Loose horse, foul language & spitting WWYD? <long sorry>

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Bossybritches

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Forgive the long post , I have been guided here from another forum so hope you can advise!
<disclaimer, not a horse owner but generally animal lover>

OK so background is I live in a rural community with all sorts of families and like most communities we have our anti-social ones. One of our biggest challenges is a large family who have a varied history of animal neglect ( multi agency swoop on them few years ago & variety of animals taken away & put down)and appear to be trading horses out of their HA house.

Said horses are left tethered on various locations around the town, any where there is some grazing often with no accessible water, near main roads, and no shelter from the elements. One colt they left on a canal bank drowned last month as it slithered in the mud down the bank after heavy rain and couldn't get out
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This last fortnight they have had a lovely boy (gelding?? ) tethered on our playing field where many folks go to walk their dogs and kids play footie etc. We have a kids play area.

Poor animal was in full sun most days last week and I gave it some water on one occasion as I was worried about it & it drank a whole bucket straight down (I stopped it half way & gave it the rest a few mins later as I didn't want it to be sick!) RSPCA not bothered....quelle surprise.

Today is was back & got loose from its halter attached to a chain wrapped round the kids slide, horse muck all over the field but more importantly I was concerned he would get out onto the busy main road.

I rang the police 101 as I am fed up of this happening and folks turning a blind eye. Instead of coming to see the horse the police went straight to the owners ( funny that as I didn't name them) & alerted them.

They pitched up at the field where I was with the horse and when I asked them to ensure he had safe pasture elsewhere with shade & water, proceeded to swear at me for interfering with their horse.

Called me a ****ing fat whore and telling me they'd stove me in if I came near them again & spat at me. I asked them not to use foul language in front of the nearby children (including one of their own) and the torrent of abuse continued as I calmly stood my ground, he threatened to knock me out and gestured to my dog saying he would string it up on my doorstep, yada yada more unpleasantness. Others tried to calm him down and got it both barrells I'd had enough not scared at all but shaking with rage and rang the police again.

I said I wanted to make a formal complaint, don't hold out much hope of anything being done but at least its logged. My local PCSO is supposedly coming over to take a statement but as they usually clock off at 6pm I don't hold out much hope, they obviously have more pressing concerns.

The poor horse has what appears to be sores from the halter (old and new) overgrown hooves & bad teeth. His mane is full of dust & burrs.


Any advice? Will post some pics I took if I can work out how to!!


 
I haven't any advice but didn't want to just read and run.

This is horrendous! I can't believe what you I'd about the condition of the animals and the way you have been spoken to! From memory I think that most people advise contacting horse charities such as World Horse Welfare as they tend to give a better response. I remember when I reported someone years ago for leaving a load of horses with no water, I was not to give them any water myself as the inspectors needed to arrive and see them suffering :-(
 
Thanks all- local police been round, they are as frustrated as we are, etc etc it's an RSPCA matter, they are going to give "words of advice" which they'll ignore of course.

RSPCA' standard response is "you don't know that the owner hasn't just fed and watered him" well I have photos now which I will send.

I am trying to get as many folks as possible from the community to log it with the local police and RSPCA just so we can build up a dossier.

Makes me sick when the local kids are scared to go there because of these people.

If I post the pics I have on here can you tell me what you think as those more in the know than me? Ta
 
What a horrible situation - sorry you had to experience such foul behaviour, and that poor horse! Agree with BentleyBelly that BHS Welfare are good. Also could try World Horse Welfare - unfortunately, it seems that RSPCA are not that great in responding to situations such as these in my experience. I've seen them have to be shamed into action on many occasion. It may be worth finding out if there are any welfare/rescue centres in your local area who might have more sway with the RSPCA and who could get them to act quicker. Let us know how it all goes.
 
Sorry you had such an awful experience with these dreadful people.It sounds to me like they threatened you directly and made other threats,which is an arrestable offence.I can't understand why the police failed to support you at the scene,and more importantly,send in the cavalry to tackle these cruel,antisocial and aggressive people.Shame on the RSPCA too,but their ineptitude does not surprise me,after all they are too busy harassing local hunts to focus on what they should be dealing with ;tackling cruelty and neglect.Do they really think people are stupid enough to be conned by the avoidance of the RSPCA.They should know horses need access to water at all times,not just given a bucket when the owner deigns to do so.
I would discuss the situation further with the police,particularly the Neighbourhood officer just to find out how they can support you.You have been violated in public and have the same recourse to the law as those who break it.(Sad fact but a reality).
Good luck but please be mindful of reprisals from these hideous people.
 
I would also contact your local environmental health department as the horse is on public land.

