Abandoned horses

J

jo1

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Location
Leeds, Yorkshire
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My local newspaper printed an article tonight about 7 horses abandoned in a field in my area. These horses were left there at the start of November and no-one has been to them since. The locals have been buying and feeeding, hay, oats and water since then. There is not enough shelter etc and at least two of them are pregnant. they decided to get the RSPCA involved (mistake!!) who have said that even though

" Their condition and accommodation is by no means satisdactory - they have only a few trees for shelter and some of the horses need to be groomed. However, the horses are not malnurished. The identity of the horses' owner is not known, so it was not possible to give advice on proper care and treatment. The RSPCA can only bring a prosecution for cruelty when a vet agrees that the horses are suffering. This is not currently the case."

They will continue to monitor the horses' condition. At least 2 of them are pregnant and most have matted hair and growths on their legs. The land is privatley owned and they 'can't' find out who owns it.

I have emailed the RSPCA as well as the reporter saying that when the time comes for them to remove the horses I will gladly offer a home to one of them.

I just find that this is disgisting - isnt there a new law that covers this kind of neglect and abuse??? Sorry for ranting but I am furious and upset that this could happen. A few of them are coloureds and a couple are solid colour.
 
Whilst its distressing to think they arent being looked after as you would expect, they are healthy (if unkempt) and not suffering. I can totally see why (in this case) the RSPCA are not too concerned.

Im sure they will do all they can to get in touch with the owners and advise.
 
There are pictures and they really dont look that goos. There is no water supply in the field, and it is mainly mud. I understand what you are saying and normally I would agree with you but who would leave their horses in a field with no food, water, adequate grazing or shelter for 8 weeks (at this moment) and not check on them at all.
 
A few are coloured cobby types but why would they be left with no food, water or shelter. Also a couple are in foal - though sypsies were supposed to look after their horses.
Plus private land but the RSPCA dont know whos it is.
 
Of course the horses are not malnourished, the locals are feeding them! The RSPCA is fast losing respect, they seem to be prosecuting "easy targets" and shying away from difficult cases. The mere fact that these animals have not been visited by their owners for all that time is surely evidence in itself. If no-one was feeding them, what state would they be in by now?
 
I know. Am thinking of contactin the ILPH tomorrow as the RSPCA

"On more than one occasion RSPCA inspectors attended the scene to check the welfare of the animals"

The pictures that are accompanying the article and heart wrenching. Seeing these poor animals standing in a field with matted feathers, mud past their hocks with hardly any grazing avaialble at all - either mud or brown grass!!!
 
unfortunatly its because people are feeding them that the RSPCA (cough ankers) wont get involved...... have you tried ILPH .....otherwise for a small fee at the land registry will find the owner of the land......but this is not saying that is who the horses belong too......
 
The RSPCA have said that they need to find the owners ofthe land to do anything - if the land is rented etc they can find the owners of the horses. If they have been dumped there they can do something - Its stupid.

Speaking to Blackpool ILPH in the morning and also trying to find out what the time limit is for something that has been abandoned to become 'piblic property' as it were
 
I agree with Eponasmom locals are feeding them so they're probably overweight and no doubt a farrier needs to pay a visit. Nobody will touch the horses until they actually become a welfare case, in some cases the judge will offer the horses back to the owners after they have already been seized and rehabilitated just for them to do it all again....law is strange. Just go and pinch one who'll know probably stolen in the first place if it belongs to a pikey.
 
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The RSPCA have said that they need to find the owners ofthe land to do anything - if the land is rented etc they can find the owners of the horses. If they have been dumped there they can do something - Its stupid.

Speaking to Blackpool ILPH in the morning and also trying to find out what the time limit is for something that has been abandoned to become 'piblic property' as it were

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In my local area recently 4 horses were dumped in a field, fortunately I discovered who the landowner was - he hadn't given permission for them to be there and asked me to arrange for their removal as he didn't wish to be liable for them. (you can get landowner details from Land Registry)

Funnily enough the owner of the ponies came out of the woodwork very quickly in response to the notice I left on the gate..he was less happy when he had to pay the transport costs, vet check costs and livery charges before he could have them back, and won't do that again in a hurry.

Personally I feel that the only way to deal with these abandoned animals is to get tough, to move them out of the area and force the owner to identify themselves if they want the animals back
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I have no time for the RSPCA in any way...........will only go in when the animal is on it's last legs......but,is there not a act sort of being passed through parliment so they can intervene quicker as I think alot of red tape involved when trying to rescue a animal?.........I took on two rescue cats from "Cats Protection" and they were living in a old car outside a pub due to the past tenants leaving the pub and them leaving them behind,now a little old lady fed them and could not take them home with her due to her cat....she fed them for a year and one of the residents got fed up with them being there and threatened to kill them with a golf club!!!!!!...so bless her she phoned the RSPCA and Cats Protection as worried sick,RSPCA had on interest at all, the Cats Protection was there like a shot. A inspector from the RSPCA did make a appearance once the cats where in baskets,but in my view left a old women of 84 years in total upset and fright.....Yeah you can always relie on them...not!!!!
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Am trying to access the ILPH website to get a contact number but my works computer is playing up and wont ley me get on the website. Can someone please, please, please get my the number and PM me or post it on here so I can ring them and get it sorted. Its gal;e force winds up here with torrential rains - can't bear to think they are still out with NO protection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Get in touch with the ILPH - they are much better than the RSPCA IMO.

