does any one else think york sales should have RSPCA presence?????

i know what you mean king_of _diamonds i have been there two and can honestly say it was mortifying. and if york is one of the better ones then i think that proves my point even more.
 
I think Trading Standards have a duty to enforce the market welfare legislation, as well as passport and transport legislation. Do they go to York?

I've seen them at New Forest sales. The RSPCA attend there too - but don't have a duty to like I believe Trading standards do.

Yes, trading standards are at every sale at York, they have their own office there and are kept far too busy checking passports to be able to monitor welfare unless it is pointed out to them. We still managed to buy one with a false passport even though he had been checked! There should be welfare officers at every sale, if they started taking action, or even confiscating 'poor' animals then perhaps they would not arrive in such poor condition. The condition of some of the horses put through York is appalling, we have had 2 badly emaciated ones that the vet has warned poor chance of survival, one with a heart murmur caused by his emaciation.

Also, if it were the so called 'meat man' that was buying then I wouldn't have so much of a problem, there are worse things, like being bought by some of the scum dealers who always produce the worst case horses and trawled from sale to sale until they are bought either for meat, another dealer or, if they are really lucky to a good home.
 
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tuppence, you are banging the wrong drum.

you need to contact TS and complain,tell them you have suspicion that lorries attending are overloaded.... ring your local authority to york and ask for the name of the AHO that attends York..if they dont give you a name, call DEFRA
you also need to get into the sales office and make a fuss...it proves embarressing to the Auctioneers if there is a loud female complaining about what is going on in the sale lot
 
i would also suggest gettign a york mp involved - make a huge fuss, do a petition, take it to all the york mps - good luck xxxxxxx
 
Also, if it were the so called 'meat man' that was buying then I wouldn't have so much of a problem, there are worse things, like being bought by some of the scum dealers who always produce the worst case horses and trawled from sale to sale until they are bought either for meat, another dealer or, if they are really lucky to a good home.[/QUOTE]

Good call - better the meat man than being passed from pillar to post for months on end. Owners of some of these horses need to be more humane - if they don't want, or can't keep a lame, or aged horse - then they should make the decision to have it euthanased rather than the cowards way out.
 
Also, if it were the so called 'meat man' that was buying then I wouldn't have so much of a problem, there are worse things, like being bought by some of the scum dealers who always produce the worst case horses and trawled from sale to sale until they are bought either for meat, another dealer or, if they are really lucky to a good home.

Meat-man is better than Jamie Gray anyday.
 
I think the RSPCA do care, a lot, about animal welfare, but like any organisation without unlimited funds they have to prioritise, and I'm not saying that they shouldn't attend sales etc, but that they are under no obligation to.
They don't have enough manpower to investigate every report. And if you think they can just turn up and confiscate any animal that they think is being mistreated, then you're misinformed. and even if they could, what are they supposed to do with them then? so many charities homes are full, and there just isn't the space.
Also, the prosecution brought by the RSPCA against James Gray cost £4million. that could have been spent on helping animals, but what choice would you have made?

This is totally different - I pay my taxes, I don't have a choice about that, I am entitled to NHS healthcare.

I agree they have to prioritise, they should cut some of the big wigs £100k+ salaries and sell their multi million pound head offices, or release some capital from all of their investment portfolios or stop giving the political parties cash donations. They recieve £100million pound a year in donations but choose to spend that money on prosecuting the little ppl. The man who drowned a squirrel, the woman who kept her cats in filthy conditions (even though they werent suffering) and a man who they tried to argue had caused head collar sores on his horses when it turned out they had strangles. That is a waste of money. They use the most expensive lawyers and the most expensive expert witnesses money can buy. Yes, the Jamie Gray case cost them £4m but what did they recieve in donations from that case??
 
nativeponies- i have already contacted them and they have been helpful and said they will again look into it. i have also contacted the actual sales office and spoken to one of the top dogs who was very helpful at the time but i feel my complaints fell on deaf ears. yes we have bought ponies from there that have had fake passports before too even though they check them. it is all money to most people unfortunately.
i have got in contact with local mp's from the towns/villages of certain sales, it isnt just york sales that i am bothered about as they are one of the better that i have seen but still not good. i have had responses from some of them but still waiting for a reply from yorks mp and there offices. im not saying i have the solutions to the problem and i understand funds are limited im not saying it would be easy for them and others to do, i think they needs to be something in place to help in deterring dealers and other people that neglect ext there horses from selling them at sales. and if they cared for them better in the first place they would get more money for them anyway, rather than selling them in poor condition at a cheep price.which makes it better for everyone. dealers ext make more money for a better healthed horse and who ever buys it pays more for it and has less problems in the long run. but we all no in real life it doesnt happen that way. maybe they just need a kick up the backside from local authorities and organisations to do this. either way sales need to be monitored or monitored better, and turning a blind eye to a suffering animal shouldnt be part of there concept regardless of who they work for.

and narky mare- petition started online yesterday please see an earlier post on here for link.
 
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Over the last few months, York horse sales has become even more of an absolute disgrace! The stuff that goes on here is unbelievable and the auctioneers don't give a monkeys, as long as they are bringing in the cash! Someone bought a Dutch horse recently that turned out to be something else, but definitely NOT the horse on the passport!! It was only when she tried to change ownership details on the passport that it was discovered. She's now left with a horse of unknown breeding,age,anything!! Someone else let a retired horse go on permanent loan to a "lovely lady", who wanted it is as a companion to her others. The "lovely lady" promptly doped it & put it through York! The person who bought it ended up with a permanently unsound horse that needs constant medication. He asked the particular vendor at the sales last Friday for his money back & he was promptly beaten up in full view by the "lovely lady's" other half & his other dealer friends!! Auctioneers wren't interested! If you were there, you may have seen it going on!! Horses are being brought here from as far afield as Scotland & Essex!! Ask yourself why!! Long gone are the days when you would go here to buy a nice, cheap horse!! Sorry to witter on, but until people stop going here & buying, the problems are going to carry on!! Please do not buy from this place. If you see something you really like, get the vendors details & go & buy it from their premises the following day. If they are reluctant to let you do that, be suspicious! Would you sell your faithfull friend through there? Doubt it! I'd have mine shot first!
 
I go to York Horse Sales and have to say there are some nice horses that go through the ring too. Sometimes people have to sell quickly due to personal circumstances and also due to bereavement (there was a lovely CB gelding 4 YO went through the ring for around £700 on Friday)

Anyway, I use Minster vets and was chatting to one of the vets onsite saying again how disgusting the condition of SOME (not all) the horses coming into the ring. Her comment was..

' If people see a horse in poor condition then they are bidding because they feel sorry for the horse, these 'rescue centres' will pay good money for an underweight horse whereas a horse in good condition they won't bid on so what has happened is the neglected horses are making more money then the good ones.'

In effect the people buying these horses are fuelling the market. Dealers are deliberately bringing horses in poor condition because they know they will sell.

Sad as it is people need to learn to walk away. If there was no market then the dealers would have to present their horses in better condition. Difficult to do but in the long term THE ONLY WAY to stop them.

I too have reported one dealer to RSPCA but by the time he arrived on site the dealer had left with his horses as he had been told what was happening when the vet came to look at his mare.
 
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