The new horse welfare laws?

[WishfulThinker]

I was just reading a mag and wondering about this new legislation. If I cant farrier does that mean that I am being negligent? I am getting worried, and done wan tto find some busy body reporting me or something, especially if I am trying my best.

Also, see how it says that horses should be able to express them sleves as horses do naturally, yet if we let them do that we can be in trouble cos of that dangerous animals act thingy, so the 2 slightly contradict each other? Yes?

 

[Taboo1968]

I think these issues have been a long time coming..... I dont think someone will report you for the fact that your shoes are 2 weeks over due, I think its to protect cases such as horses having to suffer through willful neglect.....

I am pleased about this new legislation as it will make a lot more owners (not saying that everyone is the same) buck their ideas up.....

Take for instance on my livery yard (without mentioning names etc) There are some horses that belong to one person in particular, who get a small tupperware bowl as a scoop for food, now this bowl can only measure three/four inches in diameter, and they get one scoop of mix, 1 scoop of chaff, a few soup ladels full of sugar beet and one slice of hay a day and that is it!!! and they live out! Come the spring, all of these horses look like hatracks, so maybe now this legislation will change the fact that these animals suffer through the winter every year! You only have to ask other liveries what its like when you go to the field and those poor horses are standing there wickering at you when you are feeding yours, as they are starving!

 

[airedale]

this is not a horse welfare bill - it is an animal welfare bill

the gov. intends to provide formal documentary guidance for each species - including goldfish - as to what teh minimum welfare requirements are - put into (gov. version of) 'plain english'

they will be similar to the books we get as farmers for sheep/pigs/poultry/ducks/cattle - you can see copies of these existing guides on the DEFRA website if you are interested

DEFRA will produce a horse guide and that is what we will all initially have to abide by. The actual 'law' in legalspeak will be the 'prosecuting' medium for those that don't obey the guidance booklets

I believe that the RSPCA and the BHS and the ILPH are invovled in production of this booklet alongside DEFRA