The BBC reports on a herd of forty cobs dumped on a conservation area in the Vale of Glamorgan and left to decimate the grazing and starve to death. The police cannot get involved as this is a “civil matter” and the villagers have explored every legal avenue, so the horses will probably be destroyed. Sad and pointless, though my flippant suggestion would be that the Woodland Trust tidy them up and sell ’em in the US as gypsy vanners for five-figure sums.
EDIT: At 3pm today I received a round robin email from Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk saying that they were in negotiations to rescue the ponies. The BBC has, however, reported that all the ponies were removed overnight – presumably by the owner.
I sympathise. Been there, though with fewer animals. The police will only act if a law is broken, though breaking and entering, aggravated trespass, criminal damage and theft of unsecured goods don’t seem to apply. They know the owners but still nothing gets done. I was asked if I had CCTV. In a field? It’s a complete farce.
Between this and the police designating horses sold on loan as “civil”, I think we need a more pro-active minister for horses.
Horse and Hound did an article on fly-grazing (great name) a while back which I stupidly didn’t keep, but it did have what sounded like good advice.
I remember that. There’s a company that will remove the horses and deal with all the legal work that entails. The article explained how they operate. The problem with any type of removal, or even complaint, is reprisals.
We got off relatively cheaply. After the squatters were removed by their owners (the police Environmental & Wildlife Protection Officer rang them because one pony was dead) we just suffered thefts, glued padlocks and a smashed in gate. They’re scum.
Charming. Sometimes people talk about requiring licences to own or breed horses, but given that passports aren’t exactly watertight, I’m not sure how on earth that would work.
Passports…oh yes. Don’t start me on that one. Another farcical attempt at a moneymaking scheme. A few years ago we bought a Dutch import with false papers.
Obviously checked both when he left the continent and when he arrived over here, then.
Of course, his microchip might have been tampered with…