60 cattle horses about to get washed away!

What does it take for the authorities to step in? Dead bodies floating? Unless the barn is stacked with hay there appears to be nothing to eat except the trees? Someone somewhere needs a good kick up the backside to get this sorted!!
 
As one of the people who was there today I would like to clarify the situation . There are around 40 privately owned Argentinian horses who were to be used for trekking. The horses are dotted around trapped on islands of mud by the water, some have hay, some don't. We was some that were in a poor condition but not starved, but there are plenty we couldn't get to because of the flooding. It is an awful sight to see horses wading around in dirty flood water up to their chests chewing on wood and dead trees because they have no food. It is impossible to see all of them. The RSPCA could not be more useless, we had to make such a fuss to get the fires brigade there to get a boat down there to assess the situation. It is ongoing because the horses have to be moved which is what the owner wants, but he has to " swim " them through the water to an area where he can park the lorry, he can then take a few at a time. This is a big job, most of them aren't even halter broken. A group of us are there just trying to help, while the RSPCA are being confrontational to us , yet treating the owner like he is a hero !
 
It's been like that for a few days. The horses do not look to be 'hopping lame' or in poor condition, simply a bit short of room currently. They are being kept on flood plains, this is what happens to flood plains...

The 'dirty flood water' is water that has escaped from a river. Not at all unnatural for a horse to drink.

I wish people would stop being so dramatic. Some idiot went and broke their leg whilst on a 'rescue mission' today, no doubt requiring emergency services on top of the multiple fire engines called out by these sosay do gooders.

By all accounts the land owner has been moving horses off the land for the last couple of days (coincidentally when it started to get bad...on Sunday there was no significant flooding, to put things into perspective) so I really don't understand the big hoo-ha, especially from those who live across the country and are just being taken in by an overly dramatic story told by some glory hunters with nothing better to do.
 
Guido16 - because it's far more exciting and a better story to 'rescue' them in dramatic fashion than lob a few bales of hay out there... :rolleyes:

(Oh, I live down the road from this field, it's flooded yes, but not a patch on the last time a few weeks ago)
 
Well said December blossom, feel very proud of yourself? Spoken like the rest of the keyboard warriors who are happy to sit at home doing nothing while horses are suffering. Unless you were there you have no right to comment. How dare you ? And as for someone breaking his leg, that is simply not true. Go back to doing what you types do best, nothing
 
I did have a nice slow drive over the causeway (handily stuck in traffic) and got a good look. I may have driven past the people filming actually, so yes, I was there. I didn't want to go assist the GHR people as I believe a few of those attending were rather unsavoury characters and as I don't believe it's an emergency worthy of bothering this country's already stretched emergency services I'd probably have been lynched!

The whole thing has been blown hugely out of proportion, IMO hence the negativity surrounding it from people like me. Why not spare a thought for the people who's lives have been turned upside down - and at Christmas too - with flooding in the similar area.

I can't house a horse, nor do I want to wade through water and mud and risk my own safety (and the time of the emergency services should I then need rescue) but if there is anyone who has lost the downstairs of their house this week who needs anything at all, they just need ask.
 
I am sorry but we have land on flood plains and its called enviromental agency alerts. There is no excuse for this.... And yes I am in the area roughly speaking..... I know this area quite well. Around Maisemore has always flooded, the point to point course had to abandoned by a local hunt. If you keep in a an area by the river then with this amount of rain.... These horses were brought for commercial gain, if you make this kind of commitment then you need to have the acres....

I am not an over emotional person but cruelty and these horses having nothing us not acceptable...., 60 horses need forage... The owner should make provision for this that's what barns are for. Having rescued a mare and nursing her back to health I realise she want through hell and back.

This owner needs these horses freed from suffering whether this is rescuing or another solution and he needs to be made accountable.
 
No, you weren't there! We were there with the few horses that had made it to a dry land and the owner. Driving slowly past does not qualify you to make negative comments, you have no idea of what went on today or the dialogue we have had with the owner, fire brigade and RSPCA. No one is glory hunting, please go away with your useless and inaccurate comments, if you want the truth come and help us. And as for your un savoury character comment, you couldn't be more wrong, the people there today ranged from university students , to nurses and teachers.
 
I am confused (which is not hard these days) but in one post te owners wants rid and has no fodder for them, then in another the owner is removing them but slowing due to how many there are there. Then another posts say they are trekking horses then on another sone are not even handled, so which bits are true and which bits are fiction.
Keeping 60 horses on flood plains with no fodder is asking for trouble full stop if thats the case he/she should sell up and give up, if he does have fodder where the hell is it. Oh I give up with some people :rolleyes:
 
Heard all the above...the owner is now mint to be taking them to Wales, long way to travel twice a say to check them and hay them..... Another field in Wales full of horses .....whose owner sees them once in a blue moon... Grrr
 
sv-masterchef said:
No, you weren't there! We were there with the few horses that had made it to a dry land and the owner. Driving slowly past does not qualify you to make negative comments, you have no idea of what went on today or the dialogue we have had with the owner, fire brigade and RSPCA. No one is glory hunting, please go away with your useless and inaccurate comments, if you want the truth come and help us. And as for your un savoury character comment, you couldn't be more wrong, the people there today ranged from university students , to nurses and teachers.
Click to expand...

:rolleyes:
 
I would just like to point out that the FB Group Causeway Horses, is in no way associated with GHR. This was at the request of the GHR owner who wanted nothing to do with it.

