OMFG reported to the RSPCA for muddy field!!

competitiondiva said:
Yes but as you said (can't beleive I'm saying this again, but the point keeps getting lost along the way in this long thread!!) the shelter or drier ground by your own admission are not visible from the gate which is where the officer saw them!!!!!!!

They don't know about the shelter.. or the haying/feeding arrangements so they don't know if there's an issue or not without making contact with you!!!!
Click to expand...

Im sorry but this is bullshit

I dont care of they can see the whole feild or not. They cant but the point is that it doesnt matter. They have NO right sticking their nose into my business just because some meddling person phoned them. Surely by now they would have learned to differentiate the genuine cases from harrasing innocent people. They must have seen the horses because they list the number on the form, they would have SEEN their condition. If this office actually knew ANYTHING about horses this would be a non issue and they could have just told the meddlesome person that they had seen the horses and they were fine. whose horses ARNT on mud right now! is no one listening A WEEK OF TOORENTIAL RAIN.

I take excellent care of my horses and who DOESNT have mud right now. Seriously, this officer must live here have they not noticed the weather recently? For gods sake!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The point is IT IS NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS!!!

If it really is their business then they would be checking up on every single field where they cant see the whole field or the facilities.

complete and utter bullshit.

This is just making me angrier

You seem to feel that they can stick their nose in where ever they like. I have a completely different oppinion to you. My field, hy horses, MY business.
Shall i come over and tell you how to take care of your horses??????????????
how would you like it.
 
you are the 2nd person this has happened to! my friend was reported too! there are full, clean water troughs in every paddock, big bales of haylage for the horses, secure fencing, every horse has a good rug on its back and she was reported for too much mud! its winter! and we have had one of the coldest/wettest winter on record!

its rediculous! I only read the first page of your post so hope its now all been sorted out. xx
 
I reported a couple of horses two years ago tot he RSPCA - they had apalling feet - way too long, splitting, real slippers. No hay in field, ribby...you get the picture.

The local inspector thought they were fine and no action was needed.

A*rse and elbows I'm afraid.
 
brucea said:
I reported a couple of horses two years ago tot he RSPCA - they had apalling feet - way too long, splitting, real slippers. No hay in field, ribby...you get the picture.

The local inspector thought they were fine and no action was needed.

A*rse and elbows I'm afraid.
Click to expand...

This is the thing. this guy must have seen the horses. Healthy, correct weight, excellent (barefoot) feet, bright shiney noses ;) and all that.

compare that to above...

surely if they cant tell just by looking at a horse if the call out is serious or not then they have no buisness doing the job that they are doing.
 
sussexbythesea said:
Alphamare - I expect Jamie Gray said the exact same thing.
Click to expand...

The difference is that this guy would have seen the horses.

If they cannot tell when a horse is being mistreated by looking at (is it thin/mangey/terribel feet/etc/etc) and one that is well loved then they have no buisness doing this job.

He saw the horses.

He responded to a call out...

about


MUD!!!!!!!!!!!!


surely this is the first indicator that its not exactly an abuse or neglect case? Sure go out and have a look. But when you see well covered, well rugged, well fed, shiney and happy horses in the field... then just bugger off and tell the person who is complaining that this is England. MUD happens in winter.
 
The point that i think some are missing is that i have not been reported for:
Starving horses
No water
over grown feet
Abuse
lack of care


or any of those things


i have been reported for MUD. In WINTER.

Its pathetic, and now i must bow to some inspection officer who has no right to meddle in my horse care. They honestly dont know that mud happens? I immediately have lost all respect for them.
 
Any phone call, no matter how silly it sounds has to be investigated. So if someone says "there are x amount of horses in a field full of mud" could mean the horses are hoof deep in mud or the horses are knee deep in mud - with or without shelter / hard standing.

So yes the people who have reported you may not understand that with horses and fields equals mud, but the inspectors are just doing their job.

I watched a video not so long ago about a load of horses in a field which was 90% bog that they were literally sinking in up to above their knees towards their bellies!! The other 10% of the field was bare. Turns out there were many dead horses found on that land hidden all in a big rotting pile in a barn. The horses which were alive had large bellies so to a non-horsey person from a distance looked fine.

Even if nothing is done or carried out by the inspectors they have to let you know they have been to your property to inspect it.
 
My yard was reported once. Like you, we have a visible acre of land by the gates to the yard and then another 47 acres (!!) of hillside. Because the hillside is always green regardless of weather because it drains, people assumed that I had 20 horses confined to the acre of mud by the gates and trough!

The RSPCA lady came in all guns blazing, unapologetically telling me it was an unacceptable way to keep horses. I thanked her and sent
her off with the kids to show them the field .... 20 minutes later she returned puffing and panting, having been followed halways up an almost 50 acre field up a steep hill by three giggling children and a few nosy ponies.

