Glasgow riding school query, re dreadfully poor animals.

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I feel sick thinking this is/was going on. The photos of the horses on the website - they don't look happy horses, you can see it in their eyes. It's really upsetting.
I'm disturbed that even complete beginner children and parents would think the conditions in some of those photos was okay.

The website was last updated in 2012 do is definitely out of date.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I got the impression that it had been reported to various authorities over the years TFF.

The whose situation stinks! ??

 

[MagicMelon]

Sounds horrific and I dont understand how nothing has been done. Surely the SPCA have been out? They have more power than the riding school lot?

 

[HBB]

They are warned in advance so hide the horrors and feed up the best ones.

It is shocking that annual inspections are done with advanced warning.
There was a horrible riding school that I knew of that would "borrow" liveries tack and ponies claiming that they were their own school ponies.
The yard was a huge accident looking for a place to happen.

 

[Reacher]

Those photos are grim, makes me sick ?? . I don’t care how many connections they have, how can they get away with that

 

[Xtra]

They have been reported for over a decade now by many different people but nothing ever seems to happen. I assumed they had closed till the fresh round of issues emerged

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I suppose the RS is closed at present, but on digging further, I've found this letter, so something was moving along.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

But, seems like things were rectified (or hidden?) as a response from ABRS end March was updated last week.

ABRS statement

 

[be positive]

Have the welfare societies/ charities learned nothing from the Spindles farm/ Peel and various other cases that were reported by numerous people over a long period of time that they need to be taken seriously, the people complaining are not a one off out to prove a point or someone with a grudge that is making it up, the evidence in several photos is not to be ignored and swept under the carpet because someone has 'contacts', the inspectors should make a couple of unannounced follow up visits whenever complaints have been made by more than one person or when there is photographic evidence that clearly shows horses in very poor condition, unless they know the horses have either been pts or are now shown to be looking well .

 

[Firefly9410]

The problem is when you know nothing about horses except that you like them an emaciated horse and for example a fit race horse look similar so thin does not necessarily look wrong.

So people still turn up and ride these emaciated wrecks and somehow don't notice there is anything wrong? It beggars belief.

I feel sick thinking this is/was going on. The photos of the horses on the website - they don't look happy horses, you can see it in their eyes. It's really upsetting.
I'm disturbed that even complete beginner children and parents would think the conditions in some of those photos was okay.

The worst of the sticking up spine which anyone could see is too thin is hidden by the saddle and numnah. As a riding school client with the horses brought out to you tacked up you never see underneath.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Have the welfare societies/ charities learned nothing from the Spindles farm/ Peel and various other cases that were reported by numerous people over a long period of time that they need to be taken seriously, the people complaining are not a one off out to prove a point or someone with a grudge that is making it up, the evidence in several photos is not to be ignored and swept under the carpet because someone has 'contacts', the inspectors should make a couple of unannounced follow up visits whenever complaints have been made by more than one person or when there is photographic evidence that clearly shows horses in very poor condition, unless they know the horses have either been pts or are now shown to be looking well .

Having emailed the BHS welfare dept about this, they apparently cannot act in the case of any ABRS riding school, they ask complainants to contact the council responsible for the licence, and also the ABRS....
They (the BHS) are not interested as the ABRS has updated its March statement to show it's all ok. This statement was updated a month after the initial suspension statement.

So, either the horses have very much improved whilst the RS has had to close down due to Covid, or something isn't right - were the premises actuslly inspected by officials during lockdown?

Perhaps this can be all followed up once they reopen?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

The problem is when you know nothing about horses except that you like them an emaciated horse and for example a fit race horse look similar so thin does not necessarily look wrong.
.

I beg your pardon!!!!! A fit racehorse looks NOTHING AT ALL like an emaciated animal!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ester]

I'm a bit confused that it all gets left to the licencing authority.
My only involvement with that was very historical as a teen but it was easy enough not to include some horses so it would be helpful to see a statement that said exactly what they had done/how many horses were inspected.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

This is a fit racehorse who won a 3 mile hurdle race 10mins after this picture was taken. NOTHING like those poor creatures at Horse Haven!

