Councils have been introducing licences to give fly-grazed horses a safe place, prevent accidents and save taxpayers’ money. H&H speaks to authorities and welfare experts to find out more

LICENCES are being used to mean “fly-grazed” horses are officially allowed on council land.

The move has been made by a number of local authorities in England to tackle the problems caused by both loose and tethered horses being grazed illegally.

A scrutiny review of fly-grazing published last month by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council revealed it had once spent up to £30,000 a year tackling the problem, but that in recent years budget cuts had removed funding. Removal of a horse by equine bailiffs costs around £1,000 per incident.

The licensing schemes have the advantage of providing horses and ponies, who may otherwise stray into roads or towards other hazards, with a safe and supervised space, as well as creating a channel to enforce their owners’ legal obligations.

Wakefield Council piloted a scheme 10 years ago to introduce grazing and tethering licences for “problem areas” of land at Heath and Warmfield commons.

The council has 40 pitches available at a annual charge of £10 to £20 per “peg”.

Gary Blenkinsop, Wakefield Council’s service director for environment and Streetscene, told H&H: “Although the majority of horse owners in our district are very responsible owners who take a great deal of care of their horses and ponies, we were having problems with a large number of horses being fly-grazed in our district generally.”

He said that not only did the initiative allow the number of horses grazing to be regulated, but it also meant authorities could ensure that horses were passported and microchipped.

“An agreed number of horses can now graze on the land and the policy has been well received and proven very effective,” he said.

“The council continues to enforce the licences by removing any horse found grazing without a licence.”

In Dudley, eight loose-grazing sites have been established. Annual licences cost £455 per year, with each horse designated one acre.

A spokesman for World Horse Welfare said the charity fully supports the idea, providing councils are able to offer suitable land, can impose mandatory microchipping and identification and are able to ensure there is provision of food, water and welfare checks.

“Once the horses are on land with the permission of the landowner, they are not fly-grazing, so this would reduce the significant financial impact on councils and taxpayers of dealing with fly-grazed animals,” the spokesman told H&H.

“We have seen licensed grazing in action in some councils and while no system is perfect, it can make a significant improvement for the horses.

“We have provided guidance to local authorities who have been considering this solution and 
we encourage others to take the same action.”

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A police initiative using anti-social behaviour legislation as well as equine law to combat fly-grazing with huge success has been hailed as an example to forces across the country.

The number of reports of unattended equines in Bishop Auckland fell from about 1,000 in 2017-18 to 169 this year as of the end of October.

Durham Constabulary neighbourhood inspector Andy Reeves told H&H residents’ lives were being blighted by the issue.

“This is about the safety of the public,” Mr Reeves said. “I used to be that officer, when we were getting four calls a day about horses, thinking, ‘Why isn’t there something to deal with this?’

“It was about really understanding the problem and saying, ‘What do we have available that we might not have had before?’”

Mr Reeves and his team used new anti-social behaviour legislation that allows officers to issue warning notices to people over “community concerns”. Fly-grazing and stray horses come under this owing to the impact they can have on people’s lives.

“The notices give people a positive and a negative, so ‘You must do this, but you must not do that’,” Mr Reeves explained, adding that the force had carried out extensive research, including on past incidents, to ensure the notices were going to the right people.

“Initially, people probably thought the notices were just bits of paper and within a week or two, they’d breached the conditions,” Mr Reeves said.

It was at this point the team’s previous work under equine legislation came into play. As officers had “laid the foundations” by organising mass microchipping days and engaging with owners among the travelling community, they then, when the notices were breached, knew who to go to.

“This gave us the evidence to say ‘we know you’ve breached your notice’,” he said.

“We’ve bought scanners, we knew who owned the horses, so we could go to the full notice. It’s similar, with positives and negatives, but it doesn’t expire, and if you breach the conditions, it’s a fine or a court appearance.”

Mr Reeves said the sanctions at this point include a banning or a criminal behaviour order, and as the thinking was those responsible would not want to be banned from keeping horses, this was the option they took.

“This is why we think it’s worked,” he said. “It’s not 100% foolproof, but it’s had a massive impact.”

Conditions

Other conditions of notices can include that if the horse is sold, the owner must update its details — so if someone tries to say he has sold it without doing this, he is also in breach of the notice.

Mr Reeves said the work would not have been possible without the British Horse Society and World Horse Welfare, with which he has been working.

World Horse Welfare deputy chief executive Tony Tyler told H&H: “What was achieved in Bishop Auckland demonstrates that when police use their powers to actively enforce fly-grazing and equine identification laws, everybody wins. In too many cases equine crime is not considered as a whole, but as individual instances of horses dumped to die, ponies neglected on village greens and horses wandering the roads — all due to their invisible and irresponsible owners.

“Collectively, this not only causes horse welfare problems but blights communities, drains police of resources and wastes hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ money. We encourage all police across the country to take the decisive action Bishop Auckland has, for everyone’s benefit.”

Kent Police’s inspector Dave Smith, the national lead for equine crime, spoke of the project at the World Horse Welfare conference this year.

He said: “The conference was an excellent event to showcase the effective partnership work that is being done in England and Wales.

“Congratulations to Andy and the Durham partnership for this outstanding work in reducing fly-grazing and neglect”.

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Introducing “greenyard” policies as standard across the country should help save public money and prevent accidents.

World Horse Welfare has been working with authorities to share best practice on the policies, which set out how loose horses are dealt with. They involve people who are contracted to collect the horses and take them to a safe place until owners can be traced.

The charity’s chief field officer Claire Gordon told H&H if equines are found on roads, with no welfare issues, they are the police’s responsibility. But as many officers are not experienced with horses, and do not know what to do with them, this can cause problems, and a great deal of police time and effort is used.

If a greenyard policy is in place, officers report the incident and leave collecting the horses to those contracted to do so.

“If charities took in strays, there wouldn’t be space for the welfare cases,” Ms Gordon said. “But that’s a hard concept for the public to understand, that horses in need aren’t helped by charities.

“If there’s an effective greenyard policy, it details the process and the horses are removed. It reduces the risk of accidents, keeps horses safe, and the owner knows where they are.”

Ms Gordon said horses will be scanned for chips, so the policy is a “safety net” for responsible owners.

But for “serial strayers”, which waste “huge amounts” of police time, the owners will be charged, if traced, for the horses’ collection, and chipping and passporting if necessary, which should deter future straying.

If owners cannot be traced, after 21 days the greenyard provider will rehome the horses.

Ms Gordon, with partners from the National Equine Welfare Council, has been promoting the schemes to forces across the country and sharing best practice

“Police should be doing better things than chasing horses around lanes,” she said. “It costs nothing to have the policy, and for us, it’s about securing horse welfare.”

Kerry Bowen set up Equine Emergency Services 10 years ago to provide greenyard services, for fly-grazing horses as well as those straying on the roads.

She told H&H that in the six months before her service was contracted in the Dudley area, 1,136 calls were made about loose horses on the road. In the next six months, it was 133.

“You can imagine all the police time that was spent on trying to deal with all these horses,” she said. “Officers know what to do now.

“We guarantee a one-hour turnaround. Owners of horses who have genuinely strayed are grateful to know they’re in a safe place, and it prevents accidents so protects horses and people.”

Inspector Dave Smith of Kent Police is the national lead for equine crime. He told H&H before Kent had a greenyard scheme, “we didn’t know what horses we had, or for how long”.

“There was no security for the taxpayers so I said, ‘Let’s manage it,’” he said. “In 2016, before we had the policy, it cost £260,000 to deal with these horses. In 2018 it was £100,000 and this year to November, it was £20,000.”

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The 2019 Leicestershire County Show is at risk as more than 80 horses have been dumped on the showground.

Organisers have already had to cancel a number of planned events on the site since the equines were found there some four weeks ago.

Despite the efforts of the Leicestershire Agricultural Society, the horses were still there on Monday night (15 October), when vandals broke into the showground and destroyed 40m of perimeter fencing, allowing the ponies to escape on to the road.

James Webb, a director of the society, told H&H the fencing was 6’ chain link with metal posts, and he is unsure how the vandals managed to break it – or how the horses came to be on the showground.

“It must be 10 lorry loads of horses or something,” he said. “Where did they all suddenly come from?

“We contained them in the car park, which is 15 acres, but they’ve been breaking the fences into the main showground, as that’s another 60 acres of grass.”

Mr Webb said he has been in contact with police, as well as the county council, which has been “brilliant”, but he is concerned about the impact the horses have already had.

“If you imagine 80 horses on 15 acres for four weeks; there’s no grass left and a lot of piles of poo,” he said. “Horses make the ground go sour, and we can’t have the showjumping ring like that.

“We’ve already had a booked Halloween event that’s had to go elsewhere, and someone was about to sign for a winter wonderland Christmas fair. It’s all revenue we’ve lost, which would all have gone back into putting the show on, and will those people come back?

“The grounds going to need harrowing and sorting out, the fencing could cost £10,000 to £20,000 – when the whole perimeter was done about five years ago, it cost £250,000 – we can’t afford that.”

Mr Webb said that under the Control of Horses Act, the society could post enforcement notices and then take possession of the horses, “but then what would we do with them?”

“I’m guessing they don’t have passports, and if they all went to market, unless there were 80 people who wanted them, there’s only one place they’d end up, and it’s not fair on them,” he said.

The society posted about the situation on Facebook this week, warning that the 2019 county show would be cancelled if the horses are still in situ.

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“We’ve had lots of support and people saying ‘please don’t cancel it’, but if they’re still there come spring, we won’t be able to get the ground right,” Mr Webb said.

“I look after the livestock and you have to have six to eight weeks animal-free just to have cattle and sheep on it for two days.

“We need to make a lot of noise and see what support we can get.”

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An abandoned horse found in a “very poor state” has given birth to a healthy foal.

Roberta was malnourished and suffering from worms and lice when officers from Basildon Council in Essex found her. Her ribs, pelvis and spine were clearly visible and she was also pregnant.

She was seized on 10 February from land at Courtauld Road in Basildon under the Control of Horses Act, which gives authorities the power to remove and detain fly-grazed horses.

Less than a week later the council became Roberta’s official owner and handed her into the care of a horse sanctuary.

“This was a shocking case of animal neglect. Roberta was in a very poor state of health when we found her,” said a council spokesman.

In the early hours of 10 May, Roberta gave birth to a health colt who has been named “Buddy” (pictured) by council officers.

