After the publication of Mark Evers’ article “The sad plight of Ireland’s abandoned horses”, which we posted and translated on our site, several people asked for more information and to know what it could be done to help these horses.
Helen Whitelegg, our contact in England, explains us what is happening in Ireland and, more in general, in the United Kingdom.


The tragedy of abandoned horses in Ireland
The economic crisis facing the Republic of Ireland is monumental. Amongst the many casualties of the financial collapse are thousands of horses that have been left to fend for themselves all across the country, abandoned by their owners and struggling to cope with one of the harshest winters on record. Figures suggest that around 20,000 equines are roaming freely, creating a welfare crisis on an unprecedented scale.
Horses are a cultural tradition in Ireland and there are more horses per head of population in the Irish Republic than in any other European country. During the recent boom years, horse ownership and breeding exploded and an active national and international equine market meant that most horses could be sold for good money. Now that time is over, and what remains is a country overwhelmed with horses that cannot be cared for or sold. In addition to the economic troubles, rising feed and forage prices are squeezing the finances of every horse owner and make it even harder to make ends meet. An owner who cannot care for their horse or find it an alternative home has one responsible option remaining; to prevent the suffering of their equine by having it humanely put to sleep. Unfortunately, euthanasia is still an expense, usually costing around 300 euros, and tragically many Irish owners are making the cheaper but far crueller choice to abandon their horses instead.

There is unlikely to be a happy ending for the vast majority of the horses wandering the fields and streets of Ireland. Equine welfare organisations are doing what they can to help, though they themselves are feeling the effects of reduced income, rising costs and an increase in welfare cases. The sheer numbers of horses in need of help make it impossible to secure a positive future for more than a handful of the 20,000 unwanted horses. Charities like the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are spending large quantities of time and money on distributing hay to the large herds of abandoned horses around the city. But even if the horses can be fed and watered through the winter, there are no homes waiting for them in the foreseeable future and little or no space in sanctuaries. Welfare professionals are reluctantly calling for a major cull as the only way of dealing with these feral equines, though even that will be a huge financial and logistical challenge, as well as a heart breaking experience for the people involved.

It is hoped that the one positive outcome of the enormous equine tragedy in Ireland may be that lessons are learnt to prevent such disturbing situations arising in the future in that or any other country. In particular, the horse owning world needs to re-evaluate the approach to breeding which has allowed other countries as well as Ireland to become saturated with more equines than can ever be responsibly homed and which creates the constant stream of welfare problems that charities are try and cope with on a daily basis. The devaluation of horses does not encourage positive welfare. If someone can buy a pony for 30 euros, what does that suggest about the value of the life of that pony? It does not correlate with the significant input of time and money required to provide even basic care for the individual. People must be aware of what is involved in caring for an equine before they commit to owning one. Their responsibilities include having a plan in place for hard times and recognizing that if meeting the needs of their horse becomes impossible and an alternative home cannot be found, euthanasia is a humane, legitimate option; cruelty, neglect and abandonment are not.

Many equine welfare organisations are working tirelessly to help the abandoned horses in Ireland and lobby the Irish government for action to help horses more effectively in the future. For more information and details on how you can help to support them in this crisis, the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals can be found at www.dspca.ie and the Irish Horse Welfare Trust is at www.ihwt.ie.