Another terrible welfare case - Ireland

I've avoided this post all evening because I dont like looking at pictures that show such neglect to horses.
But I have now looked and am appalled.
Its no excuse being ill to neglect your animals, a phone call to the relevant agency to say your ill, can't cope and can they help before your animals start to suffer is all that is needed to avoid something like this.

As for dead horses................how could you not notice?
As for not knowing facts of how they died, I think it is safe to say they weren't under vetinary care, if so they wouldn't be dead, and if something fatal, they'd have been PTS and their bodies removed.

Oh and horseygirl28......................................I am lost for words where you are concerned!!
 
haha yeah maybe!

I've watched the video she has posted a few times now and the neglect is clear to see.
Some of the horses weight isn't to bad, maybe they arrived recently? Maybe they were fat before the neglect started, but even if the weight on some wasn't too bad, they were all still neglected as they weren't taken care of and had no food, no vetinary care !!
This is the point horseygirl28 fails to see, and her arguments regarding the dead horse and foal just dont stand up, how on the earth can someone say well how do we know they weren't receiving vetinary care? Its so blooming obvioius they weren't or they wouldn't be dead and left there !

I dont know if she's a troll or just totally naive and not in touch with reality and was blinded by the pictures of a few horses at reasonable weight, she obviously is blind as the black horse at the end of the video has ribs sticking out badly and yet she states none are underweight.

Oh well, I suppose she's entitled to her opinion !! :(

The sad thing is, these cases are gonna become more common as we go into winter, especially in Ireland.
I dread to think how many starving horses there are going to be this winter.
I'm sure I read on here on a post a few days ago or in a H&H article that they have approved some kind of cull of all the unwanted horses in Ireland.......very sad indeed.
I just thank god mine are all going into winter a good weight and I can afford unlimited haylage throughout winter x
 
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Agree totally.

I have to say though, I think a humane cull is better for these poor horses ending up in the state of that mare and foal.

I cant comprehend how she can defend that. The mare has clearly been dead longer than the foal as her front leg is skeletal, whereas the foal isnt.
Poor wee might has (probably) starved to death. That doesnt happen overnight.

These cases make me so angry. They cannot be defended in any way shape or form. As was said, one phonecall to the authorities to say "I cant cope" would have saved these poor horses.

Anyhow, better get off my soap box or I will wake the troll up!
 
I never noticed the difference in decay of the mares legs and foals, god that makes it even worse, the thought of just a baby starving to death is beyond words. What an awful start in life and for it to end as it did, I just dont know how anyone could not do anything, how anyone wouldn't have the heart to do something, a bloody phone call could have saved them.

I agree on the cull, much kinder than letting them starve to death and the fact is many will starve to death this winter.
The charitys are overrun, they just can't cope anymore with unwanted horses.
Hell if they didn't know about 70 neglected horses, how the hell are they gonna know about the fields here and there with just a few in?

This is why I dont look at the articles and pictures most of the time, it sickens me to the stomach to see what I consider to be the most beautiful animal on earth in that state x
 
COuldnt agree with you more.

I make myself look. dont know why, just feel I should to remind myself what us humans do.

No excuse can be given for this and how horseygirl can defend it just shows her IQ. unreal.

Anyway, away to be cruel and throw my dogs of the spare room bed into their own beds next to the radiator.
Think I will remind them how lucky they are!
 
horseygirl28 said:
Everyone looks after their horses to the best of their ability, because horses are expensive animals and no one wants to loose their horses whether your a private owner or a dealer.
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With all due respect, if any is due, you're mental.

Go tell that to the welfare organisations.

If you can't look after any animal in the way it needs to be looked after don't have one. End of.

Speechless.
 
Christ, appalled at the pictures and equally appalled that somebody can try and justify it.

Human's will never cease to amaze me :(.
 
only_me said:
I am very sad at the comments above - the person in question was simply too ill to look after them - there were other issues as well that were beyond their control.
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And they couldn't pick up the fecking phone to get some help???

