Starving and neglected horses in field but RSPCA haven't come yet!

[chicaguapa]

The end of my dad's garden backs onto a number of paddocks which have 4 horses in them belonging to the same person. We haven't seen anyone around for ages now and the horses have started eating the fence posts; proper bite-sized chunks taken out of them. They have no hay and there's no grass, just mud. The horses are clearly not in a good way.

My dad's clearner, who has horses too, has also been concerned about them and yesterday, between them they decided to phone the RSPCA to get them to come out and do something. Apparently the horses didn't even have the energy to eat the carrots the cleaner tried to feed them.

So after 2 calls yesterday and another today, they still haven't come out. My dad also called the Hampshire police who said they'd refer it onto the local police, but they've done nothing either. He wants to go and get some hay for them to eat, but says it's better for the police to see how they've been left as it will help them prosecute the owners (my dad's ex-police so I guess he has his police head on). So in the meantime, these poor horses are wasting away.

Any advice on what to do next? I can't believe the RSPCA have been happy for these horses to starve for another 24 hrs since they were notified and are continuing to do so.

Can you put a bucket of water in for them?

Have you phoned them yourself? Poor poor horses! Maybe just get as many people as possible to phone the rspca - have heard one too many story about the uselessness of the rspca.

They have water apparently.

Phone a vet and explain the situation.

See if you can find one who can come out and see them. It might be dangerous to feed certain things to starving horses - they may need a specific diet to begin with.

If it's to do with evidence, make a video of the horses, get close up photos, make sure their current conditions are documented.

Maybe they have visited and you just haven't seen them - they would have to try to contact the owner before removing them or anything.

If they definitely haven't come ring the main helpine again explain calmly and thoroughly just how serious their condition is. Perhaps the call handler hasn't put it as a priority.

They get so many calls they can only deal with the most serious - there just isn't enough money to deal with everything. They don't get any govenment funding only from volunteers, supporters & fundraising.

You could also try the local RSPCA branch (rather than the main charity), ring a local vet, other local welfare charities?

Well if they've been, they haven't left any food! But we'd have seen them. They are just across the garden and we can see them from the kitchen window so would have seen if they'd been.

True that maybe we expect too much from the RSPCA, but they are the richest charity in the UK. Apparently.

I;m nearly in tears, please do something more :( phone the local vet, or go and take them some food and coax them to eat. this is horrible.

the sad thing is there is not enough funding about :( thank goodness someone who cares (you!) is doing something. keep it up

Thought I'd just see how rich the RSPCA is - I've heard the rumour before.

It's not the richest in the UK by a long way!
The British Coucil is richest, followed by Nuffield Health and Cancer Research. RSPCA is 32nd on the list.

NSPCC, National Trust, Oxfam, CITB, Red Cross and the Salvation Army are all wealthier than the RSPCA!.

Source : www.charitiesdirect.com

Very interesting.

I am in tears! The RSPCA are useless. The ILPH are much better. Whereabouts are you? My vet does the RSPCA stuff in the North West.

Shit - not RSPCA - I meant ILPH

take some DVD footage or photographs.

call the rspca and tell them that you have left hay for them so that if they do attend and see food they will know it was you not the owners.
ask them to knock at your dads as you have the footage.

but you must feed them

We are going to contact the World Horse Welfare. They have a special number to call.

If you haven't already, try the RSPCA's cruelty line - 0300 1234 999 - you might get a more urgent response than through the ordinary number. Poor horses :( :(

Panic over! The RSPCA have arrived. Apparently the horses are a hardy breed and the fence eating is a habit. The owner arrived too (with hay) and at least knows someone else is watching out for the horses and isn't afraid to report him!

Phew - Still not good though that horses are left in that condition. And fence eating is not a good habit to have. Boredom and hunger can cause it. At least they have food for now.

Hmm, 'fence eating' could be a habit (crib biting) but it is more usual when the horses are stabled - or if they are very bored/hungry/stressed.

If the horses are hardy that doesn't mean that it is okay to let them get thin. If they are hardy and not fed much but maintain weight that is perfectly fine. I have a very hardy little mare that does not need much feeding.

I hope if there were any welfare issues that having the RSPCA called will have given the owner the kick up the backside he/she deserved and they will now be looked after properly.

