar.  Giving them “sweets and treats” can result in stomach ulcers, which are very painful, and colic which can kill them.  Many fruit and vegetables may seem like “healthy” or “normal” horse treats, but they are not suitable for many horses including the ponies which graze the Quantocks.

As many of these ponies roam wild over the open hills people are unable to know how many “treats” they have been fed and people are making the mistake of saying “just one won’t hurt”.  A further issue of feeding the ponies is that they associate people and cars with food. They become more tolerant and will actively approach people and cars which increases the risk of people being bitten or kicked or the ponies being injured by vehicle collisions.

Ranger Andy Stevenson said, “Although they are beautiful to look at, the ponies are pretty wild and certainly not pets so keeping a little distance from them and appreciating them from a far is the best for everybody’s wellbeing”.

Ponies on the Quantock Hills:

  • Quantock Common is a large block, over 1,800Ha, of unenclosed heath and woodland on the hilltops of the Quantock Hills. It is a special habitat and is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Quantock Common is managed by the active Commoners (local farmers who have rights of Common), landowners and the AONB Service. Part of the required management is grazing by sheep, ponies and cattle. This mix of grazing promotes the different heathland species such as heathers and bilberry.
  • The majority of ponies that graze the unenclosed hilltops of Quantock Common are owned by farmers / landowners who have rights of common to graze animals on the common.
  • The farmers / landowners are known as ‘Commoners’ as they are exercising their rights of common. They regularly inspect the ponies and any issues reported to the AONB Service are passed onto the relevant farmer / landowner to rectify.
  • If people see a pony they believe is in distress or hurt they can report it to the AONB Service, who will ensure it is communicated to the most appropriate farmer / landowner.
  • Other locations also have grazing stock such as Lydeard Hill and Cothelstone Hill. These are not commons and the ponies that graze these hills are owned by the landowners.

 

Roadworks Church Road/High Street/ Tower Hill Stogursey

Road Closure, STogursey 4th March to 10th March. Telephone Barden Networks  01454281627 for information

A reminder that Tower Hill, High Street and Church Road are due to be closed to traffic during the 0930- 1530 every day save for the weekend between March 4th and March 10th 2021 by Barden Networks to enable fibre broadband upgrade works, which were first notified by this post –

https://stogursey-online.uk/notices/roadworks-church-hill-high-street-tower-hill-stogursey-daytime-3rd-to-9th-march-2021

All enquires should be directed to the contractors – Barden Networks  – Telephone 01454281627 or their traffic management contractors on site during the works.

Sarah Chard Barden Network Engineering
01454 281627 – Ext 292 or option 7

 sarah.chard@bardennetwork.com

Call for people aged 70 and over to contact NHS for Covid jab

People aged 70 and over who have not yet been vaccinated against Covid and who would like to be are today being asked to contact the NHS to arrange a jab.

Until now the NHS has asked people to wait until they are contacted to help ensure that those who are most vulnerable are protected first – and that remains the case for most people.

However, to ensure absolutely everyone is offered the vaccine, people aged 70 and over can now contact the NHS so they can be vaccinated by the middle of this month.

The easiest way to arrange a vaccination is through the national booking service which can be accessed at www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination.

Anyone unable to book online can call 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days a week.

If a suitable and convenient slot is not available people can also call their GP practice.