The RSPCA is launching an urgent appeal for homes for horses, ponies and donkeys as the number in the charity’s care exceeds 600.
England and Wales are in the grip of a horse crisis and it’s the animals who are paying the price.
In the last three years the RSPCA received 69,410 calls about horses in England alone. Of these, 1,900 were about abandonments, showing that as the cost of keeping a horse increases, so do the numbers left to suffer or die.
The RSPCA is at capacity with the numbers of horses in its care and desperately need to find homes for them to free up space to take in more neglected and abused animals. It is also estimated that 4,500 horses are still at risk across England.
Abigail Moon, RSPCA rehoming operations manager, said: “We have so many beautiful horses and ponies in our care who’ve had a bad start in life and really deserve the care of a great owner. We have rehomed horses who have gone on to win at shows like Equifest, so it shows that you really can be a winner if you take on a rescue horse.
“There is such a variety available, whether you’re looking for a young or old horse, a companion or one who can be worked. Many of our horses have suffered terribly so please do think about taking on a rescue horse and giving the the second chance they deserve.”
David Bowles, assistant director for public affairs at the RSPCA, said: “As the Control of Horses Bill has just been made law, it is too early to know if it will help to reduce the numbers of abandonments across England but when the same legislation was passed in Wales last year we certainly saw more horses at risk over the border in England.
“We hope that the new law, that means that landowners can seize fly grazing horses earlier, will be an incentive to those irresponsible owners who don’t microchip their animals and leave them to suffer, knowing that they could previously get away with it.”
To apply to adopt a horse, pony or donkey please visit www.rspca.org.uk/homesforhorses.