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“Thanks to the swift intervention of council officers using new powers to seize abandoned horses and the excellent work of the vet and the sanctuary she has made a fantastic recovery and has given birth to a healthy foal which is great news — Buddy really beat the odds,” added the spokesman.

“The council would like to remind owners they have a duty to ensure their animals are properly treated and do not cause potential health and safety issues for the public by using the council’s parks and open spaces. Owners are also reminded to ensure their animals have appropriate welfare surroundings.”

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The issue of fly-grazing has been highlighted by BBC Radio 4 drama The Archers.

Character Lynda Snell woke up to discover six neglected ponies had been dumped outside her home, Ambridge Hall.

One of the ponies, a mare, was lame and had a wound on her head caused by a headcollar being left on for a long period of time.

With the help of fellow Ambridge residents Shula Hebden Lloyd and Alistair Lloyd, the injured pony was treated and the RSPCA and police contacted.

The pony was named Gem, and taken on by Shula under the Control of Horses Act (see below).

She had made good progress by yesterday’s episode (1 May), despite barging out of her stable and treading on Shula’s foot.

An RSPCA spokesman welcomed the publication of the issue of fly-grazing.

“This is a very real and important issue that can lead to various welfare problems for horses,” a spokesman for the charity told H&H.

“Often the land used for fly-grazing is unsuitable for horses, the grazing isn’t very good, it can be near busy roads or the fencing isn’t suitable which puts animals at risk.

“Thankfully the Control of Horses Act 2015 allows councils and landowners to take action quickly.

“If the horse’s owner is not found, the landowners can decide whether to rehome, sell the horse or even adopt them themselves — which happened in The Archers.

“The RSPCA, Redwings Horse Sanctuary and World Horse Welfare have been working closely together for several years to improve horse welfare in response to the horse crisis.

“As a result of this hard work the Act was brought in which gives local authorities and landowners the power to act quickly and therefore avoid horses being left in unsuitable conditions.”

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A World Horse Welfare spokesman added that The Archers storyline is “sadly a very real issue faced by vulnerable horses, communities, farmers, landowners and charities throughout the UK”.

World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers said: “As a coalition [a collaboration of charities, welfare and rural organisations including the RSPCA] we campaigned for almost three years for tougher legislation to tackle fly-grazing which blights local communities and puts thousands of horses’ lives at risk every year.

“However, that there is still more work to be done. Awareness of the Act, and the willingness of more local authorities and other landowners to use it are key to its success in tackling fly-grazing, which is just one driver of the UK’s current horse crisis.”

What to do if you end up in Lynda’s position

Under the Control of Horses Act 2015, both public and private landowners can immediately detain horses left on their land and take them to a safer environment if needed.

Providing the landowner notifies the police, and the horses’ owner, if known, within 24 hours that they have seized the horses under the Act, after four working days the landowner assumes ownership of the horses.

The Act provides landowners with a number of options on what to do with the horses, such as gifting them to a charity, selling them or as a last resort, humane euthanasia.

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Abandoned horses found straying on a road in Bristol have been rescued by an equine welfare charity.

The two horses, now called Pilgrim and Grace, were discovered in Avonmouth, an industrial area of the city near the River Severn.

Pilgrim had several injuries, both old and fresh.

The area has had a fly-grazing problem for several years. The charity, HorseWorld, believes these horses were dumped on industrial land, which is unsuitable for livestock, and escaped onto the road.

B&W Equine Vets were called on 19 January to reports of an injured mare and foal. They agreed to take them in overnight with the help of the RSPCA.

“The mare turned out to be a two-year-old colt with multiple injuries, most notably a deep wound to his elbow, where he is believed to have fallen down on the road,” said HorseWorld’s Sarah Hollister.

“There were also multiple older injuries to the neck and shoulder, each between three and six months old.

“One of the old wounds shows evidence that he had been tethered for long periods of time as the skin on his neck has a thickened ridge where a collar would lie.”

Grace (pictured, top), who is thought to be around seven to eight months old, was uninjured but very frightened and unused to being handled.

Both horses were of average weight, but their potbellies indicated a heavy worm burden.

“Neither horse was microchipped, making finding an owner — and therefore being able to prosecute them — near impossible,” added Ms Hollister.

Mark Owen, also of HorseWorld, added that many landowners do not realise that, when a horse is on their land, the animal is their responsibility.

“If that horse escapes and causes an accident, the landowner could be liable for damages,” he said.

“With the number of horses currently escaping onto the roads from fly-grazed land on a regular basis, it is only a matter of time before there is a serious road accident involving both human and equine casualties, or even fatalities.”

The charity is building a campaign to tighten this area of the Control of Horses Act, which became law last year.

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The “fly-grazing” bill resulted from a Private Members’ Bill, put forward by Julian Sturdy MP for York Outer. It makes small, but important changes to the Animals Act 1971.

The law gives private landowners the same powers as local authorities to take quick action to remove and move on fly-grazing horses.

The updated law requires landowners to keep any horses placed on their land for only four working days — as opposed to the current two weeks — and gives more options to dispose of the horses besides public sale, such as gifting them to a charity, selling them privately or euthanasia.

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Is the over-breeding message finally beginning to get through?

Over the past week I have seen comments, features and images in various media which — hopefully — will start to spread the message further than the small pool of the already converted.

While the British Horse Society’s castration campaign “This is Bill” stickman, circulating on Facebook, has literally had some stick, at least it got people talking.

Meanwhile heartfelt Facebook posts from American Kelly Smith, who seems to work at an equine rescue centre in Pennsylvania and spends much of her life at the “kill pen”, are currently going viral.

Kelly’s anguish as she pleads for all of us to think before we breed, while she tackles the reality of what most of us prefer to not to think about, comes across big time. She doesn’t just see unwanted piebalds, but superfluous young riding horses and ponies that have been brought into the world, in the main through ignorance, with no life ahead of them. A brave lady. If you haven’t already seen her posts, read them and look at the pictures.

At the end of their tether

It was also good that the problem of fly-grazing was tackled on Countryfile, albeit raising as many questions as it answered. I take my hat off to those who go round monitoring these horses, especially if they are often confronted by angry men wearing balaclavas.

Why are people allowed in public with their faces covered, let alone speaking to a TV camera while brandishing a mallet?

What I wanted to know was why these people are keeping horses, if they have nowhere to keep them. This was never really ascertained apart from speaking to one man who “loved his horse”.

I am not doubting that, but I do wonder what the horse got out of his tethered life. No one mentioned riding them even.

Living on the end of a rope in a public playing field is no existence for a horse. Yes horses have lived on the end of tethers for years, but in former times they spent the day working, so at least had exercise. No horse should be standing around all day waiting — for what? A daily pat?

What happened to the “Five Freedoms of animal welfare”? Number two: provision of an appropriate environment, including shelter; and number four: the freedom to express normal behaviour.

Public spaces are not renowned for their hedges, and how can a horse behave normally on a tether?

The programme concluded that the cost of liberating these horses was too high for most councils and that most of them, if rescued, would go to the abattoir anyway, leaving the viewer to believe that perhaps they are best left alone.

Surely these horses are alive only because they are meat money, and that is why the vast majority of them have been allowed to breed in the first place?

The fly-grazing act that came into being last May is helping landowners to remove dumped horses, and so is a deterrent to those looking for free grass and space. However, if we tolerate grazing in public spaces because the only option is slaughter, aren’t we just pushing the problem elsewhere?

No one wants horses to go to slaughter before they have had a proper and hopefully long life, but as long as the world has a surplus of horses, this will be the end for many. Now if you haven’t already, go and look up Kelly Smith.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 4 February 2016

The UK’s current abandoned horse crisis was investigated by the BBC’s Countryfile programme on Sunday (17 January).

Presenter Tom Heap interviewed horse owners who illegally graze their animals on land they don’t own and went out with Bristol-based GRC Bailiffs to seize a fly-grazing horse.

This was carried out at night to avoid any repercussions with its owner.

One horse owner told Mr Heap he “doesn’t see the harm” in keeping horses tethered on land he doesn’t own.

Another disguised with a mask and brandishing a mallet told the presenter of his anger that bailiffs had seized his horses.

In the programme Heap accompanied animal welfare inspector Steve Gale on duty in Stockton-On-Tees where they discovered six horses wandering freely on a housing estate.

Later they encountered an illegally tethered horse who had worn a perfect circle into the ground after grazing on all the grass the tether allowed it to reach.

Heap explained how the Control of Horses Act, which came into force last summer, is offering some hope to the crisis.

The new legislation allows landowners to instantly seize horses found illegally grazing on their land. The rescued horses are either given to charity or put down.

But Heap discovered that the large costs of rescuing horses – up to £1,500 per horse – is causing some councils to turn a blind eye to horses abandoned in their catchment authority.

Later in the episode there are upsetting scenes of a rescue of a young coloured pony found abandoned with another horse who had died.

“By the time we got to them the friend was dead. It was just bones and lots of maggots… having seen the dead one we were going to move heaven and earth to get (Huckleberry) out of there. He needed to live, and live like a proper equine,” World Horse Welfare’s Jacko Jackson told Heap.

The pony named Huckleberry has made a full recovery and was shown cavorting about happily at the charity’s Norwich welfare centre at the end of the programme.

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Early indications are that the Control of Horses Act is reducing the number of horses at risk of abandonment or neglect, according to equine charity World Horse Welfare.

The Act came in on 26 May and, at the time, charities said they expected a “significant improvement” by the end of the year.

Although World Horse Welfare will not have official figures until January, the charity told H&H it is looking positive.

“Already our field officers have helped landowners use the new law to remove horses quickly where previously they could have languished for weeks or longer,” a World Horse Welfare spokesman told H&H.

“Some landowners have found homes for the horses they detained, and we took in our first horse under the Act, a foal called Huckleberry, in October this year.

“However, winter will be another real test for horse welfare in the UK as a cold, hard spell could still push many horses over the edge and create a very different picture

come February.”

Under the Act, landowners have the same powers as local authorities to take quick action to remove fly-grazing horses.

It requires landowners to keep any horses placed on their land for only four working days — as opposed to two weeks — and will allow more options to dispose of the horses besides public sale, such as gifting them to a charity, selling them privately, or euthanasia.

There are estimated to be 3,000 fly-grazed horses in England and the law falls into line with Wales, which brought in the Control of Horses (Wales) Act on 27 January 2014.

Ref: H&H 10/12/15

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A pony with serious wounds has been found tethered with chains and abandoned.

