Makes me sick!! Advice please..

[juliehannah58]

Over 1 year ago I posted on here because I was worried about 3 elderly horses in a near by field to me. I called the RSPCA - nothing. Called the ILPH and they were visited by the field officer, although agreed they were in a bit of a pickle, decided to talk to the owner and give her some advice of new rugs, fencing etc.

Today they have ventured down to my end of their field, so i hopped over and had a look at them. I WAS APPALLED

The large pony (about 15hh in his former glory) has always been my main concern, the others are welsh A's and a bit hardier. He got a new rug, which was the only advice the owner took, but at least 12"s too big for him. Consequently, he had his foot through the leg straps this morning, god knows how long he'd been there. Sorted him out, could see his bones poking through his H/W NZ rug, thats how thin he is. Looked at the ponies, because they were wet I could see the full damage. All 3 have advanced cushings, one of the Welshies is like a rake, I would say he is 50kg under weight. Then came the biggest shock, their feet, they haven't been trimmed for at least a year. The toes are started to curl and I would estimate they need between 4-6 inches trimming off. They are all elderly with barely a tooth between them. I walked up to their 'shelter', knee deep in sh1t and 3 bales of hay chucked outside. I am not joking, this hay is black and has not been touched so I suspect it was in that state when it was left for them.

It pains me to see them in this state but I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall here. I will call the ILPH again, as they are much worse than before. But why do people let them get like this despite countless warnings!?? I know for a fact I am one of many people in the village who has reported them, I would guess they have been reported over 20 times in the last 3 years.

Why, why, why, why WHY!!! God, I am soooo angry!! I have taken pictures on my phone of them as evidence, this time I want something done about it.

Please calm me down and stop me building a camp by their gate and waiting for the owner to turn up!! I am sickened by this, truly.

 

[huggz]

Call everyone again....& if you get no results call the local newspaper too.
Explain to the RSPCA that you need help now.
To be honest I've called them loads of times & our local inspector has always come out & met me.

 

[M_G]

Give the ILPH another call, I dont know why people treat horses like this. I will probably get shot down but poor things would be better off dead, I really hate people sometimes wonder how owner would like to be starved

Good luck you are an angel to take the time and effort to check on the ponys
xx

 

[JaneMBE]

Agree with bearhuggz. If ILPH and RSPCA wont budge, the local newspaper. Write to the editor, take a photo if you can. You wont be named if you ask.
Shocking that, but having been in similar situation, the only way to force the issue is to call the media.
Also email and phone local radio, try the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/essex/local_radio/index.shtml first then if you have a local non bbc one. I would email each presenter not just one.
Someone will take notice.
If you don't want to for fear of repercussions then I would gladly email on your behalf.
Good luck and keep on at them, every hour until someone takes notice.

Let us knopw how it goes ?

 

[juliehannah58]

They would be better off dead, the big boy has been dying for a long time now. They will be left to die naturally, a long and painful death. If they were mine, only one would be coming into this winter, and thats at a push.

I've had two elderly horses pts in the last 14 months, not because they were in a state, but because they were on that slipperly slope and I didn't want their quality of life to suffer. It's not easy, but this person obviously doesn't give a damn about these ponies, that is evident by their state. Their heads hang so low they almost touch the floor, this is one set of very miserable ponios

Good idea about the paper thingy, thanks.

The ILPH did call me from his mobile when he got there last time, at that time their feet were trimmed and only the big pony was thin, although he was crippled after getting caught up in the barbed wire fencing that is draped around his field, so was still in a sorry state. The field officer told me to keep an eye on them, so I think he recognised the risk was there.

M_G, I feel bad I didn't go and inspect sooner

 

[GatefieldHorses]

we reported someone to the RSPCA and they would do nothing so long as they were alive. SOP my mum phoned them and had a go at them saying if rolf harris was looking at them with a tv crew behind you would rescue them, and keep them forever,. True tho isnt it!!!!! My mum rescued a cat 2 weeks ago that had been hit, shes had to pay all the vets bills for him as they said if they took him they would just out him down and now hes been treated hes fine!!!

 

[moon_drop]

I've been there to, I had to report four horses that didn't have any food or water and they were in really bad condition. one of them also had cushing it was sec A too. It started when I past them in the car one day and noticed that the sec a was laying down and when I came back down the road a few hours later he was still there so I stop and got out to see he was ok, he wasn't he coundn't get up! so i went home and phoned the SSPCA because the other three had rugs on but you could tell they were thin. the sscpa came out straight away, he said that yes they were in a bad condition and he would fined the owner and 'talk' to her. anyway he did and she put a bale of hay in field and told him that a vet had seen the sec A.
A month later I read in the paper that the owner had been given six years ( not any thing to do with horses) So the next day I went up to see the horses who were worse than when I first looked at them and the sec a couldn't move. so I phoned the sspca again and got a different officer out to see them, with in hours of the offcer seeing them he found out that this women had a history of cruelty, he found 12 more horses owned by this women in the area. all in the same condition. the officer found out she had left her mother in care of the horses when she was sent down but her mother did know about all of the horses. Four of the horses were put down as the had cushing and the mother sold the others on. SSPCA still check to see that the one horse her mother kept is ok.