 

[clydeviewequestrian]

I worked year for a short time a few years ago and it is as horrendous as it looks in these photos sadly would love the place to close they shouldn't be allowed near animals

 

[be positive]

Having emailed the BHS welfare dept about this, they apparently cannot act in the case of any ABRS riding school, they ask complainants to contact the council responsible for the licence, and also the ABRS....
They (the BHS) are not interested as the ABRS has updated its March statement to show it's all ok. This statement was updated a month after the initial suspension statement.

So, either the horses have very much improved whilst the RS has had to close down due to Covid, or something isn't right - were the premises actuslly inspected by officials during lockdown?

Perhaps this can be all followed up once they reopen?

What has the fact it is an ABRS RS got to do with it, the BHS is supposed to be in part a welfare charity they should act on behalf of their members and not avoid upsetting another society by passing the buck, yes the local authority should act but this is just showing why these situations continue for so long and nothing gets done until it is far too late.

I am sure with a prearranged appointment it must be easy enough to hide the worst ones somewhere and the inspectors never see them, they are supposed to know how many are on site, to check passports and vet records but I suspect their main criteria is H&S, how tidy the muck heap is and to tick various other boxes, if they and the vet are not really experienced with equines, most licensing is kennels and catteries, then it would be easy to pull the wool over their eyes, we need AA on the case but she is in the wrong country.

 

[adamntitch]

Owner of the place is a friend of a certain other riding schools daughter who is an sspca inspector the sspca inspector s mum owns a riding school in Edinburgh where a lot of horses that are taken or confiscated end up

 

[Firefly9410]

I beg your pardon!!!!! A fit racehorse looks NOTHING AT ALL like an emaciated animal!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not to us on here but in the eyes of a novice who knows nothing it is not too dissimilar with a saddle covering up the worst of the weight loss. The majority of people who ride riding school horses in this state are not uncaring people in my experience they just do not realise how underweight the horses are unless they see them without tack or rugs. Under saddle they do not notice the hollows where the muscles should be they just see a horse with no excess fat.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

What has the fact it is an ABRS RS got to do with it, the BHS is supposed to be in part a welfare charity they should act on behalf of their members and not avoid upsetting another society by passing the buck, yes the local authority should act but this is just showing why these situations continue for so long and nothing gets done until it is far too late.

I am sure with a prearranged appointment it must be easy enough to hide the worst ones somewhere and the inspectors never see them, they are supposed to know how many are on site, to check passports and vet records but I suspect their main criteria is H&S, how tidy the muck heap is and to tick various other boxes, if they and the vet are not really experienced with equines, most licensing is kennels and catteries, then it would be easy to pull the wool over their eyes, we need AA on the case but she is in the wrong country.

BP I completely agree! I was gobsmacked to see the avoidance tactic in writing!
Any other BHS members willing to write in too?

 

[Keith_Beef]

BP I completely agree! I was gobsmacked to see the avoidance tactic in writing!
Any other BHS members willing to write in too?

In any letters to the BHS, it might be useful to remind the Board of Trustees that according to article 2.1.4 of the BHS articles of association, one of the objects of the BHS is " to promote and facilitate the prevention of cruelty, neglect or harm to horses and to promote the relief, safety, sanctuary, rescue and welfare of horses in need of care, attention and assistance". By refraining from action after having received easily verifiable reports of cruelty and neglect, the board is in breach of that article.

I don't know what kind of sanction can be made against the BHS or its Board of Trustees, but it should seriously tarnish the BHS's reputation that it is not fulfilling one of its declared purposes.

http://www.bhs.org.uk/~/media/docum...erms-of-reference/bhs-constitution.ashx?la=en

 

[Fools Motto]

Random, but
I've just read a post on facebook that this place was shut down last week.

 

[holeymoley]

I wondered what had happened to it, it all went quiet