The RSPCA is now appealing for information about the piebald pony that was found in a field in Grays, Essex.

The mare was suffering with a large wound to her neck, which was infested with maggots.

The animal was found by RSPCA inspector Marie Hammerton on Thursday, 12 November, after being alerted by a member of the public.

“This poor pony has a nasty wound on the top of her neck where the tether has been digging in for some time,” said Inspector Hammerto.

“The tether used was totally inappropriate — a thick metal chain wrapped in what appears to be the inner tube of a push bike.

“This has left her with a wound that is approximately five inches by two inches and swarming in maggots, and it’s estimated by vets that this has been festering for around two weeks. She must have been in so much pain.”

The 12.2hh mare is not microchipped. The charity believes she had been abandoned for some time and think she is around four years old.

Inspector Hammerton added: “I have named the pony Madge after Madonna, and she is a very sweet little girl who just wants love and attention.

“Fortunately she is now safe and receiving lots of care and treatment for her wounds at a local vets. We expect her to make a full recovery.”

A spokesman for the charity added: “The RSPCA does not agree with horses being tethered but as it is not against the law and we can’t stop people doing it. Our main concern is that it is extremely difficult to provide for tethered animals’ needs and meet the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, including the provision of adequate shelter, grazing, companionship, physical safety and allowing the animal to express normal behaviour.”

Anyone with any information should telephone: 0300 123 8018.

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Landowners will now have more powers to deal with fly-grazed horses as the Control of Horses Act came into effect last week (Tuesday 26 May).

The new “fly-grazing” bill resulted from a Private Members’ Bill tabled by Julian Sturdy MP for York Outer and makes small, but important, changes to the Animals Act 1971.

The law gives private landowners the same powers as local authorities to take quick action to remove and move on fly-grazing horses, so its impact could potentially be much greater.

The updated law will require landowners to keep any horses placed on their land for only four working days — as opposed to the current two weeks — and will allow more options to dispose of the horses besides public sale, such as gifting them to a charity, selling them privately or euthanasia.

Although this will be at a cost to owners, charities believe this will be considerably less than the current economic burden the dumped horses put on landowners.

“Fly-grazing has been increasing in part because it is so easy to get away with and there were few, if any, consequences for the perpetrators — the new Act will change this,” said Roly Owers of World Horse Welfare.

“We expect that by the end of the year, there will be fewer horses at risk of abandonment and neglect.”

There are estimated to be around 3,000 fly-grazed horses in England.

The law falls into line with Wales, which brought in the Control of Horses (Wales) Bill on 27 January 2014.

The RSPCA’s David Bowles said the law will make a “big difference” to landowners.

“They can more quickly deal with fly-grazing animals, instead of them having to leave them on unsuitable land without grazing, shelter or additional food, which is all too often the case,” he said.

“It is now time for irresponsible owners to remove illegally grazed horses and to provide them with the proper care. They should also be getting their horses microchipped. Otherwise now they could lose their animals completely if they persist in fly-grazing them.”

Charities also hope that this will prevent accidents caused by fly-grazing animals.

“While the Control of Horses Act is undoubtedly a positive move, it’s imperative to stress that it will only help prevent horse suffering if both private and public landowners make full use of it,” warned Roly Owers.

“Any members of the public concerned about fly-grazing in their area should contact their local council or the private landowner.”

The coalition of welfare and rural organisations — including Blue Cross, British Horse Society, CLA, Countryside Alliance, HorseWorld, NFU, Redwings Horse Sanctuary, RSPCA and World Horse Welfare — is currently working with local government representatives to produce guidance on using the Act to support landowners in using its expanded provisions.

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Eventing fans and riders that will be heading to Badminton this year (7-10 May) are encouraged to register for a postal vote, as the general election falls on the first day of the Gloucestershire horse trials.

Voting will take place on Thursday 7 May, and rural and equestrian organisations are urging all those with a love and interest in countryside affairs to vote. Those away from home will need a postal vote to do so.

Voters are encouraged to put pressure on politicians to make sure rural issues are not pushed aside.

James Legge, head of political affairs for the Countryside Alliance, told H&H: “It is very important that the rural voice is heard in the general election so we would urge everyone to firstly check that they are registered to vote, and then if they will be away from home on polling day that they apply for a postal vote.”

Equestrian and rural campaign groups are fighting for political advantage as country issues begin to dominate the 2015 general election campaign — including the ongoing problems with fly grazing, which to tackle needs governments funds. Also an issue is the concept of a central equine database, which is to be compulsory under EU regulations by 2016.

Badminton final scores

A major focus is the Hunting Act, which more than a decade after the Hunting Act was introduced, hunts remain unanimous in their message that the act is unworkable and must be repealed.

Earlier this month Prime Minister David Cameron said a Conservative government would give parliament the opportunity to repeal the Hunting Act on a free vote, with a government Bill in government time.

The Master of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) has said it will put pressure on any future government to repeal the act.

“From the start the Act was about class warfare, not animal welfare,” said the MFHA’s Tim Easby.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 2 April 2015

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A group of horses being fly-grazed in Berkshire have been removed by equine charities.

Earlier this week (Monday 23 March) a Horse & Hound reader called for more public awareness of fly-grazing after a dumped mare was put down on the land near Bracknell (pictured below).

The RSPCA told H&H that initial diagnosis suggested that the mare had been suffering from colic.

Two horses remained on the land — but on Wednesday (25 March) they were seized by the RSPCA.

“The RSPCA has now removed the remaining three horses from fields off Binfield Road,” an RSPCA spokesman told H&H.

“In the meantime, if anyone has any information about the owner of these horses, they should contact the RSPCA in confidence on 0300 123 8018.”

The two youngsters are now at one of World Horse Welfare’s rescue and rehoming centres.

“I visited the site on a number of occasions to establish whether the owner was taking responsibility for the horses, but their condition had deteriorated significantly in recent weeks,” said World Horse Welfare field officer Nick White, who worked with the RSPCA.

“We were very relieved that on our latest visit the vet felt that legally we were in a strong position to remove them on welfare grounds. The colt foal was very underweight, had a parasitic infestation, lice and was extremely frightened — he clearly hasn’t been handled at all.

“The yearling was in a similar condition, but had more confidence. In an effort to find food the group had been stripping bark off trees (pictured below). Initially they were taken to a holding yard close to the site to provide them with warmth, as well as much-need food and water.

“They are now safely in the care of our grooms and, while it’s still early days, we very much hope that they will make a good recovery given proper care.”

Thanks to the new fly-grazing bill, which received Royal Assent this week (26 March), private and public landowners will soon have greater powers to tackle dumped horses.

There are estimated to be around 3,000 fly-grazed horses in England.

The updated law will require landowners to keep any horses placed on their land for only four working days, as opposed to the current two weeks, and will allow more options to dispose of the horses besides public sale, such as gifting them to a charity, selling them privately or euthanasia.

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Equine charities have told H&H they hope England will see “significant effects” from the new fly-grazing bill within a year.

The Control of Horses Bill received Royal Assent today (Thursday 26 March) and will become law before the general election in May.

“Fly-grazing has been increasing in part because it is so easy to get away with and there were few if any consequences for the perpetrators — the new Act will change this,” said Roly Owers of World Horse Welfare.

“We expect that by the end of the year, there will be fewer horses at risk of abandonment and neglect.”

There are estimated to be around 3,000 fly-grazed horses in England.

Legislation will make it easier for landowners, local authorities and welfare charities to take action over dumped and fly-grazed horses.

The updated law will require landowners to keep any horses placed on their land for only four working days, as opposed to the current two weeks, and will allow more options to dispose of the horses besides public sale, such as gifting them to a charity, selling them privately or euthanasia.

Although this will be at a cost to owners, charities believe this will be considerably less than the current economic burden the dumped horses put on land owners.

The law falls into line with Wales, which brought in the Control of Horses (Wales) Bill on 27 January 2014. However, there are still some issues to be resolved there.

City of Cardiff councillor Daniel De’Ath said that the council had used the act more than 70 times in the first year.

“The Act has been a positive step forward, and is a deterrent and useful tool in promoting responsible equine ownership,” said RSPCA Cymru’s Steve Carter.

“But we understand the Act is not a panacea and requires robust enforcement, and there’s more action needed to ensure equine welfare.”

Mr Owers said the lessons learned in Wales helped inform the new English law.

“England opted for a four working-day holding period for seized horses as opposed to the Welsh law, which stipulates seven days, because their experience suggested that even seven days was still needlessly long,” he added.

“If we have learned anything from the Welsh legislation, it is that the law has the potential to make a significant impact within months — so long as it is used.

“Cases of fly-grazing in Wales decreased significantly with its new law and targeted action by agencies and charities, but more horses appeared to move over the border into England.”

The English law is different to the Welsh law in that it gives private landowners the same powers as local authorities to take quick action to remove and move on fly-grazing horses, so its impact could potentially be much greater.

“Similarly, the requirement to hold horses for four clear working days as opposed to seven in Wales makes taking action in England less expensive, and reduces potential for horse suffering,” he added.

However, there is also the concern that the Bill may cause an increase in dumped dead horses, rather than live ones, though charities hope this won’t be the case.

“This legislation should act to prevent cruelty and neglect as landowners and local authorities can effectively seize horses much sooner, before they are left to suffer,” an RSPCA spokesman told H&H.

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A horse owner is calling for more public awareness of fly-grazing after a dumped mare was put down earlier this week.

The mare was one of a group of horses being fly-grazed on land near Bracknell, Berkshire.

“A mare sadly had to be put to sleep on veterinary advice and with a vet present yesterday (Monday, 23 March). Initial diagnoses suggest that she was suffering from colic,” an RSPCA spokesman told H&H.

“The situation regarding the three remaining horses is not ideal, but they are not suffering and the RSPCA is working hard to safeguard their welfare. People should rest assured that this work is very much ongoing.”

A shocked reader, who saw the dead horse, contacted H&H.

“We need to show that this is still happening, shame the owners who are doing this, and make people step up and serve notice on these ‘owners’ and not ignore it,” she said.

A spokesman for the RSPCA added: “The RSPCA completely sympathises and agrees with the frustrations expressed about these horses.

“Sadly this is emblematic of the wider horse crisis and some owners who still refuse to obey the law and fail to microchip and passport and provide the proper care for their animals. We hope that the new legislation will help to prevent situations like this from occurring in future once it becomes law later this year.”

