Neglect

Hormonal Filly

Hormonal Filly

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There is a case of horse neglect along a footpath by my grandmothers house. The field the horses graze has no grass, it is so over grazed it's FULL OF ragwort and weed. Last year one horse was found dead, no known cause of death but I always suspected liver failure due to ragwort. The owner is known to RSPCA and had a horse taken from her care previously due to neglect, she been reported several times by locals. She then manages to get more horses and the cycle starts again. It has been going on for 15 years.

Horses regularly have no water for days, fencing is a total mess, one small hay net is given every few days between 3 horses. All the horses are very subdued, heads down, depressed. One of the mares is skin and bone.. we believe the mares approx. age is mid 20s (info from friend of a friend) and so say the owner can not afford hay or feed.

Reported to RSPCA and World Horse Welfare with accurate location and photos. RSPCA have been aware for 2 weeks but have said they do not have the staff to investigate. A welfare officer from the WHW is due to visit this week and I have everything crossed something might get done, but I'm sure the owner will make up some excuse.

It breaks my heart to see, I'd post photos but they're to upsetting to show. I don't think there is anything else I can do?
 
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Can you get the local papers involved? if media kick up a storm RSPCA might be more likely to want to be involved.

Also is there a council welfare person? I'm not even sure if thats a thing but i seem to remember that some cows were once reported to a local council welfare 'officer' sort of person and investigated - I might have seen it on the telly!

ETA - I've just checked our local council website and they recommend cats and dogs are reported to RSPCA and 'farm' animals are report to their welfare unit - they don't list horses on their website at all.
 
Having told WHW (as you have) personally, and I know full well this isn’t a sustainable, long term solution, I’d be shoving hay over the fence with buckets of water ….(obviously tell WHW you’d provided so they don’t think it’s the owners doing).
 
dorsetladette said:
Can you get the local papers involved? if media kick up a storm RSPCA might be more likely to want to be involved.

Also is there a council welfare person? I'm not even sure if thats a thing but i seem to remember that some cows were once reported to a local council welfare 'officer' sort of person and investigated - I might have seen it on the telly!
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Councils (Trading Standards) might get involved with farm livestock - not horses =(
 
This isn't Devon by any chance? East Devon? There's a case like this around here; the problem is the owner knows the RSPCA is on to her (one horse sadly already died) and she's moving her poor horses around the area into any little back-lanes cr@p place she can find apparently.

It is a difficult one; because if these sorts of owners do perceive that the RSPCA have got off their backsides and are actually chasing them, they'll then keep moving their horses around to avoid detection.

Personally I'd put more faith in WHW than RSPCA. Or even BHS Welfare Officers. But the problem is that the RSPCA are the only ones with any clout to issue proceedings against an owner.

Poor horses.
 
World Horse Welfare are the only decent ones that will act. Can you create some local interest with decent horsey folk? We had one the other week that was acted upon through someone creating a social media post and shared photos of the horses. It also creates an interest with your standard animal lovers too so the more interactions it gets I think makes the welfare charities do something about it.
 
Burnerbee said:
Having told WHW (as you have) personally, and I know full well this isn’t a sustainable, long term solution, I’d be shoving hay over the fence with buckets of water ….(obviously tell WHW you’d provided so they don’t think it’s the owners doing).
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There was a similar case near me a few years ago and WHW explicitly told me not to offer feed or water, as if the horses have it, no matter from whom, they cannot act.
 
I had something similar earlier this year and whilst it did take a while the WHW did intervene and managed to do it fairly sensitively, eventually getting owners to authorise pts of some and handing over of the remainder. I’d previously reported and it did get to the point where I had to stand over a dying and emaciated horse in the mud - threatening the owner with the police if he didn’t allow local farmer to come and shoot it. I took video evidence and that spurred WHW into action.
 
Another vote from me to WHW. I reported an issue to them last year and they dealt with it swiftly and efficiently. I tried the BHS but they didn't have a welfare officer in my area. I'm not a fan of the RSPCA so they would be my last resort.
 
MurphysMinder said:
There was a similar case near me a few years ago and WHW explicitly told me not to offer feed or water, as if the horses have it, no matter from whom, they cannot act.
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I'd offer water a few times a day if you can but take it away again so inspectors don't see it and are consequently prevented from acting.
 
Thanks all, fingers crossed WHW do something. Some other options if not, videoing and putting on social media maybe.

Annagain said:
I'd offer water a few times a day if you can but take it away again so inspectors don't see it and are consequently prevented from acting.
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The field is only accessible walking across several fields (public footpath) the road up to it is a closed private road, would be very difficult to get hay or water there.

I'm hoping WHW follow the map I sent with directions along the public footpath.
 
Contact your local horse rescue and make them aware. WHW will deal with this but they do work with local charities. Do not put of social media as the owner will try to move them. It's very hard to find horses sometimes as they have been moved.
 
Hormonal Filly said:
Thanks all, fingers crossed WHW do something. Some other options if not, videoing and putting on social media maybe.



The field is only accessible walking across several fields (public footpath) the road up to it is a closed private road, would be very difficult to get hay or water there.

I'm hoping WHW follow the map I sent with directions along the public footpath.
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What3Words in.

I ended up trespassing to get the video of the dying horse and to get photos up close of the others.
 
ihatework said:
What3Words in.

I ended up trespassing to get the video of the dying horse and to get photos up close of the others.
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I gave WHW the What3Words but they still couldn't work out how to see the horses, they've acknowledged the map I've drawn. I've taken photos, photos of empty water troughs etc. I won't get up the private road as it has several locked gates sadly.
 
It happens far too often. For those that assume one of the welfare charities will turn up and seize the horse, they probably won't. It's a fact that there is very little help for neglected horses and even less consequences for the owners :( You can only keep banging your head against a brick wall and reporting it and hope somebody eventually takes notice.
 
meleeka said:
It happens far too often. For those that assume one of the welfare charities will turn up and seize the horse, they probably won't. It's a fact that there is very little help for neglected horses and even less consequences for the owners :( You can only keep banging your head against a brick wall and reporting it and hope somebody eventually takes notice.
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The welfare law is very badly written and they have to abide by the law. Plus they are absolutely stacked out with cases.
 
Kaylum said:
The welfare law is very badly written and they have to abide by the law. Plus they are absolutely stacked out with cases.
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Agreed, it's not really worth the paper it's written on :( In reality an animal has to be dead or dying and even then, it's pot luck whether the owner will face any punishment. It's pretty shameful that it's left to charities to prosecute people.
 
Just wanted to provide a positive update!

World Horse Welfare visited the horses, they came back to say they're working with the owner and improvements have been made. They will continue to monitor the horses going forward.

I've noticed majority of the ragwort has been cleared, a hay box has gone up and here are several more haynets. Fingers crossed it continues!
 
That’s great news! Do WHW go to cases nationally or are you local to them? I only ask as there is a field near me with horses which is full of ragwort and I am wondering who is best to report it too…
 
spotty_pony2 said:
That’s great news! Do WHW go to cases nationally or are you local to them? I only ask as there is a field near me with horses which is full of ragwort and I am wondering who is best to report it too…
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How many horses can be seen from if you were looking outside in the garden or do you only see if you were walking by the field
 
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