Have I done the right thing? RSPCA

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Dolcé

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I have been working fairly locally and called to address several times over the last 3 weeks. On the way to the address I passed a couple of small 'farms' with loads of scrubby type ponies and horses, mares and coloured foals etc. In one field there was a horse tethered on a rough bit at the side of the field and he looked really thin, his tether hasn't moved for the last 3 weeks as far as I can see. When I passed last night he looked on the verge of collapse, was sort of bracing himself with all four legs spread out (not in a lami type stance) as if it was the only way he could hold himself up and his head was on the floor. I took a really good look and realised just how thin he really is, there was also a coloured laid in the field that had it's spine and hip bones protruding, all the others in that field were eating around small piles of hay. I tried to phone WHW as soon as I got home but it was almost 10pm and they were shut until Monday so I called the RSPCA.

I have worried about this all night and barely slept! Should I have gone to the house and spoken to the owner rather than reported but I don't think I would have got a warm welcome and am too old to be putting myself in danger of physical harm (which I think would have been likely). Should i have gone and tried to buy the horse, don't have transport and certainly not a lot of cash right now and it was too far to try and walk home with it (9 miles from home 15 from yard) if it was even strong enough to try, not long before dark and along busy roads. I figure if it was a 'rescue' then the owner will be able to prove that and will understand why it has been reported but doubt very much that is the case. Poor thing only looked young, there was another tethered a bit further along but that was quite healthy looking (odd for this type of place) so maybe new. My suspicion is that this will be one of the dealers that frequents Holmfirth every week going by the condition of the horses in general, they were mainly the sort seen tethered around here (I am trying to be diplomatic and not saying 'the word). I am so worried that nothing will be done and it will be too late for this one but got the impression that it would be dealt with quickly.
 
hch4971 said:
I have been working fairly locally and called to address several times over the last 3 weeks. On the way to the address I passed a couple of small 'farms' with loads of scrubby type ponies and horses, mares and coloured foals etc. In one field there was a horse tethered on a rough bit at the side of the field and he looked really thin, his tether hasn't moved for the last 3 weeks as far as I can see. When I passed last night he looked on the verge of collapse, was sort of bracing himself with all four legs spread out (not in a lami type stance) as if it was the only way he could hold himself up and his head was on the floor. I took a really good look and realised just how thin he really is, there was also a coloured laid in the field that had it's spine and hip bones protruding, all the others in that field were eating around small piles of hay. I tried to phone WHW as soon as I got home but it was almost 10pm and they were shut until Monday so I called the RSPCA.

I have worried about this all night and barely slept! Should I have gone to the house and spoken to the owner rather than reported but I don't think I would have got a warm welcome and am too old to be putting myself in danger of physical harm (which I think would have been likely). Should i have gone and tried to buy the horse, don't have transport and certainly not a lot of cash right now and it was too far to try and walk home with it (9 miles from home 15 from yard) if it was even strong enough to try, not long before dark and along busy roads. I figure if it was a 'rescue' then the owner will be able to prove that and will understand why it has been reported but doubt very much that is the case. Poor thing only looked young, there was another tethered a bit further along but that was quite healthy looking (odd for this type of place) so maybe new. My suspicion is that this will be one of the dealers that frequents Holmfirth every week going by the condition of the horses in general, they were mainly the sort seen tethered around here (I am trying to be diplomatic and not saying 'the word). I am so worried that nothing will be done and it will be too late for this one but got the impression that it would be dealt with quickly.
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Yes you did the right thing. I doubt the poor thing had water either. It disgusts me. Ridiculous too that there was no one covering the phones for the WHW.
 
yes you definitely did the right thing, and if you think nothing has been done, then i would keep pestering the rspca, whw etc, poor thing, it makes my blood boil!
 
You have done the right thing you could ring again and also call whw Monday can't hurt to let both agencies know, do you have any local rescue places as they might be able to jog the RSPCA on a little can't hurt and if is a rescue the owner I'm sure could prove it.
 
I think you are best not to get personally involved, as he then knows who reported him, and if he was concerned about welfare, the ponies would not be in the sate they are in.
I suspect no prosecution will occur if he is an ethnic [oppressed!] minority but he might get rid of them, and they have to be better off somewhere else.
Best not to rescue any such horse by chequebook as they will be replaced by another of the same type.
RSPCA is best placed to prosecute.
 
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Please do keep pestering the RSPCA - I reported some horses by me who were very skinny with no water, and one of them had died of starvation, and the RSPCA took 35 days to come out!!!! If they're not planning on coming out immediately, contact one of the other organisations. If I'd known the RSPCA weren't going to bother coming out for so long, I would've found a different organisation.
 
Keep the pressure on the Rspca. Remember Carrot and Spud?? The rspca had been out to them and did very little until there was an uproar on here (2 years ago now). The Bhs welfare were instrumental in that rescue as one of their welfare officers went out and, suddenly, with all the publicity mounting the RSPCA went back out again and actually did something. I recall a lot on here planning demonstrations on here because the RSPCA was not acting. People were literally getting ready to get in their cars and drive to Lincs!! It was truly amazing,some of us were on to local reporters who picked up the story. How annoyed was i when i read a few wks back how the RSPCA rescued those horses (one recently died). Without the power of this forum they would have dead!!
Bottom line, keep the pressure ob them, check if anything has happened if you can, try bhs welfare line and if not let the forum know. We are a powerful lot en mass.
Amen.
 
