Equine Bailiffs

vallin

vallin

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So for the third summer in a row horses have been dumped on our yard or in the surrounding land. This year it is 4 youngsters who are currently causing my horse to go about absolutely nuts, resulting in damage to our grazing (this is a normally very quiet horse who loves nothing more than to eat).

I know that in reality there is very little we can do, however I was reading the Redwings article about abandoned horses ad came across the fact that there are 'Equine Bailiffs', article here: http://www.redwings.org.uk/welfare-horse-care-advice-abandonment.php

I've found these companies that offer this service and wondered if anybody knew anything more about them, i.e. costs, what happens to the horses after (I'm assuming meat), etc.

http://www.grcbailiffs.co.uk/animal---equine-removal.html

http://www.equineandland.co.uk/equine_livestock_removal.php

Thanks :)
V
 
I'm sure there was a law recently passed that if horses are being "fly grazed" on your land, you can take them and do whatever you want with them. I could be wrong, but that's what I've heard!
 
CassTheCob said:
I'm sure there was a law recently passed that if horses are being "fly grazed" on your land, you can take them and do whatever you want with them. I could be wrong, but that's what I've heard!
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But when they're gypsy cobs it costs you more to vaccinate and passport than you get for selling them on (we did that last year) or you're looking at paying £400 for the hunt to dispose of them - either way the YO is out of pocket.
 
I think you have to post a notice to say what you intend to do, its a question for BHS Gold Member Legal Helpline, worth contacting the baliffs too.
You might have to chip and passport, not sure, but why vaccinate?
Would the hunt charge £400? I was looking at £400 for private disposal, and it was onve horse, and involved ferries and trailer and a whole day's work.
 
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Are the horses in good condition, OP?
If not, the charities will be interested. We hAd a lot of help from Redwings and WHW when some were abandoned on land my mother in law owned.
 
GRC are one of my clients and they have been doing this work for years for councils etc. Not sure how it works now but quite a few years ago (when I last asked) i know they used to remove horses then hold at secure location and owners had so many days to retrieve and pay fine or they were rehomed.
 
meesha said:
GRC are one of my clients and they have been doing this work for years for councils etc. Not sure how it works now but quite a few years ago (when I last asked) i know they used to remove horses then hold at secure location and owners had so many days to retrieve and pay fine or they were rehomed.
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Isn't that pretty much what the new fly grazing law does?
 
Bonkers2 said:
I think you have to post a notice to say what you intend to do, its a question for BHS Gold Member Legal Helpline, worth contacting the baliffs too.
You might have to chip and passport, not sure, but why vaccinate?
Would the hunt charge £400? I was looking at £400 for private disposal, and it was onve horse, and involved ferries and trailer and a whole day's work.
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For 4 horses it would be more of less that, plus there's the problem of actually catching and holding the bloody things.
 
Spottyappy said:
Are the horses in good condition, OP?
If not, the charities will be interested. We hAd a lot of help from Redwings and WHW when some were abandoned on land my mother in law owned.
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They're in good condition fortunately/unfortunately so none of the charities will touch them
 
Grc recently removed a beautiful cob from by my house who was being fly grazed. Also used to put him in a trap and trot him ridiculosly fast with 4 big blokes on :( they put notices on lamp posts and then about 3 days later pony was removed. I rang them in the following weeks to see how he was getting on and they couldnt say much but advised he would be rehomed at least 3 hours drive away from where he was found. They seemed really nice. Maybe worth giving them a call.
 
The new Guidelines for the Control of Horses Act have now been published which explains in more detail what landowners and councils can do with abandoned and flygrazing horses.

With regard to GRC & others, you are looking at least £500 each plus expenses for them to remove. Many councils use them under contract as they are swift and clean albeit expensive (but it's the taxpayers money so who cares).

Land grab companies also use them - house builders etc who sit on huge parcels of land until planning permission etc has been granted. They ignore any flygrazing until they need the land (or someone makes a fuss about welfare) then quick smart Notices go up and they all disappear. Sometimes just seeing the letterhead on the gate has the desired effect.

With youngsters properly dumped on private land, the new law does not really help. Unless someone is prepared to take them on or a local rescue can be persuaded, its down to the landowners ££.

I have to say - and I'm sure you wouldn't advocate this either - giving away is not a solution.
 
OP, out of curiosity, I can understand how they are being dumped on adjoining land, but how on earth are they being dumped on your yard? Or do you mean on your yard's grazing? I suppose if the worst came to the worst and no-one would remove them, could you organise a gamekeeper with telescopic sights to take them out with no fuss? They cull deer that way and I believe its the way they farm them for the venison market if they are effectively "free range".
 
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