To ask why oh why?

[Aprilshouldhavebeenmyname]

Do you get a gorgeous young pony and tie it to the grass at the side of a city centre road??
Just drove into a busy city centre this morning and saw the most gorgeous very young shaggy pony I have ever seen tethered to a freshly mown patch of grass. Lying down looking down at its huddled up self. I could have cried.
I pulled over a while past (busy road, nowhere to stop) and rang Rspca, tethered horses have their own button to press. Apparently due to their hardy nature being next to traffic with nowhere to shelter /shade /escape is totally fine in their damm eyes.
It had no water so I have submitted an online report form to the local council - who also has a site especially for poor horses tethered.
I work for a Councillor who says the council have funds /powers available it remove such poor animals and rehome /rehouse.
Fingers crossed for the sorry looking thing. Why do it? Just why?

In our town it was generally travellers' ponies that were tethered by the road. It's quite hard to ascertain ownership of these ponies, and therefore enforce any kind of protective laws.

Back here next week so we'll see if it's still there. Know I will be thinking about it all week!! It's very young to be on its own imo!!
Will ring the council later to speak to them.

Lots of travellers are really good to their horses, it might be being better looked after than you think.

Neglect.

Boils my blood that there is some kind of loophole that makes it fine to do this to horses, while any other animal (a dog or cat for example) would rightly be seized under anti cruelty laws.

I’ve seen ponies without so much as a bucket of water and zero shade and no visible food around them. But the RSPCA seem afraid to touch it.

There was one on the grass of an estate not far from me, I felt sorry for it because it was so hot yet had no shelter just grazing on grass with a bucket of (now warm) water. When I asked who's horse it was I was told it was a travellers who lived in the block of flats but it will be moved on soon and when I passed by earlier this week it wasn't there so I guess they did find somewhere else for it.

I read a story about a woman who flung new born kittens out of her car window whilst driving recently so nothing surprises me any more

The council wont rehome or rehouse the horse, itll be passed on to one of the few already stretched equine charities or worse case scenario pts.
Are you sure its not a travellers pony on their way to appleby maybe? Being tethered doesnt necessarily mean its neglected, however it should have access to fresh water 100%.
You also say it looks too young to be alone, without seeing its teeth or passport you really have no way of knowing this for sure. My horse is 21 and peoplw think shes a baby! If it's lying down it feels comfortable from risk otherwise it would be standing to sleep as horses are a flight animal.
Maybe leave a note with your contact number for the owners and ask them to re assure you the horse is definitley being cared for appropriately as you were concerned for its well being?
I obviously dont know your whereabouts but up north where i am alot of our stables and greenbelt have been taken for housing over the last few yeats leading to a lot more horses being tethered until a space becomes available on a livery yard. We have 3 near my stables and they're cared for a lot better than some which are on the livery yard! It may be the owners are dealing with unforseen circumastances such as losing grazing/stabling etc

Sorry for the typos, fat thumbs small keypad

Some people are unfortunately just wankers and should never be allowed to keep any animals.

How would the owner like to be tied up in the sun with no water or food or shade for god knows how long?

I am up North too. Less than 2 hrs from Appleby, it was only about a metre from a road, not seen any signs of caravans /traveller movement yet. Might go home that way and see if its still there.

(wonders if I can hold its lead and drive a car safely home?)

I would suggest that if you are experienced enough to assess the horse's age just from driving past it then you're experienced enough to know that the RSPCA are pretty much useless regarding equine welfare. You're right that tethered horses owned by travellers and fly-grazing are a welfare issue though. You might find that World Horse Welfare or the welfare officer from the nearest branch of the British Horse Society might be a better contact.

If you are on the route to Appleby it could well be a less than ideal but very temporary solution.

Actually I have had a few good experiences with rspca and horses!! Maybe a fluke but assisted 2 inspectors safely catch a flighty pony running loose in our village about 5 years ago, after daily reports of it tied up to a tree so tight its neck was bleeding, another collapsed and distressed in a field near work, met me there in less than half an hour and they took it away.
Just wanted to give some hope to others needing their help some time.

If you're close to appleby it may well be the case they tethered it and will return. Whilst its obviously not ideal it seems a likely scenario. If you are still concerned BHS may be the best point of contact, rspca really are useless regarding horses.
Just want to add too as a pp mentioned another horse tethered with no feed visible that not all horses are hard fed. One of mine lives fine on grass and hay. If i were to feed him hed balloon and be at high risk of getting laminitis.