The RSPCA is warning that a financial recession could plunge the country into a second wave of the equine crisis which has already led to thousands of dumped and dying horses and crippled welfare charities.
In 2019, the charity received reports of more than 21,000 incidents involving horses and by the end of the year it had nearly 900 in its care, leaving its rescue centres full and funding hundreds more in private boarding.
Since lockdown, the RSPCA has received more than 2000 reports about horses but fears much worse is to come if, as expected, the Covid crisis sparks a UK and global recession.
Equine welfare charities are already under immense strain, following the horse crisis which was sparked off by the 2008 financial crash and the sector is extremely concerned about the welfare repercussions for horses in the months ahead with an estimated 7,000 horses* at risk of suffering.
Christine McNeil, the charity’s National Equine Inspectors Co-Ordinator said: “This is a truly worrying time for equine charities – we still haven’t got a handle on the repercussions of the current horse crisis, and it now looks like the worst is yet to come.
“In April 2011, before the effects of the financial recession had been felt, the RSPCA had 290 horses in its care, already more than our official stables could house. The following year, the impact of the crisis really began to hit and our officers were called out every day up and down the country to neglected and abandoned horses. By May 2012, the number of horses in our care had leapt to 600. Fast-forward to today, and we’re caring for 927 horses – that’s three times the amount since the crisis hit, and we strongly fear that the impact will be even worse this time round.
The current horse crisis is thought to have been triggered by continued overbreeding, coupled with falling demand for some types of horses, which left a surplus of unwanted animals which have been left dumped like rubbish, sometimes extremely sick or dying, leaving equine charities bursting at the seams with these abandoned animals.Threats of a financial recession this year has led to fears that irresponsible horse breeders will continue to breed their animals in a bid to turn a quick profit and that existing horse owners will struggle financially to keep their animals and cover vet bills. This may lead to animals suffering, and some may even resort to abandoning their animals out of desperation.
Between March-May 2020, during the lockdown period, the charity has received reports of 2,116 incidents relating to horses alone.
The RSPCA has taken in 82 horses during lockdown already, bringing the total number of horses in the charity’s care to 927. This figure is much more than the charity can care for at its own centres, forcing the charity to pay for three quarters of horses to be housed at private boarding stables.
The charity spends approximately £5200 per year for the care of each horse taken in – that’s over £4.8 million each year.
The RSPCA has been working alongside the Blue Cross, Bransby Horses, British Horse Society, Redwings, The Donkey Sanctuary and World Horse Welfare, in a bid to tackle this national crisis. Many of these charities have seen their income plummet while still continuing to look after the horses in their care.