During the day in winter mine hang out by the gate. They are waiting for food, riding, etc ... In summer, you can't find the bloody things!
 
I guess the point here is that plenty of you seem to have horses on muddy fields, and are all dealing with this by giving plenty of forage etc which is obviously fine and most horses will/do cope in mud. (Must be costing you an arm and a leg in hay...I am so lucky having my dairy fields for winter.)

Bear in mind that some horses are quite literally left in fields and not checked on regularly. Maybe the inspector was hoping you would call ASAP/that day to prove to him that the horses were checked on that day, and you can obviously then reassure said inspector that they are hayed and checked on every single day and you are an attentive owner. I know I would've been on the phone the second I'd seen the card, such would be my sheer panic and desire to vindicate myself from any suspicion of neglect.

He/she may wonder if the horses were moved to this paddock before the rain came and, if you were one of those "dump them in a field and leave them to it" type owners (which I know you're not...but just suppose) you'd not know that the grazing had deteriorated to such an extent and they were now in need of supplemented feeding (which you do admit he will be unaware they are receiving)

Yes you report they look a good weight now, but if you were one of those owners I mentioned (again I know you are not) it wouldn't take long for their condition to now deteriorate in line with the grazing conditions they are in IF they weren't having forage given to them.

For what it's worth, my mare couldn't live in those conditions anyway. She is terribly prone to thrush and mud fever. I think she'd be able to cope with the mud turned out during the day, if we suffered that problem, but she certainly couldn't live out on it. She's stabled overnight which gives me chance to get her legs dried out and feet cleaned out/dry before the next day's turnout.
 
Last edited:
OP - It is their business. End of. Your aggressive attitide leads me to believe you do have something to hide from them. I'm sorry I can't be bothered to check through the 8 or 9 pages of posts since I last read this thread but have you posted any pictures of these horses? Then people can judge if you are right or wrong. If you don't want that judgement don't post.
 
Alphamare said:
The difference is that this guy would have seen the horses.

He saw the horses.
Click to expand...

If he didn't see the field shelter and dry part of your field, how cab you be so sure he's seen the horses :confused:?

* I haven't read all of thread, so you may already have said how you know he's seen them *
 
Thanks Patches

I have actually just spent almost £200 on another months-6weeks supply of haylage. On top of their feeds twice a day. Ouch :D but i did it happily.
I like you said you would have phoned them back straight away. but you dont get the inspector that came out, you ring the main branch and they take all your details and then the inspector calls you back at his her leasure. So far have heard nothing. Which is of course stressing me out further. I wasnt aware it was illegal and cruel to keep natives on a muddy field.

I check their weight weekly and adjust their feed accordingly cutting back where i need to or increasing where i need too.

I cant stable two out of the three even if i had stables. which is why i instead had the big field shelter built.

Should have said that none of them have mudfever either. :)

cm2581 im not even going to dignify your post with a response. I am not going to post pictures of my horses, not because they are neglected but because i dont want people to know who we are. I value my privacy.

Thanks once again everyone for the supportive words. I am not a person who takes meddling lightly so it makes me angry, I am afraid the less than helpful comments have wound me up further. This whole situation is something out of a horror novel. Reported for mud. really? i mean REALLY?

Im going to leave the thread alone now. Thanks again :)
 
Last edited:
quirky said:
If he didn't see the field shelter and dry part of your field, how cab you be so sure he's seen the horses :confused:?

* I haven't read all of thread, so you may already have said how you know he's seen them *
Click to expand...

because he wrote the number down on his card thing.

How would he or if it wasnt him but the person that reported us, know how many there were unless they actually saw them.

And if he actually saw them he would have seen that they are in no more mud than anyone else, and less than others and that they are in good condition. If he knew what he was looking at.
 
cm2581 said:
OP - It is their business. End of. Your aggressive attitide leads me to believe you do have something to hide from them. I'm sorry I can't be bothered to check through the 8 or 9 pages of posts since I last read this thread but have you posted any pictures of these horses? Then people can judge if you are right or wrong. If you don't want that judgement don't post.
Click to expand...

Now that is an aggressive post! :eek:
It is not their business, they have no legal right to enter anyones property, or a legal right to raise concerns about anyones animal. To say that people must have something to hide if they do not allow a voluntary body to enter their property and inspect their property is rubbish.
I have nothing to hide, but would not allow an RSPCA inspector on my land. Their lack of knowledge about equines and many farm animals is staggering, so why would anyone take any notice of their thoughts on these animals?
The very fact that the inspector left a card saying that the concern was mud says it all to me, this is not about the condition of the horses, more someone who believes that the coutryside should look like a municipal park.
 
You haven't been accused of anything. You have been given a card to alert you to the fact that someone has asked the RSPCA to look at your horses to make sure they are okay. The RSPCA officer must attend when a call from a concerned person is made to them. The RSPCA officer has to leave a card when they visit to let you know. It is what it is.
 