However, looking at the photo's I don't see an awful lot wrong with the horse itself. If anything, if it on the porky side, and while I see from your photo's it has sores, they look clean and dry from the blurry images. My horses have a tree for shade, but they haven't once been under it during the hot weather (people on site all day, so horses watched pretty much all the time). While tethering and watering two or three times a day aren't everyone's cup of tea, it isn't necessarily a welfare issue.

The main issue is the fact that the horse got loose and could cause injury to itself or a member of the public, and of course it should be properly tethered, not just in a headcollar.
 
Agree with mrselle. Whilst the situation is unfortunate. I've seen horses in states 10x's worse than this and the RSPCA have failed to take action.
 
I doubt you are going to get anywhere with any welfare organisations with that particular horse as it is in too good a condition. As others have said, the council/ environmental health is your best bet.
Also, try getting back to the police stating that you were in fear of personal injury when the horse owners assaulted you as you walked your dog on public land, that might rattle some cages.

Incidentally, several of my horses taken from a certain element of society have had the same scars behind their ears. I discovered it was from a method favoured by many of breaking them of pulling back when tied up. They use a makeshift halter of wire, tie the horse to something solid and beat seven shades of s**t out of them until they stop pulling. They all stand like a rock after that. Lovely.
 
Yes I agree with MrsElle.

The main issues are -
Horse is on public playing field.
Owner has threatened to kill your animals and damage your house. This is a threat and the police should blimmin well be taking things like that seriously!!

I second what FW said, get onto your local councillor pronto and keep on at the police.
 
Contact your council - they will have an animal welfare officer, they will listen to the issues you NEED to raise:

1. The animal is on council property
2. The animal is not being kept in a responsible manner under the rules of tethering
3. The animal is causing an environmental problem as it is defecating in a childrens play area.

This above is enough to get the council to act - phone them 1st thing.
Police will be as good as a chocolate t-pot, unless YOU are being harrassed.
The other agencies will go to the council to the animal welfare officer anyway as the animal is on council land.

Good luck!
 
LBM that makes me feel sick but yes I can see that's the sort of thing they would do.

mrselle- oh yes I know you are right he's nowhere as bad as what the RSPCA have to deal with usually but still *sigh* if anyone else did it then (quite rightly) it would be reported.

Because its these foul mouthed bullies folks shy away or turn a blind eye. I've had enough of it & them terrorising our community. Last year they stole all the metal from the swings and play equipment & ripped up the metal slide for scrap. Every manhole cover for miles around was nicked too. But I digress....

The community officer has said he will give "words of advice" in the first instance and talk over with his Sgt as to where to go from here.

Toothless tigers the lot of 'em !

Thanks for the advice kind posters.
 
Spitting at someone is a criminal offence, threats or harm are also deemed as such, I'd ask that the police formally investigate this and charge them.

Bypass the RSPCA and go directly to WHW or bhs you will get action. Alternatively take a load of photos documenting this neglect, and a load of screenshots of complaint emails sent to the RSPCA. Then demand they will act or you will disclose their failure to ensure the welfare of these animals and all evidence to the media.
 
As a former welfare officer I know how awful it is to be a family living to close to one of these groups.
I can only counsel to be to careful log everything I would make a formal compliant about the spitting etc and keep reporting to the police.
You need also to work on the council as others have said they have a duty to be in someway responsible what goes on on their property , if they are council tenants you have another line of attack there.
It's a shame the police are sidestepping the issue by saying its up to the RSPCA it does not need to be thus and I have met some proactive police officers in the past .
Go to WHW and the BHS and see if they can help but these people are very experianced at exploiting the law and understand well how to do it .
I chased round some for years but they got careless and the RSPCA made a case and got them banned in the end.
Thank you for standing up to these bullies.
 
Thanks everyone

:D jhoward......was applying the same principles as for small 2 legged persons.

Just to further my equine edumacation how much CAN they drink at one time?

Every day is a school day!
 
You say they are trading horses from their Housing Association flat/house?

Contact the HA and make a complaint, pretty sure there are rules about running a business from their home.
Also it might be worth contacting the local DHSS, if they are making money and claiming benefits, that could be of interest to somebody.
 
Speaking from experience, unless you have independent witnesses/a recording of the threats the police will do nothing as there is nothing to stand up in court. Do you have a smartphone? It can be your best friend. Take video of the horse tethered in an inappropriate place/manner. Take video if it is loose. In any situation where you are likely to encounter these people have the voice recorder on. The video will help the welfare authorities & environmental health, the voice recorder will help you with talking to the police about the threats.
It's all very well people complaining that the authorities won't do anything but fortunately our legal system requires evidence of an event happening before action can be taken.
 
Hi just looked at your pics, feet are fine, the horse is a good weight a bit over weight actually, the wounds are also clean, i know its not ideal situation, but from what i can see it looks like the head collar has rubbed, it is unfair tho they way you have been treated as you are only concerned, is the horse stumped all the time or just a couple of hours a day? x
 
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