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Im afraid the ILPH will say the same, as people are feeidng the horse, they are techinacally not being neglecged as soemone is looking after them

weve been throught the whole thing with a pony on our yard, and becasue me and my friend didnt want to see the poor pony keel over in the field we gave it some of our hayledge
 
Thing is though in the wild horses are only groomed by each other - although without rough terrain there feet will need atention as they wont wear down properly! if the locals keep feeding and watering then nothing will be done- you have to be cruel to be kind sometime!
 
The only way the ilph or rspca will do anything is if everyone stops feeding them. Work that logic out.

Have the owners DEFINATELY not been back since they were dumped there?

there could be a reasonable explanation like the owner may have died or something drastic. however it probably is just pikeys.

advertise them for sale! that will soon bring the owners running.

was reading in Your Horse (out yesterday) about the 5 freedoms that are now LAW that a horse must have : freedom from...neglect, malnourishment something something and something. included in the somethings was shelter i believe - if they have not got adequate shelter then the owners are BREAKING THE LAW and then the powers that be have the right to take them away.

poor ponies
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I know what I would do if they were local to me -treat them as found property, move them, put a notice on the gate and keep them for the minimum required time - up to a month to be on the safe side. ....then claim them and passport them.

However, with this comes responsibility..a vet check, worming/jabs, livery costs (isolation ideally), transport (which must be professional and insured)....and any required treatment

to do this costs money which may never be recouped..this is the risk taken by people who rescue horses and why they are always fund raising
 
Have spoken to the ILPH who have told me that because they are being fed by the locals that nothing can be done.
If they stop feeding them it will take about 7 days for the horses to get dehydrated and then the RSPCA will take them.

I have also been told that if any of the horses are 'rehomed' without permission from the owners , ie one of them dissapears from the field!!!, then the person that helped this horse will be arressted and charged with theft.

Unfortunatley the new law apparantly doesnt come into practice yet.

Yes it is definate that the owners have NOT be up to see them. The locals all live nearby, some overlooking the field etc and no-one has seen anything.
 
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I have also been told that if any of the horses are 'rehomed' without permission from the owners , ie one of them dissapears from the field!!!, then the person that helped this horse will be arressted and charged with theft.
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I think they are being over cautious..and if you leave a notice with contact details it is a moot point whether it was your intent to permanently deprive...
...but I wouldn't recommend that just anybody do this..the owners, when they do make contact, are often very unpleasant people, and there are significant costs.

ETS - to have a complaint of theft, you USUALLY require a victim
 
I know its harsh but TBH if noone had fed and watered theses ponies they'd have been 'rescued' a long time ago. Try to get past the fact that they look a mess and the field looks a mess, that won't actually kill them. Advise the locals to stop feeding them BUT inform the RSPCA/ILPH that this is what you are all doing and make damn sure they return and remove these poor horses.
 
Sorry to sound daft, but how do you know they are actually abandoned??? Just because you dont see anyone there, doesnt means no ones goes. There are 3 colts by my yard, completely covered head to toe in mud, tails and manes knotted, to a non horsesy person, they look neglected and abandoned, but we now who they are owned by and although we never see him, he does go up there. They are roughing it for winter and are absolutely fine. They dont have a fresh water supply, they have a trough.

There owner probably thinks its great, everyone else is feeding his/her ponies!!
 
Jo, it is my belief that the land owner can put a notice up advising the horses will be re-homed after a certain period if the owners doesn't come forward.

You could contact your local trading standards, animal health department and/or defra.
 
I hate to hear peole slating the RSPCA. They have to follow the law. Unless a vet states that the horses are actualy suffering they can do nothing. If they seize the horses thay will be stealing and liable to prosecution themselves. I am sure they would love to do something before the horses suffer. Its the law that is C**P, not the organisation. I think you will find that the ILPH will defer to the RSPCAs opinion also.

I know its awful, but until the new animal welfare bill comes into force thats what we are stuck with. Perhaps instead of critising the RSPCA perhaps folks could lobby their members of parliament about the rubbish legislation in place to 'protect' animals.
 
The ILPH advised me of that this morning - the eviction nnotice. However the RSPCA have stated that they don't know who owns the land and they have no way of finding out. This a lie as other members pointed out to me earlier - for a small fee the Land Registry office can tell you who own sthe land.

What really annoys me is that the RSPCA is supposed to PREVENT the cruelty to animals - yet it is only when the animals are dying that they will take any action.

The owners have NOT been to see the horses , there is no water source AT ALL in the field and the locals left the horses for a couple of days before starting to feed/water them
 
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Sorry to sound daft, but how do you know they are actually abandoned??? Just because you dont see anyone there, doesnt means no ones goes. There are 3 colts by my yard, completely covered head to toe in mud, tails and manes knotted, to a non horsesy person, they look neglected and abandoned, but we now who they are owned by and although we never see him, he does go up there. They are roughing it for winter and are absolutely fine. They dont have a fresh water supply, they have a trough.

There owner probably thinks its great, everyone else is feeding his/her ponies!!

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Maybe somebody local could put a note on the gate threatening that they will be moved, to make the owner put in an appearance. Could backfire though and mean that they get moved somewhere more remote where nobody will keep an eye on them
 
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