Horse tethered by road - Basildon, Essex

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LBS78

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Hello, after some advice please.
My sister came across a horse tethered by the side of a road this morning. It is by a lorry park, by a roundabout. She went back there about an hour ago, and he is still there. No one has filled his empty water bucket. She phoned local police, who told her to phone RSPCA, who said it could take up to 28 days to go and assess its condition. We were wondering if there's anyone else we could phone - or should we just let RSPCA get on with it (although we feel so sorry for him/her!). Any advice?
Thanks in advance.
 
I think i would probably just give it some water abd check its headcollar/chain wasnt digging in and leave it at that

If challenged just lie and say you saw it kick over the bucket - much less confrontational than saying it hadnt been given water for hours
 
If it hasn't got any water and it isn't topped up reasonably often (perhaps daily for portable buckets? just guessing) then the RSPCA ought to be interested.

However, tethering isn't inherently cruel and plenty of well cared-for horses will kick over a water bucket and have to go without for a few hours - it would need to be regular, or sustained periods, before I imagine it would become something the RSPCA could even think about doing something about.
 
LBS78 said:
I just thought because it was on a lorry park, by a busy road, RSPCA might be concerned, that's all. I feel like we're over-reacting now!
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You're not overreacting. I hate seeing horses tethered.

The RSPCA might be interested, if they weren't so disinterested.
 
Agree hate to see horses tethered, that is just typical of the rspca why would it take up to 28 days to check on an animal.

Was going to say try world horse welfare.
 
Hi LBS78, You are not over reacting at all. If you think there is a problem it is important to tell the the RSPCA or Horse Welfare about your concerns. If everyone minded their own business nothing would be done. Welcome to this forum.
 
I'd give it some water, and monitor it (which is exactly what I've done in the same situation, years ago. The one I helped drank a full bucket as soon as I brought it - it was gasping for a drink. It'll be a traveler horse, the RSPCA won't bother because it'll be moved on before they can mobilize. But give the poor thing a drink if you can.
 
Pinkvboots said:
Agree hate to see horses tethered, that is just typical of the rspca why would it take up to 28 days to check on an animal.

Was going to say try world horse welfare.
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Err MAYBE because they have up to 3000 calls a day of cruelty and neglect to deal with? Do you think they can attend every single call instantly?
 
Landcruiser said:
I'd give it some water, and monitor it (which is exactly what I've done in the same situation, years ago. The one I helped drank a full bucket as soon as I brought it - it was gasping for a drink. It'll be a traveler horse, the RSPCA won't bother because it'll be moved on before they can mobilize. But give the poor thing a drink if you can.
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Well my sister gave him some water, although later on we read on the RSPCA website you're not supposed to. Oh well. But it was hot today. She has phoned Essex Horse and Pony Protection, so hopefully they will get back to us and maybe check on him/her. Thanks for the helpful replies.
 
If the horse is tethered next to the main road , this is actually against the highways act and the Police should act , that is if you can find an officer that actually knows anything about the law and can be bothered , contact your local horsewatch and that way an officer who DOES know something about horses will be able to call out and advise ,check and if need be can call a vet and seize the animal if conditions warrant . The other port of call is the animal heath officer attached to trading standards of your local council , as they police the passport legislation and are responsible for animal health and welfare in the county , they also have the power to act . WHW,RSPCA etc are full to the brim and their officials are overstretched , the only other welfare worth contacting apart from local sanctuary, would be the BHS .
 
There are a couple of horses tethered near a busy ring road en route to a major shopping centre here, the land all around them is in the process of being developed for housing. Like you I've seen these in recent weeks standing in the very hot weather we had with no chance of getting to shade tethered to the same spot. If the tethering is secure and there are signs they have had water brought at least that is possibly something. The ones I see are in good condition and you can tell there are people who I assume own them nearby. Just yesterday I heard again on the local radio at rush hour that they were loose again (it's not the first time) on the road and police were attending. So I think you are well justified in expressing your concerns, the people you've contacted hopefully will keep a regular eye on them. While horses can be killed by cars, drivers can also be killed by horses.
 
Good for you in reporting this horse to local charities who are more likely to help him.

Animals should have access to food & water at all times. Imagine the outcry if it was reported to the RSPCA that a lab animal was being deprived of water through neglect, they'd act then because they could get ateention in the press. Nothing in this for them so don't expect a response. Given that horses, like ourselves, can only go a matter of days without water, it should be an emergency situation that requires a same day response.

I've recently had to deal with other peoples stray horses close to an A road, & because we did the decent thing & caught them, the Police didn't want to know. As far as they were concerned they were off the road so washed their hands. At the time we had no idea who they belonged to & definately did not want them in our property as we had a mare with foal at foot getting upset by the strangers.
 
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