SSPCA, where would i stand if this happened?

asbo

asbo

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 April 2007
Messages
9,664
Visit site
if you couldnt put haylage out for horses that live out 24/7 in the snow because one owner couldnt afford it, even though you can and want too?
 
asbo said:
if you couldnt put haylage out for horses that live out 24/7 in the snow because one owner couldnt afford it, even though you can and want too?
Click to expand...

I'd put halage out, can't make the horses suffer and its not the horse's fault that the owner can't afford it, tho I think the owner should reflect on wether or not they should have a horse in the first place.
 
asbo said:
we arent talking 1 horse though, we are talking 8 which i can not afford to feed.
Click to expand...

Oh a difficult one then, 8 horses, you will need to pester the SSPCA until they do something. I had to become a pest to the once before it was like hitting my head against a wall, I even offered to take the 2 horses in question, had been feeding them on the sly as they where totally neglected, they ended up in a sanctuary, but would't tell me which one so could't check it out.
 
Can you separate yours with electric tape and do your own thing? If not can you speak to the YO so she can deal with the problem? If no YO and the owner won't address the situation I think you need to find a different field for your lot and leave her to it.
 
I would do as Booboos suggested and separate yours from them with electric tape, obviously making sure they still have access to water. Sounds like one of those deals where the owner figures if they wait long enough you will just feed them for him/her. If you start doing that the SSPCA are even less likely to do anything.
 
i can not afford to feed 10 horses so that will not work, the other persons horses have no respect for fencing even when on and knock it down, more so when they are hungry.
YO wants to feed too and is going to speak to her.
 
At the end of the day its the YO's responsibility to sort these issues out.
If the YO is knowingly allowing animals to suffer on her yard, then she too can be held responsible, along with the owners.
 
The Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 places a duty of care
on pet owners and others responsible for animals to ensure that the
welfare needs of their animals are met.
The new Act
• makes it an offence to fail to take reasonable steps to ensure the
welfare of a protected animal
• makes it an offence to cause a protected animal unnecessary
suffering
• prohibits using animals as prizes
• raises the age limit for buying animals
• increases the penalties for animal abuse and
• allows the courts to disqualify a person from owning, keeping or
being in charge of animals.
The Act also has the flexibility to allow a wide range of animal related
activities, such as circuses, animal sanctuaries, pet dealing, greyhound
racing and livery yards to be regulated.

WHICH ANIMALS ARE PROTECTED UNDER THE ACT?
All pets (including cats, dogs, rabbits, rodents, birds, horses, ponies, fish,
snakes and other reptiles), farm, circus and zoo animals are protected by
the new Act. In fact, all vertebrate animals which are looked after by people
are protected. The vertebrate family of animals includes all creatures
which are mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.
 
sunshine19 said:
At the end of the day its the YO's responsibility to sort these issues out.
If the YO is knowingly allowing animals to suffer on her yard, then she too can be held responsible, along with the owners.
Click to expand...

so where does that leave me? i want to feed mine but i can not afford to feed the rest?
 
I would get the YO to do what mine did at my last yard and put big bales out and then slit the cost between the owners at the end of the month and add it to the monthly rent bill. I obviouly paid double as I have 2 horses. Seem's the easiest and fairest way to do it. If she wont pay she can either move off or keep her horses in.
 
MinskiKaii said:
I would get the YO to do what mine did at my last yard and put big bales out and then slit the cost between the owners at the end of the month and add it to the monthly rent bill. I obviouly paid double as I have 2 horses. Seem's the easiest and fairest way to do it. If she wont pay she can either move off or keep her horses in.
Click to expand...

thats what we do normally but we pay per week, this livery doesnt want to as it will cost them around £80 per week to feed the adlib haylage we need.
 
Are the horses in immediate danger of starvation or death? Are they in good bodily condition? Is there shelter and water available? What size of field are they in? Is there grass available under the snow for them to eat?

These are things that the Scottish SPCA take in to account when attending complaints.

It is your YO responsibility to deal with this situation, she is paid for a service, whether it be grass, diy, part or full livery. If the weather is horrendous and the horses are genuinely starving, then SHE must supply feed until said situation is resolved ie: Livery asked to leave or money is paid for the extra hay/haylage.

I can imagine it is very frustrating for you and upsetting.
 
asbo said:
thats what we do normally but we pay per week, this livery doesnt want to as it will cost them around £80 per week to feed the adlib haylage we need.
Click to expand...

Well unfortunately that's what happens if you want to keep 8 horses on livery! Is there any chance you could move fields? I hate issues like this because it seems the horses will suffer whatever happens. :(
 
you really need to speak to the person who owns the horses and get yours seperated, if you start feeding the other horses too under the animal welfare act you have assumed a responsibility for the them and if the care your providing is not enough you could be prosecuted too.
horrible situation to be in, if the YO and the owner of the horses cant sort the problem within a week, you really should get the sspca involved
 
sunshine19 said:
Are the horses in immediate danger of starvation or death? Are they in good bodily condition? Is there shelter and water available? What size of field are they in? Is there grass available under the snow for them to eat?

These are things that the Scottish SPCA take in to account when attending complaints.