I would say to you if they are really bad as you say they are keep phoning until they listen to you if you have to phone every week/day then do so. Another Idea is if you find the pony trap in his rug phone RSPCA and tell them they might get the messege then and came out straight away to help the pony. But one thing I learned is to take a step back. good luck if you want to talk more about it post me.

 

[tormor]

we had a problem with one of our neighbours and her dogs. what we did is called the RSPCA everyday until they did something about it.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Hope they do something this time. I know resources are probably short for these Orgs. but when a problem has been reported it shouldn't be up to individuals like yourself to have to keep an eye on the situation. The law is an ass though and animals seems to be dead or atleast half way there before anything is done.

 

[tashyisaudrey]

god thats terrible, its saddening that people like this are allowed to keep horses.

 

[Oldred]

I discovered a field of emaciated horses a few years ago and called the BHS Welfare line. They came out with vets and the police and dealt with them - and phoned me to report what they had done. Try them.

 

[M_G]

[ QUOTE ]
M_G, I feel bad I didn't go and inspect sooner

[/ QUOTE ]

Dont feel bad you are doing more than anyone else for that the horses will be grateful

 

[icestationzebra]

I have no words to calm you down as I would be totally furious too. If the owner does not want these horses or cannot be bothered to care for them properly then why not hand them over to a sanctuary or in these three's case - do the decent thing and have them PTS. I just fail to understand how these people think. Contact the ILPH and send them your photos..... Let us know what happens.

 

[Enfys]

Contact ALL of them, the ILPH, HAPPA, BHS, RSPCA and anyone else you can think of and keep at it. Take photos and email them to them.
I've been in your position before and it felt like I was banging my head against a brick wall, it's awful knowing that you shouldn't do anything to help them.

Get a barrage of people to phone saying they've seen these starving horses (at so and so.........) and are concerned about them. Perhaps sheer numbers of complaints will speed the process up a little.


Good Luck.

 

[Magicmillbrook]

Hi - I can appreciate why you are so upset. In defence of RSPCA and ILPH, its not that they don't care, its our current crap legislation. There are such strict criteria to be followed an animal can only be taken if it is actualy suffering badly not if it is going to be.

Please keep contacting them, as soon as they are able to they will take action. I know that the new animal welfare bill will change things, however thought for the day - with places such as ILPH full now, when more horses can be legaly taken where will they go! Another thing, when the new powers come into force you can bet your bottom dollar that the government will put no funds into helping to enforce - they dont even do it for humans so why would animals count!

 

[Mid]

Poor things!

Do you have any haylage left over from your horse? I'd be tempted to clean everything up and give them a good old feed, but then I suppose that will stop the ILPH trying to do anything. Maybe contact the owners, and ask them if they'd be willing to pay you to care for the ponies?

 

[brighteyes]

Dial 999

Obviously not but....... If you reported illegal hunting activity in the field you might get some folks along

 

[brighteyes]

You can't get through to the bluddy RSPCA

 

[Tia]

Do you have an Animal Welfare Officer at your local council offices? They are absolutely terrific people and will come on VERY strongly on these sorts of people - I have seen them in action and they are the ones I would call way before any of these hap-hazard, hands-tied charities.

 

[brighteyes]

Could you feed and rug them? Are there any forum members down near you with some spare stuff? I'll send some quids down for hay or whatever........

 

[GTs]

It is tough reporting horses - Stella had the police called as she was being ridden at the polo club making a tremendous noise, and someone obviously thought she was being run around out of breath - when she was just a roarer.

We also saved a horse from auction who looked like hell - I am surprised no one reported her. Rides showing, just look ghastly - but she was fine, just a funny old thing.

 

[conniegirl]

RSPCA are useless, I phoned them once about 2 ponies who were virtual hat racks and had been found on the road, a 3rd pony was dead on the owners drive due to starvation, RSPCA said there was no signs of neglect, i have got pictures of the 2 ponies that were still alive if anyone wants to see it. The little colt who was seen by our equine vet (happened to be up doing vaccines for my lot) had a heart murmur due to malnutrition.
Eventualy a friend of mine paid the owners £50 for both ponies, the little filly had a foal a year later very nearly lost the filly during it but how she didnt abort it we dont know. The little colt was gelded and was fed up and made into a jumping pony, the little filly after her foal was weaned early went on to make a lovely SHP

 

[PeterNatt]

Get in touch with the ILPH if they where out before.