Haven't read all the replies, so sorry it this has already been said :) When the R.S.P.C.A get a call they have to follow up and make a report, we have all seen the programs on the t.v. I would say some one has reported you :( for them to leave you a notice of attendance, and when you have made contact with them !!!! they can close the complaint or investigate more.
 
YorksG said:
Now that is an aggressive post! :eek:
It is not their business, they have no legal right to enter anyones property, or a legal right to raise concerns about anyones animal. To say that people must have something to hide if they do not allow a voluntary body to enter their property and inspect their property is rubbish.
I have nothing to hide, but would not allow an RSPCA inspector on my land. Their lack of knowledge about equines and many farm animals is staggering, so why would anyone take any notice of their thoughts on these animals?
The very fact that the inspector left a card saying that the concern was mud says it all to me, this is not about the condition of the horses, more someone who believes that the coutryside should look like a municipal park.
Click to expand...

I wasnt going to say anymore on here.

But can i just say that you have hit the nail on the head for me. Not about all of how i feel but a large part of it

Can i marry you? :D ;) Because i think i am in love with you. :D :p
 
Alphamare said:
because he wrote the number down on his card thing.

How would he or if it wasnt him but the person that reported us, know how many there were unless they actually saw them.

And if he actually saw them he would have seen that they are in no more mud than anyone else, and less than others and that they are in good condition. If he knew what he was looking at.
Click to expand...

Ah ha, I see :)
I didn't realise the note said he had concerns about x number of horses or the like, I thought it was just a please give us a call regarding the mud note.

I hope it is all resolved when you speak to them.
 
As annoyed as I would probably be if I was the OP, I don't understand why any of you would deny/refuse the RSPCA access to your land when in your presence.

Yes, they're not the most clued up in some instances, but I would let them in, supervised by myself, and if they wanted to take the case any further I would seek representation through my insurance company's legal help and a report from my vet.

I just don't see the reason to be obstructive about it. Yes it's very annoying but unless you pacify them, there's always a chance that they could hold you under suspicion and return at a later date. At least if they've been to see you, and are happy, they can let the person who reported you know the case has been resolved and there is no problem. They could also let any new caller know they'd recently been to assess the horses and were happy with their care, should any further complaints be made.

I've a feeling this inspector won't want to visit the OP's field again. I am sure that when they have spoken, the inspector will be satisfied with the way the OP is dealing with her horses during this difficult period of the year.
 
Can i marry you? Because i think i am in love with you.

While I thank you very much forYour very kind offer, I think I have to decline :D :D :D :D :D, good luck with it all and I am sure this silly situation will fade away. Just out of interest, was the number you had to call a premium rate number? I ask, as the number you call to report animals in destress, danger etc. is, not only that but they answer your call to tell you who they are and that your call is valuable etc, by recorded message and then charge you all the time you are on the line, waiting for one of their opperatives to speak to you! :eek:
The moral stance of the RSPCA was illustrated for me with the case of the contested will in North Yorkshire, having had a ruling against them, they then appealed to a higher court, where I am pleased to say they lost again.
 
Oh dear i would be in trouble then, i have opened up all my 5 acres this winter so they not stood just in one field...I have 2 14.2's an 11hh foal and a 13hh foal so not over horsed. They haven't even gone up to the other fields even though top one has a shelter in it big enough for all 4 to stand comfortably in it. They all stay in the field near the gate, knee deep in the sloppiest mud i have ever seen. If they wasn't happy they have a choice to move off the mud, they are natives so not fed ad-lib, just have 2 nets each a day. Weights are all fantastic, in fact one is too podgy for my liking and i am thinking of bringing him in in the spring daytimes. I wouldnt worry hun, let them come see your horses because you are doing nothing wrong, then send them to me, my neighbours, my next door but one neighbours, lass over the road and so on, by gawd we would keep them busy! x
 
Patches, I would not allow anyone who had no statutory right of entry to enter my property to 'inspect' anything!
I have a statutary (sorry spelling gone to pot!) duty to assess people who are considered to be mentaly ill, there are many rules and regulations in place to regulate this (as there should be!) I must follow the legislation in both letter and spirit, to the extent that if I feel that someone does not have the capacity to agree to allow me to enter their propery, then I must apply to the court for a warrant to enter, take a police officer with me when I do enter and an assessment must be carried out within a strict time frame. I think that is as it should be. I am aware that RSPCA inspectors leave 'improvement' notices, interview people 'under caution' etc. None of this has any legal standing AT ALL and appears to me to be used to intimidate people. For this and other reasons, I would not allow an RSPCA inspector to enter my property. That's before we get to the patronising tone so many seem to feel is appropriate!
 