All the volunteers who were there, did not do so because of any encouragement or support from GHR. Even though their meant to be a charity for the welfare of horses, they distanced themselves from it. That was their choice.

I would also like to say that despite the negative comments from certain quarters of the equine community, we have had dozens and dozens of messages, supporting what the group did today, which far outweigh any of the negative comments. For that were grateful. Were also grateful for the dozens of offers of land if we needed it. Thank you.

There seem to be a lot of gobby keyboard warriors out there in cyber land happily shooting their mouths off, but not happy to actually DO anything, and then attacking those that did.

What we did today was raise awareness, to try and get the horses additional help, which we did achieve. This was all about the welfare of the animals. I am so proud of everyone who was involved today, there was an immense kindness and love for the animals in the group, and it was wonderful to see, especially in the negative world we live in. Again well done to them all.

A special thanks to John Green the fire and rescue guy, who we met and begged for help, who then mobilised the fire team who were giving practical help, to the owner to move his horses, who had just been left to struggle by himself. He rocked!

If you want to criticise us, and be negative towards the help we gave today, that shows more about the type of person you are, than who we are. :rolleyes:
 
I have no intentions of coming to 'help' sv-masterchef. I don't believe I can be of help - I don't have land, I don't have excess forage and certainly would not force my own horse to go without for the sake of a stranger's (from the video, adequately conditioned) horses, and I do not believe it worthy of excessive 999 calls and harassment of welfare and emergency services.

So I'm not a 'keyboard warrior', because I'm not saying I want to come help and not helping. I'm just not going to help you as I believe you're all being ridiculous.

As little legs said - did anyone TAKE hay to them, or did you all just prance about with the firemen?

And re the unsavoury characters, it doesn't matter their profession - they can still be rude, vile creatures - behaviour demonstrated last night causing a number of people to be removed from GHR due to abusive comments and PMs. Having been on the receiving end of a few comments myself in the past - apparently I don't love my horse enough as I wouldn't throw myself in front of a bus (or similar) to ensure he was fed (sorry, no, I value my own life slightly higher than my pets, sad but true and I'm sure most of you would agree if pushed) - and it seems honest opinions aren't welcomed by the vigilante rescue group.


Please note, I am sure there were also some very pleasant individuals who I salute for making such a big effort to get something done (even if I don't agree 100%) but the horrid little toads who are just going because its a free activity for the day and they could get on the news need to go back to school or go get a job and enter the real world before slating others!
 
Once again you have no perception how difficult it is to 'TAKE' hay to them. It required the fire services to use a couple of boats in order to get food to the stranded horses.
Only the fire services were able to get food to them!!

Unless you have been there to witness it for yourself you have no right to criticise those that helped.
 
So the horses were provided with forage, got to them by the fire brigade if I read it right? And everyone else helped by liasing, raising awareness, appearing on camera, being seen to be there etc? I'm not sure that a large group of rubber necks watching the fire brigade take hay out by boat is my idea of 'helping'.
 
The only reason the fire brigade even got involved was because of our group who were there to raise awareness of the horse's plight. Without us being there and contacting the fire brigade and the police, nothing would have been done. The group of at least 20-30 horses stranded in those barns would still be there now without food. And the single horse stuck on a small island of pure mud would have continued to be ignored by the thousands of people driving past and not brave enough to actually stand up and do something about it.
 
I'm not saying a couple of people weren't needed alongside the fire brigade. But you talk of large groups of volunteers all there in support, even though very few were needed. Fair enough to openly admit that there was nothing on tv & the majority went for a nosey. But don't expect them to be heralded as heros for saving the poor horses.
 
Horses can't ask for help ,we have to help them. I hope if I need help some day ,some one will be willing to help me.

Why would some one import lots of unbroken horses for a trekking centre.Surely we have enough of our own?
 
And don't expect sympathy when one of the 'unbroken' 'wild stallions' or a 'pregnant mare' (of which apparently there are loads...) boots you in the head and you yourself have to e rescued.

Come on, did no one ever watch 999 as a kid? It's basic rescue etiquette - DO NOT go in after another person/animal etc as usually you'll just make the situation worse.


I just hope you're wearing your hi viz ;)
 
Nobody wants your sympathies. Yes people were wearing hi viz.

Its quite clear from the posts on here, that this is just an argument being brought over from another site.

In support of those who were there today and yesterday.

At least these guys got off their asses, and got out from behind their computer screens, to go and try and do something. Rather than just sit there typing about the poor horses. So sick of people shouting off about something needing to be done, and then just sitting there and doing nothing. All mouth and no trousers.

They offered to physically help, they offered to get in the water, to lead horses, they offered to get their hands dirty, they offered to go and get vans and trucks full of food to throw down to them. They stood there, shouting, pleading with the authorities, until one of them listened, even though it was freezing cold and they fought to get more help for the horses.

The RSPCA who could have provided more transport for the owner, to help get them out quicker, didnt do so. All they did was pay lip service. The fire service have been amazing.

Now if you bunch of negative ninnies, want to carry on making stupid remarks and criticising those people, then that says far more about you, than it does about us.

This has always been about the welfare of the horses, supporting the horses, and supporting each other. The positive support the group received far outweighs any of your criticism, even from your own site.

Seems to me that there are some people here with personal vendetta's and this is not a school yard, you should take your issues elsewhere. :rolleyes:

I wont be commenting again, because I am not going to waste my energy on people who really dont matter in the grand scheme of things.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top