Would you be worried?

[MizElz]

Just up from the road from me, there is a little paddock. It is 3 acres in total, and was sold by a small company who used it (and a neighbouring paddock) as a landfill. God knows how they managed to get permission to do it, but for the last year, it has been slowly heaped up with glass, plastic etc, until it stood about 4 ft above the road level. They then covered it in a thin layer of top soil, planted it with grass seed, left it to grow nice and lush, and then sold it for £25,000. (Excuse the inside knowledge - I work for the estate agents who sold it!!!)

Now it was sold to some people who fenced it, about 1 acre post and rail, the rest barbed wire. They then erected a fieldshelter in the railed section, and installed a little coloured cob mare. She was soon followed by a skinny, elderly looking apaloosa. Within days, there was no grass left; for the past two months, they have been stood in mud, mud and more mud. They are fed each day; the people come with mangers which they hook over the fence, and if I am honest, neither pony looks malnourished. They are never ridden; it would seem that they are pets only. I think they get some hay every now and again, but they don't have constant access to any, even though grass remains on the patch of land not designated for the horses. I just worry that, with no time for the ground to recuperate, they are never going to have any real grass, and if we have any more rain, surely the rubbish from the landfill is going to find its way up to the surface...

 

[alicedove]

The only saving factor could be that rubbish is graded, so that it can be innate or more active/dangerous stuff

That's if people have done their job properly which often doesn't happen.

So many horses looked after badly and neglected, it's mega frustrating.

 

[wizzi901]

You say they are in mud, so what so are mine!! well muddy field because I am saving my other fields and no point trashing them all to be honest. However I do think they should have hay at the minimum.

They may be novice owners but at least they are attending daily which is something!

You also say horses dont look malnourished??!!, if you are concerned about them why dont you ask owners if they are aware neddies need ad lib hay? Other than that would stay well out of it.

If some people saw my boys at the moment and commented on the mud I would be very hacked off, the whole purpose of keeping them in the muddy bit may be to save the other bit for the summer allowing the muddy bit to recover. Fields do come back quicker than you think when rested, although I have to say looking at my trash paddock I am beginning to wonder!!

I know you are concerned about the neds but sometimes not everyone will keep a horse to the same standards of the next person, the saving grace is that they appear to at least be feeding them something.

 

[Skhosu]

I'm not sure its the mud and hay thats is worrying op but the fact that the rubbish could start coming up?

 

[MizElz]

Yes it's the rubbish, not the mud!!!! Blimey, my girl is stood in deep mud just like the majority of horses in this country at the mo - its unnavoidable I know, but at least I know that under our mud is...well, more mud! when you drive past this paddock, you can already see glints of glass coming up...so dont get me wrong, I'm not having a go at them because the paddock is muddy, far from it! The food thing bothers me a little, but as I said, they dont look thin. I wouldnt want to pull up and stick my nose in to their business, it's not my style. I just worry that perhaps they didnt know what the land was used for prior to purchase

 

[Flicker]

If you work at an Estate Agent, do you have access to a land surveyor-type person? Perhaps asking an expert in that field about the requirements for turning a landfill into animal grazing could either:
1. put your mind at rest if they say that there are no potential problems or;
2. give you the 'ammunition' to do something about the situation if there are loads of potential pitfalls related with it.

 

[Magicmillbrook]

If you are concerened you could try contacting the contaminated land officer at your council, however from what you say oit seems that the fill is inert matter, nor will the council be concerned with regards the health effects to horses. They may be interested in logging it in case someone tries to get pp for building.