Thanks to the new fly-grazing bill, which passed through Parliament last week (18 March), private and public landowners will soon have greater powers to tackle dumped horses.

There are estimated to be around 3,000 fly-grazed horses in England.

The updated law will require landowners to keep any horses placed on their land for only four working days, as opposed to the current two weeks, and will allow more options to dispose of the horses besides public sale, such as gifting them to a charity, selling them privately or euthanasia.

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Equine organisations have welcomed a new bill they hope will help tackle the growing issue of fly-grazing.

The Control of Horses Bill was given its third reading this week (18 March), and will become law before the general election.

The legislation will make it easier for land owners, local authorities and welfare charities to take action over dumped and fly-grazed horses.

The bill will also bring England into line with Wales, which introduced a similar law in early 2014.

“After almost three years of campaigning, all of the organisations in our coalition are delighted that the bill has successfully been passed and will become law before the election,” said Roly Owers of World Horse Welfare.

“This law will make a big difference to horse welfare, as charities have been struggling to help the thousands of horses being bred indiscriminately and kept without proper care.

“It will also help landowners, farmers, communities and taxpayers as it will make action to remove horses much more swift, straightforward and less expensive to take. The success of the Welsh legislation demonstrates that these laws will work if they are used — so do use them.”

A coalition of charities and organisations championed this Private Member’s Bill, introduced in the Commons by Member of Parliament for York Outer Julian Sturdy.

The updated law will require landowners to keep any horses placed on their land for only four working days, as opposed to the current two weeks, and will allow more options to dispose of the horses besides public sale, such as gifting them to a charity, selling them privately or humane euthanasia.

The bill will receive Royal Assent within the next fortnight and thereby become law.

“This new act represents a significant step forward for horse welfare and will help local authorities and private landowners tackle the scourge of fly-grazing,” said the Countryside Alliance head of political affairs James Legge.

“The co-operation of all the political parties, all leading rural and welfare organisations and the support given by the Government demonstrates the consensus that this law is much needed. We would like to thank Julian Sturdy MP for taking up this issue and urge public and private landowners to make use of the new law.”

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Equestrian and rural campaign groups are fighting for political advantage as country issues begin to dominate the 2015 general election campaign.

The equestrian industry is estimated to contribute £7bn a year to the economy and provide more than 200,000 full-time jobs.

But, despite equestrianism’s large economic contribution, there are also welfare concerns.

Horse abandonment numbers are soaring and many rescue centres are at “crisis point”. Also, more than 3,000 horses are being illegally fly-grazed.

RSPCA chief inspector Cathy Hyde, who heads a specialist team of equine officers, said: “Over the past five years there has been a marked and very worrying increase in equine neglect and abuse. This is witnessed on a daily basis by frontline staff.

“This disturbing trend in neglect seems to be affecting equines more than any other animal that we deal with.”

The British Horse Industry Confederation has released a manifesto calling on the next government to “support the sector’s development” and “protect the health and welfare of all horses in the UK”.

Resources needed to tackle fly-grazing

The Control of Horses Bill is due to had its third reading in the House of Lords this week (Wednesday 18 March).

The Bill, which should receive Royal Assent soon, gives local authorities the power to seize or impound horses abandoned on public or private land without permission.

However, even with the Bill passed the issue of funding to support it is still “complex”.

“We are likely to see the approach to using any act being taken as a local matter, which can be influenced by local communities,” said a spokesman from World Horse Welfare.

Equine charities also want the government to continue to put pressure on creating a workable passport system.

Last September the European Union announced that by 2016 it would be compulsory for all countries to have a centralised equine database.

World Horse Welfare is urging the new government to learn from “past mistakes”.

Two previous databases have already failed in the UK. In 2001 the British Equine Database — which recorded data for sport horse breeding — closed after eight years when British Showjumping withdrew from the scheme.

The National Equine Database (NED) was launched in 2008 but folded in 2012 after Defra withdrew funding, saying it was “not effective” — a move that was slammed by vets and welfare groups.

“The priority for any new government should be to grasp the opportunity of the updated equine identification regulations to overhaul the current dysfunctional identification system in the UK,” said World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers.

“Without this, equine welfare, health and even human health are all put in jeopardy. The government must continue to work with the sector to ensure that we learnt the lessons from the past. An easily updateable central database and retrospective microchipping of all equines in the UK are vital for an effective equine identification system.”

World Horse Welfare has also raised concerns about the need for “effective intelligence-led checks” of horse exports and imports at British ports.

The issue was highlighted last week (11 March) when an MP proposed a Ten Minute Rule Bill arguing that a single agency was needed to address the “dysfunctional” enforcement at British ports.

In an address Gregory Barker said: “The UK can be proud of its laws that protect the welfare of every one of our country’s one million equines — including protecting them from indiscriminate export for slaughter. However in reality horses and ponies can effectively be shipped anywhere, for any purpose, in any condition because there are no clear lines of responsibility.”

Mr Owers added: “The authorities simply do not appreciate the scale of the trade in horses and ponies of a low financial value, much of which is under the radar and so is not reflected in any official figures.”

Regulations need to be bolstered

The dangers of a dysfunctional identification system and poor control of equine exports were exposed by the 2013 horsemeat scandal.

Last September an independent government report into the issue by Prof. Chris Elliot stated that “urgent and comprehensive changes to the UK food system” were needed to “protect consumers from serious organised crime”.

However, concerns have been raised that not enough money has been allotted to deal with the issues.

A source close to the enquiry told H&H that a lot “will depend on what happens at the next election”.

“There is no money available, so any action that the government takes will have to be paid for by taking money from another project.”

The Countryside Alliance (CA) wants the government to make it compulsory for all labelling of meat products to show where the animal was reared and slaughtered.

“Since the horsemeat scandal, consumers are taking much more notice of where the meat they eat originates from,” the CA’s Sarah Lee told H&H.

“We have written to Defra, urging it to press the European Commission to make country of origin labeling mandatory for all meat.”

➤ The CA has launched a new e-campaign, enabling you to contact your local parliamentary candidates on rural issues. Visit: www.countryside-alliance.org

➤ For more information on the British Horse Industry Confederation Strategy visit: www.bhic.co.uk

Ref: Horse & Hound; 19 March 2015

A skewbald mare was found dumped in fly-tipped rubbish — after reportedly being dragged behind a pick-up truck — in Essex earlier this week (Tuesday 24 February).

The body was still warm when found by a passer-by in Dunton Road, Basildon. She was extremely thin and had no microchip or any other form of identification.

Two men with dark hair were spotted dragging the horse’s body behind a black pick-up truck with a closed rear at midday on Tuesday.

“We are always really sad to hear of animals callously discarded in this way,” said RSPCA inspector Matt Gough.

“In this case the horse was literally thrown out with the trash as her body was found amongst a pile of fly-tipped debris such as bricks and ropes.”

“Our biggest concern is whether the horse suffered before she died. Unfortunately in the thin state she was in, it seems very much as if she did, and this was a classic neglect case.”

The horse’s body has been removed by the council and the RSPCA is appealing for anyone with information about how she died to contact them on 0300 123 8018.

This latest case is one of several reported to the RSPCA in February.

“The country is currently in the grip of a horse crisis with the RPSCA and other horse welfare charities struggling to cope with the numbers of abandoned, neglected and abused horses,” said inspector Gough.

On 15 February the charity found a body of a foal dumped in a ditch in Easenhall, near Rugby by the RSPCA, and on the same day, a four year-old mare and foal was found dead in a field in Leicestershire.

“Things are getting worse. This is just one of several horse abandonments and reports of dead horses being dumped that I’ve been called out to recently. My colleagues are telling a similar story,” said RSPCA inspector Clint Davies.

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There are growing concerns over the number of horses being abandoned in Leicestershire after the RSPCA discovered a dying four-year-old mare and a stillborn foal earlier this month (Sunday, 15 February).

The black and white cob was found in a road-side field in the village of Broughton Astley, near Leicester.

A passer-by, Katy Duckett, found the mare and called the RSPCA at 1.15pm.

The RSPCA arrived within an hour but the horse died just as the officer was calling for a vet to attend.

“Sadly, the horse had been suffering for some time, to the extent that it was collapsed on its side and had struggled so much that it had worn down the surrounding ground,” said a RSPCA spokesman.

The mare had recently given birth and an RSPCA officer found a foal on the same day in a nearby field that had been stillborn.

The case is the latest is a series of cases in the Leicestershire area.

On 15 January the bodies of another black and white cob type mare and foal were stuffed into a hedge in a field in Scraptoft.

RSPCA inspector Clint Davies said when he inspected the bodies they had started to decompose suggesting they had been dumped more than a week before.

“Things are getting worse. This is just one of several horse abandonments and reports of dead horses being dumped that I’ve been called out to recently. My colleagues are telling a similar story,” said Mr Davies.

He added that costs and people running out of grazing could be to blame for the increase in cases in the area.

“We are calling for legislation to help landowners to deal with illegal grazing and also for better enforcement of the laws around identification so that those responsible for neglecting horses can be made accountable,” a RSPCA spokesman added.

The RSPCA is appealing to anyone who might have information on either case to contact them on 0300 123 8018.

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An abandoned foal has been rescued after it was discovered emaciated and near death. The pony was found next to his companion that had drowned in a ditch full of freezing water.

HorseWorld and World Horse Welfare were called to check on a number of fly-grazing ponies on a strip of wasteland near Avonmouth last month (16 January).

“When we saw the poor creature standing barely alive, we immediately called for assistance from the police and RSPCA to get authorisation to remove him,” said HorseWorld’s equine rescue manager, Jerry Watkins.

“These foals were clearly dumped and left to die. There was nothing there to eat at all except for a few tufts of grass on the ditch’s steep edge.

“The poor deceased foal would most likely have been trying to reach this vegetation, slipped in and would have been too weak to climb out in his emaciated state.”

The rescued foal, which has been called Felix, is thought to be four or five months old. His dead friend is believed to have been a similar age. Felix is now being cared for at HorseWorld’s base in Bristol.

“We have to lift him every so often through the night as if he lies down he isn’t strong enough to get up again.” said HorseWorld’s husbandry manager Joanne Vaughan.

“He would certainly have died that night if we hadn’t brought him home. There was a hard frost that night and he would have laid down or eventually collapsed on the cold frosty ground and nobody would have been there to lift him up again.”

Felix was not microchipped and therefore his owner cannot be located or prosecuted.