I am absolutely appalled!
 
the report says the man was mentally unwell, that could me anything like dementia. he might not have remember where he was let alone he has 60 horses to care for. in this case i would say he isn't resonpsible for his actions as with a serious mental illness (and if he has been sectioned like it said in the article he does) however the people looking after him automatically have a duty of care to the animals whether that was to sign them over to the authorities to care for them themselves. the fact of the matter is an elderly man has been let down and if he knew what had happen and could understand then he probably would be very ashamed of what has happened to his animals. at the end of the day he isn't well and having a grandparent who can't remember how to make a cup of tea when he used to take us to the park and play football not that many years ago, i can only feel sorry for ALL concerned.
 
No, not a troll. You clearly have not grasped what i was trying to say.
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I think you don't really have a full grasp on the workings of large, professionaly run yards. Be it racing, showjumping, studs or eventing - or indeed dealing.

Studs tend to have sometimes large numbers of broodmares and foals in residence at certain times of the year. Each will recieve individual and particular care - as required. Of course, they're turned out and the mares roughed off. Competition and racing yard horses receive care that is second to none. The standard of care and management will be far higher than my single horse receives - and that probably goes for many of us.

I don't groom my horse every day, exercise it every day, strap it every day or even ride it every day.

You are right to say that when you have a large amount of animals it's innevitable that you will have deaths. However the sign of a beautifully managed establishement is the evidence of healthy, live animals - on good and abundant grazing, with evidence of supplimentary feeding in the form of hay when required.

You are also right to say that not all of these animals look poor - goodness some look in positively rude health - which should be the big question in your mind - what on earth has gone so terribly wrong here?????

When you have more experience of the equine world - you'll understand what most posters on here are getting at.
 
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There's no excuse for not looking after them.


Sell them to Potters if you have to - but don't let them die a horrible death. Everyone can excuse their animals that in this day and age.

Everyone.
 
I've resisted all these type of threads - Jamie Grey/Franchgate/etc, but wanted to add that the yard that my beasties are on, and that I work at, is a dealers yard with 60 plus horses - all fit and healthy, and our previous abode was a big competition/dealers yard with 80plus horses, again all fit and healthy.
In the years I've spent at big yards, there hasn't been one death or welfare case - never.

So what's their excuse? Horses don't need to die like this IMHO
 
Tifferss said:
if i became ill - my animals would not suffer. certainly not to the degree these poor creatures have.

No Excuses.
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If I was physically ill, then I know I could make sure my horses didn't suffer, but this man had a psychiatric illness. I don't think any of us could guarantee that our horses would be OK if we had a severe mental illness.

I don't think it can be compared to the Jamie Gray case, because JG was, presumably, compos mentis, and could have done something to alleviate the animals' suffering. It does sound like an entirely different scenario in this latest case, judging from the report. But still tragic that animals have died unneccessarily, if that is the case. :(
 
horseygirl28 said:
I was not refering to the dead horses. Im refering to the horses living in the news report, they all look well to me.

Regarding the dead horses we dont know the cause of death, it may well be something totally explainable.

These charities such as the RSCPA etc are very good at saying that the dead or under weight horses are due to neglect and not feeding without hearing the owners side of things.
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Spot on!!
 
I've just looked at the video on the other link, and I must say the majority of the animals did look to be in very good condition, bar a couple where ribs were visible. I can't believe that they all could have been living in that yard for a prolonged period of time - I wonder whether some have been out on good grazing until very recently. I'm sure we will have more details in due course and may then be in a better situation to judge exactly what went on.
 
missyme10 said:
I've avoided this post all evening because I dont like looking at pictures that show such neglect to horses.
But I have now looked and am appalled.
Its no excuse being ill to neglect your animals, a phone call to the relevant agency to say your ill, can't cope and can they help before your animals start to suffer is all that is needed to avoid something like this.

You would hope so but unfortunately things do not happen that way. These agencies like to wait until they can prosecute rather than help.
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TGM, I agree with you, it is appalling that animals have suffered, but whether the man responsible knew what was happening is a different matter. The report says he has been taken into care because of mental problems. He may be completely unaware of anything being wrong, the ill horses could have been asleep - for all he knew. It is so difficult for people without mental illness around them to understand the implications. I know my friends daughter was convinced her guinea pig was asleep although it had been dead for several days and was buried on day 1, she actually dug it up and carried it round with her, and put it in her own bed. She is 24. Her carers found it and had to remove it. she had no concept of death.

What is disgusting is that this was allowed to happen, that no one cared enough about the owner or his horses to intervene. Does that mean he has no family - or that he was as abandoned as his horses.

