Horses being abandoned on the moors/fells/parks ?

[Gingerwitch]

Hopefully its a bit of an exagerated claim, but with a 3 week wait for slaughter in Ireland, no one buying many horses in the UK - i have heard from a a pretty reliable source that the number of horses having their shoes removed and being abandoned onto common land is dramatically increasing.

Anyone else heard of this or is it anothe rural myth ?

 

[Divasmum]

I've heard of an increase in the numbers of abandonded horses in the UK in general. Huge welfare issues involved.

 

[WoopsiiD]

Fraid its not looking like a myth at all.
I used to work at the Highways Agency and still talk to some people who work there. I know its not 'much' but they are getting 1 or 2 calls a month from people saying horses are in car parks, fields that have been empty for years.
(Yes, I know they are calling the wrong people but Joe Public automatically assumed that the HA looked after all roads and anywhere NEXT to a road!! It was part of our job to point them in the right direction-i.e councils)
1-2 calls a month is still too many. Six years ago and in the 4 years I was there we took one call on this!

 

[Jeska]

I was in Ireland a few months ago and a farmer near to where i was staying was telling me he'd had a few fillys dumped on his fields and he was struggling to get rid of them becuase no one wanted them. Such a shame