Equine welfare charities are currently backing the Control of the Horses Bill, which will give local authorities greater powers to tackle fly-grazing. Last month (8 January) the new law passed the committee stage and it now moves on to its final stage in the House of Commons.

• Get the latest update on Felix’s recovery

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A young colt found tied to a tree in an Essex village earlier this month (13 January) has been given a new home by a local resident.

The nine-month-old pony was tied so tightly he could hardly move. Round his neck was a sign saying: “My name is Peanut. I am unwanted and need a home.”

“Peanut was very wet and distressed when we found him,” said Stephanie Harris, chairman of Flitch Green parish council.

Mrs Harris kept the pony in her back garden until the horsebox arrived to take him to his new home. The person who has rehomed him wishes to remain anonymous.

Mrs Harris, a district councilor for Felsted said Peanut is the latest case in an ongoing problem of loose horses, which are believed to have come from the nearby travellers site run by Essex County Council.

“It has been a problem for six months, but reached a crisis point at Christmas. We have big horses roaming free in gardens, playgrounds and village greens,” said Mrs Harris.

The parish council has a Facebook page alerting people as to where the horses are in the neigbourhood.

Another two were rounded up this week by police and taken to a nearby equine rescue centre.

“The residents have now said enough is enough. We want Essex County Council to manage the site properly and to evict families that have horses,” said Mrs Harris.

“It’s been a disgrace. There has been an award-winning passing of the buck in dealing with the problem and only the villagers have done anything about it.”

An Essex County Council spokesman said: “We are aware of the issue and are working with partner organisations and landowners to address it.

“Proof of actual ownership of the horses is key for any direct action and where they are on privately owned land, it is for the land owner to initiate this. However, we will do everything within our power to help resolve the situation.

“At this stage we are seeking to formally identify the owners of the horses and where appropriate issue warnings and share relevant information with interested agencies.”

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The RPSCA is looking for the owners of two dead ponies that were found dumped in Warwickshire.

A concerned reader contacted H&H after finding the dead animals earlier this month (15 January).

However, no owner has yet been found.

“I found the ponies in a gateway in Beausale, near Warwick at around 9am,” said the H&H reader.

“They were covered over with a tarpaulin and a fleece.

“The two ponies appeared to be mare and foal. The mare was black with white blaze and very, very underweight.

“The foal was also underweight and a coloured cob type. Both ponies had very overgrown hooves.

“Does anyone know who they belong to? Has anyone noticed that these poor ponies are no longer in a field?”

The RSPCA told H&H it was alerted to the ponies by the police.

“As there was no obvious cause of death, it may be that they died and then their bodies just dumped,” said a spokesman.

“Sadly this sort of situation is not uncommon and we receive thousands of calls about horses that are abandoned or neglected every year.”

The RSPCA added that new tougher legislation, which would enforce current laws on the identification of horses, its vital in tackling this issue.

Yesterday (27 January) marked a year’s anniversary of the fly-grazing bill in Wales, where local authorities now have greater powers to seize and impound dumped horses. Welfare charities are campaigning for a similar law to be brought in in England.

“This bill has now passed the committee stage in parliament, but until it becomes law, while horses must be microchipped, the vast majority simply are not,” added the RSPCA spokesman.

“This means it is very difficult to bring irresponsible owners to account and they get away with dumping and fly-grazing horses like these.”

Anyone with any information about these ponies should contact the police or the RSPCA inspector line on 0300 123 8018.

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It is now a year since Wales was granted tougher powers to tackle fly-grazing. Charities are still pushing for a similar law in England, but is it working as well as expected in Wales?

The Control of Horses (Wales) Bill — which was passed on the 27 January 2014 — gives local authorities the power to seize or impound horses abandoned on public or private land without permission.

Last month a new bill to try and clamp down on fly-grazing in England took a step closer to becoming law as the Control of Horses Bill passed the committee stage. It now moves on to its final stage in the House of Commons.

“The Act has been a positive step forward, and is a deterrent and useful tool in promoting responsible equine ownership,” said RSPCA Cymru’s Steve Carter.

“But we understand the Act is not a panacea and requires robust enforcement, and there’s more action needed to ensure equine welfare.

“Of course the Act does not provide all the answers to Wales’ equine crisis. Issues such as increasing public understanding, reducing instances of tethering and regulation of livery yards all require action.”

Rachel Evans, the Countryside Alliance’s director for Wales, told H&H that although the Bill has made the seizure of fly-grazed horses easier to deal with, the process of removing the horses remains difficult.

“However, the bill sends a clear message that fly-grazing in Wales will not be tolerated,” she added.

“It provides local authorities with the powers to act quicker, reducing the 14-day period to seven, and allows them to act on behalf of the private landowner in removing horses that are fly-grazing. It also provides more options for dealing with the horses in question, whether they are to be returned to the owner, sold, rehomed or, as a last resort, euthanised.”

City of Cardiff councillor Daniel De’Ath, said that the council had used the act more than 70 times in the first year.

“However, we as a council would push for further legislation/amendments to be made,” he added.

“We need further deterrents to owners, perhaps introducing a fixed penalty notice. Stray horses are a danger to the citizens of Cardiff, and it’s unfair on the animals.”

Other local authorities have also used the Act over the past year, including Wrexham County borough council, which used it twice. Each incident involved a single horse; one was rehomed, the other was euthanised.

‘Horse welfare time bomb’

However, there is concern that the huge numbers of horses and ponies abandoned on the Welsh commons is spiralling out of control.

H&H reader Patrice Choat said the problem there “is on a scale that is almost difficult to comprehend”.

“Many of the ponies and horses are non-native breeds that are unable to cope with the conditions on the commons in Wales. Many die and few are able to be rehomed,” she said.

World Horse Welfare’s Roly Owers described the situtation on the commons as a “horse welfare time bomb”.

“All too often an excessive number of horses are being grazed; many owned by commoners but also others that have been abandoned or are fly-grazing and are struggling to survive in the environment. They are all competing for limited food,” he said.

“Until the commoners take better control of their own breeding programme, more unwanted ponies will be bred. And until the practices of fly-grazing and abandoning horses cease and those that are left are removed promptly, more horses will proliferate and starve.”

Councils can intervene and use the Control of Horses (Wales) Act to remove the animals.

Roly added that it was a “huge frustration” as help is at hand — there are financial benefits from the Welsh Assembly for commoners to improve how they manage their land, while the Bill is there for councils.

“So why is action so often not taken?,” he added.

“Because no one wants to foot the bill. This is a completely unacceptable attitude to ownership and the welfare of these horses, and one which will only ensure the problem worsens, causing even more equine suffering and financial cost.”

Ref: Horse & Hound; 29 January 2015

Five horses have died due to neglect in a field in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.

Local residents and passers-by have been shocked at the state of the group of horses being kept on land in Grovebury Road for some time.

Five horses have now died, but nine remain on the land.

The RSPCA said it “shares serious concerns” and is checking the horses on a daily basis.

“We brought in a vet to examine and treat them [earlier this month] and he found some of the horses had cyathostomes (small redworm),” said a spokesman for the charity.

“Three horses very sadly died at the site as a result of this, and four others were removed by us after the vet said they needed urgent help. Very sadly two had to be put to sleep as they were so unwell.”

The RSPCA said it is treating the situation “very seriously”.

“We are looking into several ways of providing a long-term solution to ensure the welfare of the remaining nine horses, but will continue to keep a close eye on them to make sure they are not at immediate risk in the meantime,” added the spokesman.

“We have attempted to contact their owners to improve the conditions they are being kept in and the care that they receive, but have as yet been unable to locate them.”

The RSPCA added that it has no legal power to remove the animal without permission of the owner and that the country is in a grip of a “horse crisis”.

Yesterday (Thursday 8 January) a new bill to clamp down on fly-grazing moved a step closer to becoming law.

The Control of Horses Bill, tabled by the MP for York Outer, Julian Sturdy, has passed the committee stage and now goes to its final stage in the House of Commons.

Currently farmers and landowners, local authorities, animal welfare charities and vets have few powers to tackle fly-grazing because action depends on identifying owners who are absent.

The Bill aims to help England follow in the footsteps of Wales, which introduced legislation in January 2014 giving local authorities the power to seize or impound horses abandoned on public or private land without permission.

“Until now the legal powers to address the problem have been lacking but if this Bill is passed it will be a significant step forward for animal welfare and landowners’ rights,” said Countryside Alliance executive chairman Barney White-Spunner.

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A new bill to try and clamp down on fly-grazing has taken a step closer to becoming law today (Thursday 8 January).

The Control of Horses Bill, tabled by the Member of Parliament for York Outer, Julian Sturdy, has passed the committee stage and now moves on to its final stage in the House of Commons.

Currently farmers and landowners, local authorities, animal welfare charities and vets have few powers to tackle fly-grazing because action depends on identifying owners who are absent.

The Bill aims to help England follow in the footsteps of Wales, which introduced legislation in January 2014 giving local authorities the power to seize or impound horses abandoned on public or private land without permission.

The CLA, National Farmers’ Union and Countryside Alliance have joined forces with the RSPCA, World Horse Welfare, Redwings, the British Horse Society and Blue Cross to champion the Bill which was first proposed in July last year.

“Fly-grazing is a practice that wreaks havoc in the countryside and can mean great misery to landowners and the mistreated horses alike,” said Countryside Alliance executive chairman Barney White-Spunner.

“Until now the legal powers to address the problem have been lacking but if this Bill is passed it will be a significant step forward for animal welfare and landowners’ rights.

“We now call on the Government to ensure the Bill completes its passage in the Commons as swiftly as possible and that peers in the House of Lords give it their support so it will be on the Statute Book before the end of this Parliament.”

The RSPCA reiterated that 70% of horses taken in by the charity cannot be linked to an owner.

The charity’s David Bowles said: “We are pleased that the government has decided it wants to help to solve this problem.

“Horse owners need to be made accountable for their animals and power needs to be given back to enforcers.”

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Police are investigating after two dead foals were dumped on a country lane in South Wales on Monday (5 January).

It has been reported that the black and white gypsy cobs were tied together and

wrapped around with baler plastic when a local resident in Ewenny discovered them. There have also been reports that latex gloves were found at the scene.

This is the third time in less than two-years that the resident — who wished to remain anonymous — has found dead foals in this lane.

South Wales police confirmed to H&H that an investigation was underway and that they are appealing for witnesses.

Police Sergeant James Munro said: “We are continuing with our enquiries to help identify the owner of the horses and to find out what happened to them”.