We also don;t know there was no food, in general those horses don't look bad, yes the odd one or two of the live ones look a bit skinny (no i don't mean the dead ones) but they muset have had access to feed. i suspect they have been put in one area by the USPCA.

This case is not like Jamie Gray, yes there are 3 dead horses - probably more which is totally and utterly unacceptable, but it does not appear to be the deliberate, planned brutality that Jamie Gray inflicted
 
I think this a tragic case for not only the horses but the owner aswell, if it is dementia then he realy cant be held responsible, my nan had it and she couldnt recognise her own children never mind her granchildren, she couldnt look after herself, she couldnt even remember where she llived, luckily she had family, if this guy was the same then their is no way he could have looked after his horses, we dont know the full ins and outs but the small glimmer of light is that they were found, unfortunately not in time for some but for others and the guy, they can now receive the help they need.

Also if they rspca (or the irish equivalent) have been their a week, why havent they got some bales in their for them to eat, never mind a hopeful ending to a sad story
 
1st off..... whether you have 1 horse or 20, you have a responsibility to each and every one. To say the rest look fine is no consolation to the dead mare and foal.....nor does it make it excusable.
"Looked after to the best of ability, with the finance availible" is NO excuse at all IMO.
If you do not have the time or finances and most of all ability to care for a horse, then sell it, be it to a new owner, or somewhere like Potters, do NOT leave it to suffer!
That mare did not just die along with her foal. Something caused it. If the finances were not in place to afford a vet, the mare should not have been in that persons care....... Being ill is no excuse either. If I am ill, I have plans in place that cater for each and every one of my horses.
 
TGM said:
I've just looked at the video on the other link, and I must say the majority of the animals did look to be in very good condition, bar a couple where ribs were visible. I can't believe that they all could have been living in that yard for a prolonged period of time - I wonder whether some have been out on good grazing until very recently. I'm sure we will have more details in due course and may then be in a better situation to judge exactly what went on.
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This is the original point i was trying to put accross in my first post that the horses in the video all look to be carrying a good amount of weight. I dont believe those horses have been in that yard full time, firstly they are too clean, if they had been in there for a long time there bodies would be filthy from lying down. I reckon they must have been bought into that yard area in the last week from when the USPCA discovered them and therefore the large quantities of horses have treaded the area down and its gone boggy, but hey doesnt the mud just add to the effects for photographs.
 
I get your point horsegirl, and, if the poor old man had dementia then I do feel for him too. However, the fact remains that there were dead animals on that property who had obviously not been cared for, I am well aware that if you have livestock you also have dead stock, but it appears in this case that there was neglect, albeit due to illness. The USPCA should be applauded for entering the property BEFORE the remaining animals suffered.

No matter what you say, it is not OK to have dead bodies lying around and, whilst I feel for the owner, I am very glad to see that something was done before there were more emaciated bodies. To allude that the USPCA used the mud as a propaganda tool is unacceptable imho. It is noteworthy that at no time have they lambasted the owner and there is no talk of prosecution.

You do seem to have a little bit of an axe to grind with the RSPCA, and, whilst I am the first to admit they are not my favourite welfare group, in this case, their sister charity has done the right thing.
 
SirenaXVI said:
I get your point horsegirl, and, if the poor old man had dementia then I do feel for him too. However, the fact remains that there were dead animals on that property who had obviously not been cared for, I am well aware that if you have livestock you also have dead stock, but it appears in this case that there was neglect, albeit due to illness. The USPCA should be applauded for entering the property BEFORE the remaining animals suffered.

No matter what you say, it is not OK to have dead bodies lying around and, whilst I feel for the owner, I am very glad to see that something was done before there were more emaciated bodies. To allude that the USPCA used the mud as a propaganda tool is unacceptable imho. It is noteworthy that at no time have they lambasted the owner and there is no talk of prosecution.

You do seem to have a little bit of an axe to grind with the RSPCA, and, whilst I am the first to admit they are not my favourite welfare group, in this case, their sister charity has done the right thing.
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I said the dead bodies should have been removed, there really is no reason to leave dead bodies lying around.

The RSPCA use photographs as their marketing tool, the worse/more dramatic the photo the more donations.

And yes your right i do have an axe to grind with the RSPCA.
 
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