THE REGULATION of horse fairs and markets, control of indiscriminate horse production and humane disposal of unwanted horses are key recommendations in a major report on equine welfare in Ireland.
The three-year study by University College Dublin, Challenges and Solutions to support Good Equine Welfare Practice in Ireland, found horse production had outstripped demand in all sectors.
“This coupled with the recent economic downturn, is one factor contributing to the escalation of the equine welfare problem,” said the report which will be published today.
It said the industry, which it valued at more than €1.5 billion, which includes the thoroughbred and the sport horse sector, should take the lead in addressing problems and funding solutions.
“Government should facilitate and responsible welfare charities should guide,” said the report which found that Ireland has the highest density of sport horses per thousand people, (27.5), in Europe.
The economic downturn, it said, had a dramatic impact on the industry with consequences for horse owners, breeders, trainers, animal welfare charities and other stakeholders. It recommends that a comprehensive identification system for horses be introduced and maintained, including registration, and transfer, of ownership.
Better enforcement of horse identification was needed at critical control points such as horse fairs and at points of export/import, it said.
The report found that the conditions at unregulated fairs and markets failed to support basic requirements of equine welfare such as the provision of feed and a supply of clean water, and called for a welfare code of practice.
“The Traveller community has a highly significant horse culture. There was an initial perception among other industry sectors that a high proportion of horse welfare problems were associated with this sector,” said the report. “While, for example, unregulated fairs may be synonymous with Traveller culture, adverse welfare is not confined to any one sector.”
It said work with event organisers, including Spancil Hill fair, had already resulted in work on a voluntary code of practice to cover welfare, and this needed to be expanded to other events. “These gatherings are major tourist attractions. Some of the funds raised could be used to provide better facilities for horse care and better stewarding to manage horses at the event.”
It said education was critical if horses were to be protected, and that across all sectors there should be a focus on the importance of taking responsibility for horse welfare and responsible horse ownership. It recommended outreach eduction programmes on horse identification and husbandry clinics for groups including Travellers.
It said improved communications and understanding between Travellers and the settled communities was essential to achieving progress in developing best welfare practice.
The report found that during the Celtic Tiger years, the number of thoroughbred (TB) horses registered in Ireland had risen from just over 36,000 in 2002 to 45,937 in 2007 but this dropped back to 40,927 last year.
The value of the TB industry to the economy was in excess of €1.1 billion per annum. In addition, 80,000 people attended race meetings in 2008 and generated €260 million for local economies. While it was more difficult to value the sport horse industry, a 2007 report had placed it at €400 million.
The report was compiled by a multidisciplinary research team from the UCD School of Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Medicine and the UCD Geary Institute based on stakeholder groups in government, industry and animal welfare sectors.
Its authors are Dr Joe Collins, Dr Vivienne Duggan, Dr Alison Hanlon, Prof Simon Moore and Prof Patrick Wall.
Abuse ‘seen as accepted practice’
THE AUTHORS of the report visited 14 horse fairs and markets in Ireland on 30 occasions over the three-year period, and identified a number of welfare issues.
They found that: “Access of horses to sufficient and appropriate water, feed and shelter appeared unduly compromised.” The authors also found thin horses as well as obese ponies.
“Horses were routinely exposed to stressful situations. For example, grouping with unfamiliar cohorts – mixing colts with fillies – and the practice of weaning foals abruptly at autumn fairs,” the report said.
“Direct physical abuse of horses was occasionally observed, but was considered to be a result of traditional accepted practices among certain groups, such as the Traveller community rather than active malice,” said the report.
“It is notable amongst men from these groups that they habitually carry sticks which are on sale at fairs, and which they use to hit and prod passing horses,” it said.
“Male children appear to adopt this practice as ‘normal’; there is little censure of this practice currently within the Traveller community and a strong disregard for the views of the ‘settled community’.”
It said the potential for the transmission of disease at these events was identified – exacerbated by a lack of consistent enforcement of identification legislation.
It also said “flashing” or racing young horses up and down the roads, with no regard to their joints, was commonplace. These events, it said, were considered to be of high value culturally, socially and economically.
It recommended a Code of Practice for horse welfare to be implemented at all such venues.
Case study: neglect of horses
A CASE study of one of the worst cases of neglect of horses in 2009, which involved up to 100 animals, was included in the report to show the difficulty with current legislation to deal with problems.
Although the farm was visited 15 times between February 2007 and December 2009, and warnings issued, conditions continued to deteriorate.
The operator threatened to move the horses from the State to the UK when warnings were issued, and the free movement of horses between here and the UK except for slaughter would have allowed this.
The horses were in poor condition, toxic ragwort was growing on the farm, animals had inflammatory lesions and wounds, parasitic infestations, and there were lame horses with overgrown, cracked and misshapen hooves.
The inspectors found abandoned carcases in varying stages of decay, sometimes contaminating watercourses on the land and with ready access to farm dogs. The land was grazed bare.
The issue was eventually resolved when the Department of Agriculture used new powers given by Statutory Instrument No 14 2008 for the first time to seize the animals in December 2009.
Traditionally horses are categorised as sport/leisure and not a farm animal, and horse welfare was governed by the Protection of Animals Act 1911.
The report recommended the use of the 2008 statutory instrument much more extensively and that it become a key legal instrument to safeguard the welfare of horses until safeguards are built into the new Animal Health and Welfare Bill.
It said there was a lack of coherence between industry and Government, and responsibility for enforcing standards of welfare was spread across many agencies and bodies.