“The horses must have been driven to the location in some sort of vehicle so we are appealing to anyone who was in the area between 5.30pm and 7.30pm on Monday and may have seen a horsebox, or vehicle which the animals could have been transported in, to contact us”.

This is the latest of distressing cases of horses being dumped in the last couple months as equine welfare charities call for stronger regulations against fly-grazing.

In December

two horses that had been shot and set on fire were found in a

woodland area in Suffolk.

Less than a fortnight later five dead horses were “dumped like rubbish” on the side of a road in Loughborough.

RSPCA chief inspector Cathy Hyde, who heads a specialist team of equine officers, said: “Over the past five years there has been a marked and very worrying increase in equine neglect and abuse. This is witnessed on a daily basis by frontline staff.

“This disturbing trend in neglect seems to be affecting equines more than any other animal that we deal with.”

Anyone with further information on this case is asked to contact South Wales police either on 101 or01656 655 555 . Alternatively Crimestoppers can be called anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting reference number 1500005712.

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After a spate of incidents involving horses escaping onto main roads, the Hertfordshire police and crime commissioner and the British Horse Society (BHS) have come together to try to tackle fly-grazing in the area.

Commissioner David Lloyd has joined local authorities, police, the National Farmers’ Union, charities, landowners and a local MP to decide how to deal with the problem.

Last month 36 stakeholders met to discuss the issues and gain an understanding of the current legislation.

“This is a real problem in Hertfordshire, which has a large concentration of busy major highways running adjacent to land which is used for fly-grazing,” said Mr Lloyd.

“In my position as police and crime commissioner I have a unique overview of these types of multi-agency issues and my deputy, David Gibson, is taking forward this project on my behalf, ensuring that it is resolved and not left on the ‘too difficult’ pile again.”

One of the problem areas discussed in the November meeting was the A414 between Hatfield and St Albans where many motorists have been affected by long delays, as police try to round up stray horses or because an animal has been hit.

BHS county chair Lynn Myland said: “We heard that police have to close the roads, attempt to catch the horses and trace the owners. Quite often no-one comes forward to claim ownership. This takes hours of police time and can be stressful for all concerned, especially for a driver who has hit a horse.

“There were some very constructive debates and it was very positive to hear so many key people advising on a way forward. The seminar gave the opportunity to network and engage in what can be a very complex issue.

“The BHS in Hertfordshire has developed a draft procedure which endeavours to provide clear roles and responsibilities for agencies and land owners. It will also give advice to the public about who to contact when they come across this very stressful, and often dangerous, situation.”

Ms Myland is now working with county councillor Dreda Gordon and district councillor Sue Featherstone on raising awareness of the issue and for helping the BHS procedure to be adopted in Hertfordshire.

Anyone who wishes to be involved can contact Lynn on lynnmyland@hotmail.com

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Thomas Hope Price, son of notorious gypsy cob breeder Thomas Tony Price, has been handed an eight-week jail sentence after he was caught stealing back horses that had been seized for fly-grazing.

Newport Crown Court heard last week (15 December) how Cardiff Council had taken nine horses from a playing field in Ely in March 2013. But the same day that the horses were removed to a secure location three men and a woman were reportedly seen loading them into a bright yellow lorry.

The lorry was stopped in the area of Treforest half an hour later.

Prosecutor Nick Gedge said: “Police stopped the lorry and a male got out of the passenger side and started walking away.

“He told an officer: ‘I know nothing about it, I am out for a walk —where the hell am I?’

“That was Thomas Hope Price.”

Price was arrested and later pleaded guilty to the theft of nine horses.

Twenty-nine-year-old Price is already serving a 12-month prison sentence for the non-payment of £43,000 of court costs from a previous trial.

Judge David Wynn Morgan sentenced him to a further eight weeks in prison and ordered him to pay an £80 victim surcharge.

It has been reported that his father was also arrested for the theft but that he could not be prosecuted because of “identification issues”.

World Horse Welfare’s Roly Owers described the situation as a “ludicrous merry-go-round” and another example of “callous disregard for equine welfare”.

“Thankfully the judge saw through his denial of responsibility: one of the oldest fly-grazing tricks in the book, along with the stealing back of lawfully seized horses,” Mr Owers added. “His actions are an affront to all responsible horse owners who rightly play by the rules.”

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Following the death of a group of horses on a railway line Cambridgeshire, police are trying to find new ways to stamp down on fly–grazing.

Twelve horses were killed when two trains collided with them last month (19 November) and, although no passengers were seriously injured, the situation could have been even more serious.

As a result Cambridgeshire Police told H&H that it is now actively looking into green yard schemes.

The idea is to create a safe space where horses can be taken and kept for 14 days until an owner can be traced. It is also possible in these circumstances for police to look to prosecute by way of section 155 of the Highways Act for allowing animals to stray on to the highway.

The problem is that green yard schemes require money and manpower and with many horses not microchipped, tracing owners can be impossible.

“Green yarding is a consideration but there is no single solution to the problem of stray horses or fly-grazing. Ultimately we need to be encouraging responsible horse ownership, which we continue to do alongside our partners within local councils and the RSPCA,” said a spokesman from the force.

Earlier this year the Cambridgeshire police told H&H it was looking into the possibility of giving people Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) in order to try and tackle the problem in the area.

However, the force now does not believe this is a “viable approach” due to the difficulty in identifying owners.

A private members bill to give local authorities greater powers to deal with the problem was approved at its second reading in the House of Commons on 27 October but is still a long way off becoming legislation.

Ref: H&H Thursday 20 December, 2014

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Equine charities and countryside organisations have welcomed the news that a private members bill to tackle illegal fly-grazing passed its second reading last week (24 October).

The Control of Horses Bill has been brought forward by MP for York Outer Julian Sturdy, who has worked with local groups to try to tackle the problem in his constituency.

The MP wants England to follow in the footsteps of Wales, which introduced legislation in January giving local authorities the power to seize or impound horses abandoned on public or private land without permission.

In the debate, Mr Sturdy stressed the seriousness of the problem for the people it affects.

“I appreciate that to some the problem of fly-grazing might seem somewhat mundane, but try telling that to the farmer whose crops are being destroyed, to the motorist whose life is endangered by a horse on the road, or to the animal welfare charities who work tirelessly every single day to rescue these horses from the miserable existence to which so many have been condemned,” he said.

The bill will now continue to committee stage, where it will be examined in detail by a panel of MPs.

The CLA, National Farmers’ Union and Countryside Alliance have joined forces with the RSPCA, World Horse Welfare, Redwings, the British Horse Society and Blue Cross to support the bill.

The Countryside Alliance’s Barney White-Spunner said: “The issues of fly-grazing and loose horses cause misery and mayhem to individuals, businesses and authorities around England and a great deal of suffering to the horses dumped and mistreated in this way.

“Until now the legal powers to address the problem have been lacking but if this bill is passed it will be a significant step forward for animal welfare and landowners’ rights. We now call on the Government to give this Bill a fair wind in Committee Stage, and ensure it is given adequate parliamentary time in successive stages.”

The RSPCA reiterated that 70% of horses taken in by the charity cannot be linked to an owner.

The RPSCa’s David Bowles said: “We are pleased that the government has decided it wants to help to solve this problem.

“Horse owners need to be made accountable for their animals and power needs to be given back to enforcers.”

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Notorious fly-grazer and gypsy cob breeder Tom Price was back in court earlier this month (7 October) and found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to another 12 horses.

He was also found guilty of a further charge of failing to take necessary steps to ensure that the horses in his care were provided with a suitable diet.

Price, from the Vale of Glamorgan, was jailed for eight months last year on 57 welfare and cruelty charges.

This fresh case related to a group of horses and ponies kept at Lanmaes Fields, in Cardiff, between 6 and 14 March 2013.

Cardiff Magistrates Court heard that the welfare needs of some of the animals had not been met. An example of this was that there was no fencing to stop the horses from straying onto the road.

Price argued that the horses were not his but had been transferred to his son Thomas Hope Price in January 2012.

The District Judge did not believe Price and he was disqualified from keeping horses for five years.

He was also sentenced to 32 weeks in prison, to run concurrently, which was suspended for two years, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £80.

He was found not guilty of one offence of failing to provide the local authority with horse passports when asked.

Cardiff Council’s Daniel De’Ath said: “This was a serious case of cruelty. The council will continue to be vigilant.”

World Horse Welfare’s Roly Owers added that Price’s actions “fully deserved” the additional five-year ban.

“This case is another example of why a regulated system of microchips should be required for all horses, no matter what their age, and that this system is enforced — not least to help punish characters like Price,” Mr Owers added.

This news report was originally published in Horse & Hound magazine on Thursday 23 October, 2014

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An e-campaign has been launched by the Countryside Alliance (CA) in support of a private member’s bill to tackle the problem of abandoned, fly-grazed horses.

“We ask you to take part in the e-campaign to help highlight to MPs how serious this problem is,” said a CA press officer.

The private member’s bill would, if successful, make it easier for farmers and local authorities to deal with fly-grazing. It returns to the House of Commons in October (news, 24 July).

To take part go to www.countryside-alliance.org and click on campaigns and then communities, and enter your postcode.

A letter will then be automatically sent to your local MP.

This news story was first published in H&H magazine (2 October 2014).

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Six major charities — including World Horse Welfare and the RSPCA — have welcomed the news that it is a “distinct possibility” the government will support changes in legislation to help tackle fly grazing in England.

Last week (1 September) the organisations joined forces and launched a report called Stop the scourge — time to address unlawful fly grazing in England.

Under current laws landowners are powerless to remove horses, and fly grazing calls to charities have increased by more than two-thirds in the past three years.

The report revealed that more than 3,000 horses are currently fly grazing and “hot spot areas” have been identified in the Midlands and Thames Estuary, with “hundreds” of horses kept on verges, parkland and farmland.

The organisations want laws in England to come into line with the Control of Horses (Wales) Act 2014, brought in in January. This gives local authorities power to seize dumped horses.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee held a one-day inquiry on fly grazing on 3 September.

“The evidence presented would have left the committee in no doubt about how damaging this practice has become, and the inadequacies of the laws being used to try to address it,” said Roly Owers from World Horse Welfare.

“We were encouraged that Lord de Mauley stated new or updated legislation ‘is a distinct possibility,’ in reference to Defra’s support for the Private Members’ Bill sponsored by Julian Sturdy MP for a Control of Horses Act in England along the lines of that in Wales.”