I echo what has already been said. You have done the right thing x
There is no way I could have driven past and not done something either as my conscience will really not allow me to do so.
As others have said please keep this ongoing and bring in other organisations if necessary. I personally don't have a great deal of faith in the RSPCA for personal reasons.
I hope this little mite can either be rescued and the people prosecuted or else have his misery ended. Either way it is no life for any animal to be tethered without access to the 3 basics in life, water food and shelter!
Obviously assuming that is the case here. It sounds very much like it as 'healthy' horses do not end up on the verge of collapse unless something is very wrong.
Poor, poor horses :(
 
Yes most definitely

Check up with RSPCA that they did visit and if you ring them back they will update you. I have used RSPCA over the years and our old boy bag bones was checked up on as someone reported him. He was 37 years old and they were fine about him and knocked after their visit and could see that he was old and well looked after(he use to lay down a lot due to being so ancient). They were very pleasant and at least we knew they followed up on an enquiry. We didnt mind at all. We were more annoyed that the locals didnt ask us though as farm and known very well. Probably someone walking through but hey ho!

But let them deal with it. Dont go to the house. No need.

If as others have suggested RSPCA are not too good go to ie horse welfare etc I have found RSPCA good in my area.
 
Yes you did the right thing, Pester, pester, pester RSPCA as it's unlikely they'll be in any rush to come out. Also as others have said, ring WHW Monday if they're not answering phone's over weekend.
 
Would you have felt better driving past today and seen the pony in a collapsed state ? No need to question yourself. I would speak to world horse welfare as well as rspca, if they dont act id tell them my next step was to speak to the press, people pay enough into the charities and from what you describe id hope theyd act swiftly on it
 
I have never liked rspca and a request for help for a dying foal took the whw a week to reply to so i wouldnt give either of them the time of day!!
You did right to care but maybe a different charity would have been better.
 
If you are refering to Spindles Farm, most of the equine charities were involved, but it was the RSPCA that actually brought the case as they were the ones with enough "clout" to do so.
 
Thank you all for your replies, I will go for a look tonight and see if he is still stood there and if the coloured is still in the field and will chase up the report. I will also have a look and see if BHS welfare is open over the weekend and give them a call if necessary. I just hope he didn't get dragged to Holmfirth today as he just didn't look strong enough for it.
 
YES YES you did the right thing.nobody has the right to deprive an animal of the food,water and shelter.Whats wrong with these people who do this to animals?Perhaps they should have their hands tied behind their backs and tethered on a chain for over 3 weeks!!
I had somebody report me to rspca once years back 2 times-one person cos id got shetlands on bare paddock??? the ponies were fed hay twice a day and 2 had had laminitus.person who reported me tried to let my ponies out on to cow pasture.The second was cos id got my shetlands in stalls for part of the day.
 
Would love to know what happened. I got reported to RSPCA for my 33 year old and they came and had a look . I didnt mind and would prefer to know that people were looking out for animals. I would be very wary of knocking on someones door to ask about the animals so dont mind that others feel the same.
 
PiebaldPeril said:
Might as well f@rt in a gale as far as the RSPCA is concerned IME; they'll hassle someone innocent who takes in a couple of old horses as a favour to a friend, but the "real" problems where there's people there they're ***** scared of, they'll leave alone.

Better to go to WHW or one of the other charities IMO.
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This has been my unfortunate experience too
 
aintgotnohay said:
YES YES you did the right thing.nobody has the right to deprive an animal of the food,water and shelter.Whats wrong with these people who do this to animals?Perhaps they should have their hands tied behind their backs and tethered on a chain for over 3 weeks!!
I had somebody report me to rspca once years back 2 times-one person cos id got shetlands on bare paddock??? the ponies were fed hay twice a day and 2 had had laminitus.person who reported me tried to let my ponies out on to cow pasture.The second was cos id got my shetlands in stalls for part of the day.
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Well on the first occassion the rspca lady said there was nothing wrong with how i was keeping the shetlands and was doing right thing-as if i didnt need telling that by a snotty 22 year old whod probuably never had much to do with horses.The second occassion a developer on the stable block had seen my ponies tethered in the stalls and when the rscpca came out she said it was not right and asked why there were round blocks of wood tied to end of the tethering ropes.she obviously didnt have a clue either and had to explain to her that they were stall bobbins.
 
When we reported a field full of straving horses to the WHW they said they were too far away.

The RSPCA didnt bother getting back to us.

So instead we have taken water to the horse and tried out best with them but these owners need talking to and asking what exactly is happening.
 
I need to phone the RSPCA back, I went up to look the other night, all the mares and foals look to have been moved as no sign of anything in that field. The healthier looking one wasn't tethered where he had been but the really poor one was still there although his tether had been moved slightly. Will update further after I have spoken to them.
 
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