The threat of Neglected and Abandoned Horses

Like us, the thought of neglected horses in any capacity is probably a horrifying one to bear for any responsible Horse Owner. But sadly, like many other distressing issues surrounding the poor treatment of British horses at the moment, equine abandonment and neglect is a seemingly growing trend. 

Official statistics released last year showed that in Scotland alone, as much as seven times as many horses and ponies were abandoned in 2011 compared to ten years earlier in 2001.

Unfortunately, it's fairly easy to see the reasons why many horse owners might feel forced to choose the livelihood and well-being of the rest of their family over the upkeep and various outgoings, not to mention the responsibility, of looking after horses and ponies.  

The impact of the ongoing Global recession has left many families in a position where they can no longer afford to care for their horses, and often, as a result of bankruptcy, or other drastic changes to their financial situation, are forced to make panicked decisions, which have the potential to prove dangerous for some domestic horses. 

Those figures, released by the SSPCA last year, show that the charity recorded the abandonment of 21 horses and 8 ponies in 2011, compared to just four horses and no ponies in 2001. The rate of increase is worrying as many of Scotland's major re-homing centres struggle to keep up with the pace.  Scotland’s largest horse re-homing and adoption centre, Mountains Animal Charity, currently cares for 99 horses, but has recently warned it cannot afford to take on any more.

Although there is compassion towards families and individual horse owners who suddenly find themselves in precarious financial positions due to job loss, etc., Animal Charities like the SSPCA are battling to make it as clear as possible that it is a criminal offence to abandon a horse; one that carries a penalty of up to £5,000 and six months in prison.

You should always look to responsibly re-home your horse, but if there is ever difficulty in doing this, always be sure to contact your local SSPCA branch for re-homing advice.

Alternatively, if you happen to discover a horse that you suspect has been abandoned or is potential victim of neglect, call the charity on 03000 999 999.


Do you have a keen interest in horses and live in the Perthshire Area? Did you know that Crieff Hydro Hotel has its very own Riding Centre - check out its official website for more information - http://hydroriding.com/

Horse Passports not effective enough

More work needs to be done to track horses
 properly says RSPCA

The recent supermarket Horse Meat Scandal has rocked the Equestrian Community. As more stringent measures are being called for in an attempt to monitor the illegal and inhumane treatment of Horses for the food trade, animal rights charity RSPCA says it is concerned about the usefulness of the horse passport system, which aims to keep track of horses for disease control.
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It has found that three quarters of the horses they take in do not have passports and are not microchipped, which is a legal requirement.
A lack of enforcement means that owners don't keep passports updated.

This makes it much more difficult to track down those responsible if there are concerns about horses' welfare.

RSPCA equine co-ordinator Cathy Hyde, said:  "The passport system is failing and a shocking 75 per cent of horses coming into RSPCA care are not microchipped. 

"Horses can change hands for a small amount of money and end up in the hands of irresponsible owners and traders."
They are calling on the Government to take the issue more seriously.