David Bowles of the RSPCA added: “We are pleased the government has recognised the law needs clarifying. It is a welcome step forward and we hope that new legislation could be on the Statute Book by the end of this Parliament.”

This story was first published in H&H magazine on 11 September 2014

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A “major milestone” in the fight to increase legislative powers to deal with the fly-grazing crisis was unveiled last week (16 July).

A private members bill has been brought forward by MP for York Outer Julian Sturdy and is backed by countryside organisations and equine welfare charities.

Welfare charities estimate that at least 3,000 horses are being illegally grazed in England.

The aim of the bill is to force the government to follow the example of Wales, which introduced legislation in January to give local authorities the power to seize horses abandoned on private or public land without permission.

Currently in England, when horses are dumped on private land, landowners have a duty of care until an owner is found. Most horses left to graze are not microchipped, making it difficult to trace the owner.

The number of abandoned horses reached a peak last winter — World Horse Welfare rescued 76% more horses in comparison to 2012.

“The reason why fly-grazing is a growing problem is it’s so easy to get away with,” said Roly Owers of the charity. “If there is effective legislation people will stop doing it. It is as simple as that.”

RSPCA’s David Bowles added: “It is now up to the government to decide if they want to help or continue to bury their head in the sand.”

However, concerns have been raised as to whether this new legislation would lead to “mass culling” of horses if owners do not come forward. “In some cases horses will be rehomed or go into charity care,” said Lee Hackett from the British Horse Society (BHS). “But it is possible that some animals will be euthanased. The truth of the matter is that a humane death is better than a life of suffering in some cases.”

Will it become law?

Private members bills — which are a mechanism for individual MPs to initiate their own legislation — have a much lower success rate than bills with government backing. Mr Owers believes that the bill has cross-party support, which should give it a higher chance of being introduced. However the process of bringing in new legislation is long.

The second reading for the bill has not been scheduled until 2 October. As a result it will be hard for the new powers to be introduced before the weather worsens. “There is frustration that Defra has not acted sooner on this,” said Mr Owers. “If you look at Wales it was turned around within a number of weeks. “This is a hugely significant step and with government support it will help bring about a piece of legislation that is badly needed.”

How you can help

Have you been affected by fly-grazing? World Horse Welfare is seeking case studies of people’s experiences and invites you to email them at press@worldhorsewelfare.org

The Countryside Alliance is also looking for case studies to develop a map of “hot spots” around the country to provide evidence for the government. Please email political@countryside-alliance.org.

First published in Horse & Hound magazine on 24 July 2014

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Equine charities and countryside organisations have welcomed the launch of a private members bill to tackle illegal fly-grazing, which was launched in the House of Commons yesterday (15 July).

The Control of Horses Bill has been brought forward by MP for York Outer Julian Sturdy, who has worked with local groups to try to tackle the issue in his constituency.

The MP is keen for England to follow in the footsteps of Wales, which introduced legislation in January giving local authorities the power to seize or impound horses abandoned on public or private land without permission.

The CLA, National Farmers’ Union and Countryside Alliance have joined forces with the RSPCA, World Horse Welfare, Redwings, the British Horse Society and Blue Cross to support the Bill.

Redwings chief executive Lynn Cutress said: “We are delighted that Mr Sturdy is willing to take this forwards and we can only hope that the government sees fit to follow the example set by Wales and clamp down on the unacceptable practice of fly-grazing at last.

“The charities cannot just continue picking up the pieces.”

Countryside Alliance executive chairman, Sir Barney White-Spunner added: “There is widespread recognition of the seriousness of the problem of fly-grazing for land managers and in terms of public safety and horse welfare. There is full agreement among stakeholders and across all parties that legislation is needed.

“The government should take the opportunity presented by this Bill by giving it adequate parliamentary time so that a real step forward in horse welfare can be achieved before the general election. It is time for the Government to listen and to take action.”

For more reaction to the proposals, including the challenges local councils may face when rounding up and housing illegally fly-grazed horses, see a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine.

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Cambridgeshire is the latest county to consider using Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBO) in an attempt to stop an “ongoing problem” of illegal fly-grazing. But welfare charities do not believe the orders will have the required effect due to ineffective equine identification systems.

Cambridgeshire Police are compiling a case against fly-grazers to prevent them from owning horses which are dumped on land around the city or close to major roads, and intimidating residents and road-users, and may apply for ASBOs to curb offenders.

“Fly-grazing can have a significant impact on land-owners and local communities,” said a spokesman for Cambridgeshire Police after a series of incidents in the Swavesey area during the past few weeks.

“While tackling it is neither easy nor quick, we are committed to working with landowners and using the legal powers within our means to deal with the very small minority of irresponsible horse owners who act in this way.”

Officers have recorded statements from more than 10 witnesses, which will be used to build a case for the ASBO.

Although there are no official records, there have been a couple of ASBOs used in Bristol and South Wales since 2012. Welsh gypsy cob breeder Tom Price was given one 18 months ago for persistent fly-grazing, but was subsequently imprisoned for breaching the order and committing welfare offences.

Welfare charities believe that issuing ASBOs does not address the root of the problem.

World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers said: “ASBOS could have a role to play where ownership of horses can be proved, but our experience shows this is rarely the case — and where it is, existing legislation can work.

“In reality, we might know horses belong to a particular person, but proving it is another matter entirely, because the current equine identification system is ineffective and unenforceable.

“What we need are laws that put the onus squarely on responsible ownership, as they have done recently in Wales, whereby local authorities can seize fly-grazed horses and require those responsible to provide proof of ownership: no passport, no horse.”

“There needs to be specific legislation [to track down irresponsible owners],” agreed an RSPCA spokeswoman. “That said, it’s entirely up to the police if they feel that ASBOs would be sufficient to prevent illegal fly-grazing.”

Cambridgeshire Police confirmed that “ASBOs are just one tool we are looking at which may be able to assist us in tackling the problem”.

ASBOs last for at least 2 years, and it is a criminal offence to breach it. Adults can be fined for up to £5,000 or sentenced to 5 years in prison, or both.

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Gypsy cob breeder and serial fly-grazer Tom Price has been released from prison, but was straight back in court on new charges.

Price, 49, of Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, was jailed for eight months on 57 welfare and cruelty charges in June 2013. He was given a five-year ban on keeping horses, suspended for six months to enable him to disperse his herd of around 2,500 animals.

He was released from prison in November, but on 9 December pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court to failing to update 17 horse passports with his details.

The case relates to 17 horses bought by Price for £200 at Bridgwater sales in Somerset in 2011. They had been passported and microchipped and sent to the sales by Carmarthenshire Council, after straying on to roads.

But a year later, they were still registered as the council’s property.

“You know the rules. You told elaborate lies to disguise this offence,” said the judge, who ordered Price to pay a £6,000 fine plus £8,000 towards Vale of Glamorgan Council’s costs in bringing the prosecution.

Since the start of his prison sentence, equine charities have rescued dozens of horses that it is thought may belong to Price. But few have been passported or microchipped, making it difficult to prove ownership.

It is not known how many horses are still in his care.

The RSPCA’s Sophie Wilkinson told H&H: “The ban [on keeping equines] begins on 5 January, so he has until then to either sell or rehome the horses in his care.”

If Price continues to keep horses, he will be in breach of the ban and could be prosecuted again.

Tough new fly-grazing laws — in part prompted by the problems Price’s herd have caused in the Vale of Glamorgan — are due to become law in Wales in mid-January.

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A leading equine charity has accused Defra of “burying its head in the sand” over the fly-grazing crisis in England.

World Horse Welfare chief executive, Roly Owers made his comments after the issue was debated at Westminster last week (26 November).

MPs of various parties called on the Government to bring in tough new measures, like those due to become law in Wales next month (news, 8 August).

But Defra minister George Eustice reiterated the Government line that no new laws would be forthcoming — and Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) could be used successfully against fly-grazers.

The Control of Horses (Wales) Bill gives local authorities the power to seize abandoned animals. If they are not claimed by the owners within seven days, they can be rehomed — or euthanased.

Damian Hinds, Conservative MP for East Hampshire — who has seen dozens of horses dumped in his constituency — led the debate. He said similar measures were needed in England.

Mr Hinds added that though the Welsh Bill would not solve the problem, it would make dealing with fly-grazing easier, “which may help to disrupt and discourage sharp practice”.

Shadow environment minister Huw Irranca-Davies promised that Labour would bring in new laws to tackle the “crisis”, if elected.

His comments were welcomed by World Horse Welfare. Roly Owers, who said he hoped ministers would now take fly-grazing more seriously.

This article originally appeared in H&H 5 December 2013.

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World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers has warned that culls of abandoned ponies are “very likely” in England this winter, unless local authorities are given the power to seize horses “on the spot”.

Mr Owers was speaking at the charity’s annual conference (14 November), at which Defra minister Lord de Mauley said the Government would not bring in fly-grazing legislation like that being fast-tracked in Wales.

In October, welfare agencies urged Defra to follow the Welsh Government, warning that failure to do so would push the problem into England.

The Welsh Bill — set to become law in mid-January — gives local authorities the power to seize horses abandoned on private or public land without permission. If the animals are not claimed by the owner within 7 days, they can be euthanased.

But at the World Horse Welfare conference, Lord de Mauley said he was “not yet convinced” the legislation would deal with the “underlying problem” — that of overbreeding.

“What they’re doing is interesting and it might help — but it won’t solve the problem of oversupply,” he said.

Lord de Mauley said he had asked for a meeting with the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) to discuss overbreeding. He added that new measures in the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill, being considered by Parliament, would help tackle fly-grazing.

ASBOs had been used against fly-grazers in Bristol and South Wales with success, he noted. Prolific Welsh gypsy cob breeder Tom Price is serving a prison sentence for breaching his ASBO and committing welfare offences (news, 25 July).

Charities estimate 7,000 equines are at risk this winter.

This story first appeared in H&H 28 November 2013.

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H&H readers are being urged to ask their MP to take part in a debate about fly grazing at Westminster next Tuesday (26 November).

Fly grazing — where horses are put on land without permission and left to fend for themselves — has become the “scourge of our rural areas”, according to World Horse Welfare chief executive, Roly Owers.

MPs are expected to use the debate to call for tougher laws to deal with fly grazing — like those being fast-tracked through the Welsh Government. To ask your MP to take part in the debate, visit http://bit.ly/Um6rKc

Current laws in England do not allow the authorities to seize fly grazing horses on the spot and it requires a lengthy process to resolve the situation. But in Wales, legislation should be in place by mid-January to give local authorities the power to seize abandoned animals on the spot. If they are not claimed within seven days, they can be euthanased.