However (and I am saying this guessing that you are not horsey yourself OP?), in winter many fields are totally muddy mires, and many owners come up late after work to feed them so you won't always see them. It doesn't necessarily mean there are issues unless the horses are very thin. Also another sign that their horses are being neglected rather than just live in a muddy field and have a busy owner is the state of their feet, if they are overgrown, then it is more likely that the other need of the horses are also not being met.

Are they thin?

Could it be that the owner, like me, is feeding hay twice a day and that there will be a period of time where the horses have eaten it? As said above, a lot of us are struggling with fields that are nothing but mud at the moment, but that's just something to be dealt with at this time of year.
Sometimes horses eat wood, not even crib biting, they just do it because they like eating wood.
The fact that they have water would tend to indicate that they are being cared for in some way. And if the RSPCA says they are a "hardy breed" I'm wondering if you need to be worried.
The RSPCA can only remove horses if they have reached a certain level of neglect, and if they have no food or water. If they think the level of care is poor, but not bad enough to remove them, they will advise the owner and keep a watching brief.
In cases of suspected neglect, sadly, don't feed or water them. Your doing this could prevent them being removed.
RSPCA are a bit pants to be honest, WHW or BHS welfare tend to be a bit more use.

p.s. The welfare agencies don't leave food. If food is needed they should take action to remove the animals.

Hi. Thanks for all your comments. The horses aren't thin, just unhappy looking. It sounds like they are just bored rather than starving. I don't think they are being particularly well looked after and my dad's cleaner (who does know about horses, unlike me who knows very little) feels the same way. They used to store their hay in a barn at the back of my dad's but don't anymore, so we were wondering if they had run out! The horses don't get fed very often, but this is apparently because they are hardy and need less food. Maybe this is why they didn't want the carrots? But the owners now know that we are keeping an eye on them and will hopefully care for them well now.

In that case I would keep an eye on them but wouldn't be too concerned. It they are not thin and the field is mud, then they must be getting fed!

A lot of horses will be bored in muddy fields, but they would be no more bored than if they were stabled, probably less so because at least they can move around the field.

Regarding feeding them carrots, they may just not want to take them because they are wary of strangers.

Hopefully this thread and the RSPCA coming has set your mind at rest somewhat.

OK, well some more conventional horse people would say that I don't keep my horses well, because they live out 24/7 in a field and don't come into stables and don't all wear rugs. For many horses and ponies though that is a perfectly good way to keep them, and in fact for some it may be better than stabling them.
Fields get muddy this time of year, and soon they won't be. Horses are fine with that.
One person's interpretation of a "bored" horse is another person's relaxed horse. I've seen that come up time and time again, so I wouldn't worry too much about that either. They don't need the same mental stimulation as say a dog, although of course they can enjoy doing things if they get the chance. I'm just saying that standing about in a field isn't the end of the world. Mine tend to stuff themselves with hay until it's gone, then stand around looking neglected and sleeping it off until I return.
If they aren't thin, then the level of feed they are getting is obviously right for them. In fact, I like mine to get a tiny bit ribby at this time of the year because when the spring grass comes through they will start to bulk up. That's natural as well, horses and ponies should lose weight in winter, we are used to keeping overweight equines in this country. One reason why we have so much trouble with a potentially fatal condition called laminitis.
I wouldn't feed them, a lot of horse owners get really pissed off with this and with good reason. Apart from the fact that it can cause the horses to start mugging and getting nippy, it can cause fights and injuries. Oh, and carrots are full of sugars and I'd lamp anyone caught feeding carrots to my native pony, that is the last thing she needs. I've also had a horse hospitalised with colic after well-meaning neighbours decided to feed a carrier bag of apples over the fence. She nearly died.
No hay in the barn? Could be because of the huge rise in hay thefts this year due to the shortage and the high prices. I have several mates keeping hay in garages and transporting it daily.
So, I think you can relax, it sounds to me as if the RSPCA were tactfully telling you that these horses are fine, and that they don't need the level of care the cleaning lady thinks they do. To be honest, I don't think you should consider that the owner knows you are "keeping an eye" because if the horses have water, and aren't underweight, then there obviously isn't a lot wrong with the way they are being cared for.

Not saying this is you, but an insight into the other side's point of view.
www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=428810&highlight=rspca

Glad my field can't be seen from anywhere, it's about 40% poached and a swamp if it rains and both horse and pony are a bit lean under their rugs - don't want pony, especially, going in to spring with any spare podge though.