I wasn't suggesting they had a statutory right of entry. When they were called to reports of us preventing a pony from eating, I invited them on to the property, without any prior appointment, and happily showed them around to see Dinker in his greenguard muzzle. I saw no reason to become defensive of obstructive as I felt they were acting upon a genuine, if ill placed, concern by a member of the public.

They were happy and we giggled about the ignorance of some folk to think the grazing muzzle was some sort of torture device and I've never seen them since.

Part of the issue here, I think, is that the OP is a little tiny bit embarrassed by the mud and has genuine concerns that the RSPCA are going to berate her for it. I understand that...we've all looked at our fields at some point during the year and said to ourselves, in a despairing tone "Look at the state of it!"

In an ideal world our horses would never have to step foot in a single drop of mud, but this isn't an ideal world and the RSPCA have to accept that...or be made to accept that.

As I said in an earlier post, I honestly believe the RSPCA are just checking these horses are checked on and hayed daily, to make sure they don't start dropping off now the weather has made such an impact on the footing.

I used to work within the Mental Health Sector as well. I was part of the care team coordinating and implementing CPA packages (although I wouldn't for a second think they're called that now...it was 12 years ago) for clients returning to live in the community. I totally sympathise with the red tape you face.

The problem is that so many of us become hostile because precedents have been set which leave us feeling paranoid when a cloud, however small, of suspicion falls over us. I truly believe this situation will be remedied with the minimal of fuss for the OP and she will end up wondering what all the hoo-har was about.
 
Last edited:
I am now at the stage where I think the OP needs to get over herself & stop acting as if her horses were going to be taken from her.

Someone CARED enough to express concern. Locals near Spindles Farm knew what was going on there, but no one rang & reported it. Do all of you who think the RSPCA have no business leaving a note for the OP think JG should have been left alone by the 'interferring busybodies too?
My horses are in fields with varying degrees of mud, especially around the gateways. if anyone was concerned I'd take great pride in inviting them in, taking the rugs off & showing them how good they look, because to be quite frank they're a credit to me, but I can understand if someone looked in at the worst of my fields they might be concerned.

OP - what would you do if you saw horses in a field with nothing but mud, & as far as you could see no shelter or food? Would you just carry on, & congratulate yourself for not interferring? Would you assume things were ok as they are with your own horses?
If that is the case then shame on you. If it isn't then surely you must appreciate that whoever did make the report was acting in good faith, & in what they thought was in the best interests of your horses.
 
Last edited:
sussexbythesea said:
Alphamare - I expect Jamie Gray said the exact same thing.
Click to expand...

Sussexbythesea sums up everything perfectly. Nobody is accusing Alphamare of torture and neglect. But surely one can see that shouting and ranting and raving isn't going to get you anywhere, and isn't really justified if we want to protect horses all over the UK from neglect.

I have a friend who works as a field inspector for a different animal welfare charity.

  • They attend every report - anything else risks a welfare case slipping through the net.
  • They also leave a calling card, and attempt to get in touch with the owner - regardless of how silly the reason for call out is. Anything else risks a welfare case slipping through the net.

Think about it from their point of view for one minute. They didn't know how deep or expansive the mud was without going to look. It sounds as if they may well not have been able to see your horses (at least close-up), and they probably couldn't see the hay and water, and therefore couldn't confirm if the horses were being turned out onto that field without adequate food and water. If they had left at this point not knowing, they would have failed in their purpose of animal welfare.

Do you think that welfare organisations have no right to inspect animals and to follow up leads with the animal's owner? Where does that leave us? In a country where a small minority of people could get away with some pretty horrific abuse and neglect I'd say. :(

To be fair, all this ranting prior to speaking to them - you hadn't got a CLUE if they were going to laugh it off with you and apologise for wasting your time, or jump in with both feet and try to seize your horses.

Someone who is a conscientious owner has nothing to be concerned about, so why waste your energy getting angry about it?
 
If I considered reporting horses in a field on welfare issues, the RSPCA would come very far down on the list.

They have always appeared more interested in fundraising and self promotion than training their inspectors on Equine matters.
 
I'd be in trouble then!!

Our land is very poorly draining clay. I've got about 2 acres split into a v small paddock, a main field and a third 'patch' up between the stables and the sandschool that's about the same size as our small paddock.

The patch up by the stables is used in the winter and is just bare manky mud. They have trees to shelter under and also a field shelter that we leave some shavings in so they can go into the dry if they want to (they rarely seem to bother).

No grass whatsoever but they are fed haylage when they go out in the mornings. They are out from around 8am to about 4pm.

They'll go out in the small paddock with some grass when it starts to dry out and then once it's totally dry they'll get the use of the main field.

Not ideal but it's the only way we can make our land work. Though I am hoping to find some more grazing for them soon as my hay bill is massive!

Mine muddy field is right by the road so hopefully people won't poke their noses in!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top