It is your YO responsibility to deal with this situation, she is paid for a service, whether it be grass, diy, part or full livery. If the weather is horrendous and the horses are genuinely starving, then SHE must supply feed until said situation is resolved ie: Livery asked to leave or money is paid for the extra hay/haylage.

I can imagine it is very frustrating for you and upsetting.
Click to expand...

they have been reported before due to lack of weight etc which was when they arrived just before summer, 5 of them are old and will drop weight again soon. 14 horses in a 16 acre field 24/7, water gets checked and filled and they have some hedging for shelter.
what i am worried about is they will not put any out when the weather gets worse which it will do where they are.
 
As your YO is receiving money for running a equine livery yard she should be made aware of the legislation relating to animal welfare:

Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006

There is also a code of practice for the welfare of equidae:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/04/30154411/0


Should a welfare situation arise at her yard, that she is aware of, then she too along with the owners, will be reported to the PF and in turn appear in court charged with animal cruelty. Its not worth the hefty fine and possible prison sentence.
 
asbo said:
they have been reported before due to lack of weight etc which was when they arrived just before summer, 5 of them are old and will drop weight again soon. 14 horses in a 16 acre field 24/7, water gets checked and filled and they have some hedging for shelter.
what i am worried about is they will not put any out when the weather gets worse which it will do where they are.
Click to expand...


I think you should definately go ahead and report them. The sspca are very discreet, don't be worried to leave your details, the YO and owners will never know. I really hope this situation gets sorted out asap. Good luck!
 
asbo said:
if you couldnt put haylage out for horses that live out 24/7 in the snow because one owner couldnt afford it, even though you can and want too?
Click to expand...

Why not give WHW a ring
Suspect you are in Field Officer John Burns area
Ask Head Office if he could offer advice ie the ones who cannot afford feed reduce numbers
Horses better pts than starved
Suspect if you try to fence yours off the hungry ones will break through and who would blame them
Doing nothing is not acceptable
 
Could you bring yours out the field and give them a good bucket feed of chaff and a handful of mix or tie them up with a hay net for an hour ? (Ideally out of sight of the others or they will be through the fence !) That should keep your horses fed then pursue the SSPCA about the others.
It is annoying when you are in a field with others who don't feed their horses enough ! Have been there !
 
asbo said:
so where does that leave me? i want to feed mine but i can not afford to feed the rest?
Click to expand...

other liveries are not responsible, the horse owners and the YO are the ones with potential liability.

I would get after the YO, they have to either arrange for feeding (and may have to take the horses to pay for it, which the livery agreement may allow them to do) or get the owner to remove the horses.

Also I would try WHW (old ILPH) rather than SSPCA as WHW are horse specific
 
thanks everyone, i am going to buy more fencing next week and try that again if the situation doesn't seem solved over the next few days x
 
YO needs to tell the other person that the horses are being hayed and this is what it will cost - if she does not like it then she will have to go.

You cannot keep animals and not afford to look after them - simples...
 
mcnaughty said:
YO needs to tell the other person that the horses are being hayed and this is what it will cost - if she does not like it then she will have to go.

You cannot keep animals and not afford to look after them - simples...
Click to expand...

simple to us, sadly doesnt seem to be to others
 
I wouldnt be to sure the SSPCA will do anything i had 40 horses left ilegally on fields next to mine last winter they were fed nothing all winter even through the snow. A couple were very thin enough to prosecute i would say all the neighbours and i called the relevant people.

I spoke to whw and was told they would be ok to dig through the snow i explained there was no grasss underneath as it had been overgrazed already and a few of the finer types were very poor and depressed, the person i spoke to said the horses werent depressed they were probably just standing looking depressed as they would be turning their backs in to the wind because horses do this, i did explain we own several horses and had been in and looked at the horses in question hip bones sticking out ribs backbones and they were not interested,

We then all called SSPCA continually for two weeks and eventually they said they would send someone i was there when i saw the van drive up to the side of the field i was turning my horses out but then walked up to talk to the man he drove away past me i tried to flag him down he drove away.
When i got in rung them back and asked him what was going to be done he said he hadnt been able to go in to the field as it was too dangerous with 40 hungry horses as he thought he would be kicked i explained i had been in to look at them no problem and if he wanted i would catch them and lead them to the fence so he could have a look he declined i asked if he had seen me he said yes i didnt want to stop in case i got stuck as road was icy load of rubbish.

We had already given them the details and contact number of the owners of these horses some were a holiday park riding schools so must have had a licience from council and the rest a dodgy dealer who is known for strealing horses on loan etc the two of them are in cahoots togethor.
He proceeded to tell me they hadnt got back to any of the messages he had left so was a bit stuck in the end i said if he didnt do something about it i was going to take pictures send them to the daily mail and say that the SSPCA wouldnt act he then told them to feed them i also explained they would just move the thinnest ones which they did, i was disgusted at their attittude and how they handled the whole situation so i wouldnt be sure whatever happens that they will do very much at all.

If i was you i would move your horses to where they can be fed and then continually call the SSPCA if the horses are in bad condition until they do something about it sometimes one visit is enough to jolt some owners in to bucking their ideas up. i certainly would not deprive your horses of enough fodder good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top