“Westminster should introduce similar laws or the problem will simply continue to move across the border and many hundreds of horses will suffer,” said World Horse Welfare’s Roly Owers.

David Bowles of the RSPCA added: “If Westminster does not join Wales in bringing in tougher laws, they will sleepwalk into a worsening horse crisis in England.”

Charities estimate 7,000 horses are at risk this winter.

The debate has been secured by the Conservative MP for East Hampshire, Damian Hinds. Fly grazing has become a significant problem in the county, with charities having to rescue nearly 50 horses from a field near Alton in September.

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More than 100 horses in the Vale of Glamorgan were put down last week because they were found in such a poor condition.

Over 400 horses were assessed by officials from the RSPCA, Vale of Glamorgan council and Redwings Horse Sanctuary during a 6-day period (12-17 November)

Martin Hubbard from the RSPCA said: “This was a difficult and tragic situation that developed very quickly, leaving many of the horses in a desperate condition.

“It is thanks to the Vale of Glamorgan local authority and to the fast response and hard work of everyone involved that we managed to attend to the animals and get the majority moved to safety.”

The RSPCA, Redwings, the Vale of Glamorgan local authority and HorseWorld have subsequently removed more than 300 surviving horses.

Neither RSPCA nor Redwings would disclose the owner of the horses, saying the case is part on an “ongoing investigation”.

It is not known if they belonged to Tom Price — who is currently serving a prison sentence for welfare offences and breaching the terms of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) for continuing to fly graze his horses.

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The vast herd of gypsy cobs amassed by dealer and serial fly-grazer Tom Price is continuing to cause problems for equine charities, long after he was jailed for cruelty charges.

At its peak, Price’s herd is thought to have numbered around 2,500 horses. The authorities in his native Vale of Glamorgan had made him the subject of an anti-social behaviour order in an attempt to stop him fly-grazing his animals.

Price was convicted of 57 cruelty and welfare charges by Cardiff Crown Court in June. He was jailed for eight months and given a five-year ban on keeping equines.

The court suspended the ban for a six-month period — which ends in December — to enable Price to sell his remaining horses. But the RSPCA estimates that he could still have as many as 1,500, some of whom have already been taken in by welfare agencies.

“It is a huge quandary,” said the RSPCA’s Sophie Wilkinson. “We have just removed 29 horses owned by Price from the Gower Peninsula near Swansea. Then there are another few locations where we believe the horses belong to him.”

Price is thought to graze horses at several sites along the M4 corridor in the south of England.

On 26 September the RSPCA and Redwings removed 46 horses from a field near Alton, Hants.

“Some were so thin they would simply not have survived the winter without our help,” said Redwings chief vet Nic de Brauwere.

The horses are thought to belong to Price, but because they were not chipped or passported, the charities cannot confirm this.

Another 50 suspected Price horses in Compton, Surrey, are in such poor condition they are being provided with hay by the RSPCA.

The charity would like to hear from anyone with information about who owns the horses. If Price is still in possession of equines by the December deadline, he will be in breach of his ban and could be prosecuted, said Ms Wilkinson.

Last month, the Welsh Government published a bill to tackle fly-grazing.

Charities have urged Westminster to follow suit, to prevent the problem from moving across the border.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (7 November 2013)

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Fly-grazing legislation will be tightened up in Wales, but leading equine charities warn that the rest of the UK needs to follow suit.

Charities say that “horse dumping” in the UK is at “crisis point”, as an estimated 7,000 horses are at risk of needing rescuing in England and Wales.

Redwings, the RSPCA, World Horse Welfare, the British Horse Society, Blue Cross and HorseWorld recently released details of several case studies to illustrate how the current laws permit horses to suffer needlessly.

They described horses being deliberately allowed to stray on to railway lines and a foal being left to drown in a river in Essex.

Although details of the plans will not be released until the autumn, charities support Wales’ proactivity.

“We hope the legislation will be strong and effective if the current situation is to be reversed,” said David Bowles of the RSPCA.

Nic de Brauwere, chairman of the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) and head of welfare at Redwings, added: “A report backed by NEWC shows that charities are all working at capacity, with many thousands of abused or abandoned horses in our care.

“[There are] hundreds more that need our help, but we have nowhere for them to go.”

World Horse Welfare’s Roly Owers said “better legislation and enforcement” is needed, to “hold irresponsible owners to account”.

“There needs to be more support for local authorities to deal with the numbers of horses left to breed, graze, suffer and even die on other people’s land,” he said.

The charities have urged the Government to extend the new legislation to include the whole of the UK.

“If Wales takes action and the rest of the UK does not, the problem will simply move over the border. We need a joined-up approach,” added Mr Owers.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (8 August 2013)

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A woman has been convicted of causing and failing to prevent unnecessary suffering to animals after rotting horse carcasses were found on her land.

Sarah Coverdale from Thrussington, Leicestershire, had previously been served a 2-year suspended sentence and a £500 fine after 9 horses had been left to rot on her land.

In February 2012 David Boyd from World Horse Welfare returned to the premises to take another 2 horses into care.

Both of the horses were found in such a poor state that they had to be put down.

“Rotting carcasses were found where animals had eaten out the insides of the bodies and bones littered around the place that had been compressed into the ground as they’d been left there for so long,” said Mr Boyd.

Miss Coverdale denied claims of causing suffering to any animal upon her land saying that a “Mr Smith”, supposedly a traveller, came every day to feed the horses.

She said that she had no responsibility for the horses because she had entered a verbal contract with Mr Smith, despite having no phone number or address for him and not knowing his first name.

Prosecutor Richard Thatcher said in court: “The horses were suffering and this could have been stopped by calling a vet. There’s no Mr Smith, is there? If there is, he’s committing criminal offences on your property and you let him carry on.”

Miss Coverdale was found guilty of 6 animal cruelty offences and banned from keeping horses for life.

Coverdale, who already has a lifetime ban preventing her from keeping sheep, was given 2 months to dispose of 34 horses on her land.

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A mare has been discovered with a still-born foal still hanging out of her. She was among a herd of more than 100 abandoned horses in Gravesend, Kent.

Alana Chapman, from World Horse Welfare, who is regularly called to the 8 -mile field, discovered the mare.

“The closer I got to her the more strongly I could smell this vile smell, like a rotting stench,” said Alana.

“The poor mare looked as if she had prolapsed, but what had really happened was she had given birth to a dead foal, the foal and afterbirth were hanging out of her, just left there.

“It was a very hot day and she must have been so incredibly uncomfortable. Once the vet had checked her, we found that she had a broken pelvis, so we had to put her to sleep to end her suffering.”

World Horse Welfare say the incident highlights the growing problem of horse abandonment and fly grazing.

The British Horse Society, Blue Cross and HorseWorld believe there are more than 7,000 equines at risk of abandonment and neglect due to the economic crisis, overbreeding and fly grazing.

For more on fly grazing see next week’s issue of H&H — out Thursday 8 August

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There was relief for welfare charities last month when the gypsy cob breeder and aggressive fly-grazer Tom Price was jailed on cruelty charges.

But there are now serious concerns about what will happen to his herd of around 2,500 horses.

H&H has spoken to the agencies involved to find what the future holds for these animals, many of which are described as “low quality… and of limited appeal”.

Read the full story in this week’s issue, out on Thursday, 25 July.

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A Welsh horse dealer has been jailed for eight months and banned from keeping horses for five years after being found guilty of 57 welfare and cruelty charges.

Tom Price, 48, from Wick in the Vale of Glamorgan, is believed to own up to 2,500 gypsy cobs.

He was jailed for six months at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court today (5 July) for causing unnecessary suffering to 18 horses. The prosecution was brought by the RSPCA.

The sentence will run concurrently with an eight-month sentence he received for breaching an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO). He was served with the ASBO last November, for repeatedly fly-grazing his horses in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Price’s 26-year-old son, Thomas Hope Price, pleaded guilty to the offences before the trial. He was jailed for 23 weeks.

District Judge Bodfan Jenkins ordered the pair to pay £43,000 each in court costs.

He said the men had been involved in a large and wealthy operation breeding gypsy cobs and the conditions the animals were kept in “beggared belief”.

The five-year ban for keeping horses was suspended for six months to give the Prices time to sell or dispose of their stock.

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A South Wales horse dealer has been convicted of 57 animal cruelty and welfare charges, in a case that highlights the problem of fly-grazing in the region.

Tom Price, 48, from Wick in Glamorgan, was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering and failing to meet the needs of 27 gypsy cobs by a court in Cardiff on 14 June.

The horses were found at five different locations in South Wales. The RSPCA — which brought the prosecution — said 12 of the animals had been “left to die” in a barn in Bridgend.

Price’s eldest son, Thomas Hope Price, 26, pleaded guilty to 42 welfare charges at an earlier hearing. A second son, Tony Price, 19, also admitted to failing to meet the welfare needs of two horses.

RSPCA inspector Christine McNeil said some of the animals they found were “the most poorly and diseased horses I have come across”. The 12 horses found in the barn had been locked in with no access to food or water.

Welfare agencies estimate that the Prices own as many as 2,500 gypsy cobs. Price senior ran a company called Glamorgan Horse Traders. Since 2011, problems had been reported with his horses fly-grazing in the area.

In November last year, he was given an anti-social behaviour order to prevent his horses fly-grazing and straying on to roads in the Vale of Glamorgan.

The Welsh Government is undertaking a consultation on ways to tackle fly-grazing. Welfare organisations are lobbying for criminal legislation to penalise the worst perpetrators and to act as a deterrent.

“We need tougher laws that give authorities power to address aggressive and cruel fly-grazing and make owners accountable for their animals,” said Roly Owers, chief executive of World Horse Welfare.

The three members of the Price family will be sentenced at Cardiff Magistrates Court on 5 July. The judge warned Price snr that all options — including custody — remained open.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (27 June 2013)

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Members of the public are being asked to help the Welsh Government find a long-term solution to the problem of fly-grazing and the abandonment of horses.

Welsh Deputy Agriculture Minister Alun Davies said: “The Welsh Government vision is for a fly-grazing free Wales, a zero tolerance approach that will ensure that Wales is free from the unacceptable social, economic and environmental harm caused by the nuisance of fly-grazing.”

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (14 March 2013)

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