A seven-year-old, former racehorse who was left emaciated and tied to a fence at a horse fair in October has been rescued and treated by the ISPCA.
Dash was found and rescued by ISPCA Inspectors at Ballinasloe horse fair in Co Galway in October 2024. He was discovered tied to a fence, in an emaciated condition and covered in sores.
Through his microchip, it was established that Dash was on the racecourse as recently as July and had won over €20,000 in his career.
Further enquiries revealed that he was sold on when he was not racing well.
The horse passed through a number of hands, and it is believed that he was used for trotting.
As his ownership record was not updated, efforts by the ISPCA to establish who had been responsible for his lack of care before his rescue have so far proved unsuccessful.
The ISPCA treated Dash until he was “much better in himself” and is now calling on the Government to review the Equine Identification Regulations and the process around transfer of ownership of horses.
Currently, the responsibility is with the buyer to update ownership and not the seller.
“We would urge all horse-owners to consider the welfare of their horse not only when it is their care but to also think about what might happen if they sell it on, and to do all they can to guarantee the welfare of their horse in the future,” ISPCA chief inspector Conor Dowling said.
The ISPCA believes that “the horse racing industry, and all those involved in it, have a responsibility to the horses involved in racing throughout their lives and should take all steps possible to ensure that horses do not fall through the cracks and end up in a situation like Dash did”.
The ISPCA urged the public to report any suspicions of animal cruelty or neglect to its National Animal Cruelty Helpline by calling 0818 515 515, e-mailing helpline@ispca.ie or report online.
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