Source:  horsesportireland.ie

HORSE Sport Ireland has issued the following statement in response to international coverage of Horse welfare issues in Ireland.

THERE IS AN ISSUE, BUT IT MUST BE PUT IN CONTEXT

"Recent statements that 20,000 horses are abandoned and neglected in Ireland are exaggerated and cannot be substantiated in any way. There are incidents of straying horses in some urban areas and in other pockets in Ireland. A small number of these horses are neglected which is unacceptable but the perception being created abroad that straying horses are all former racehorses or sport horses that have been abandoned due to the economic decline is not accurate.

"The problem of urban and straying horses is a complex societal issue and one that predates the economic boom and subsequent decline. Legislation to deal with this matter of straying horses, namely The Control of Horses Act was introduced in Ireland as early as 1996."

CONTROL OF HORSES ACT

"The Control of Horses Act of 1996 is enforced by Local Authorities in Ireland. Provisional figures show that 1,825 horses were impounded by Local Authorities under this Act in 2010. Over 1,000 of these were seized in Dublin, Cork City or Limerick City. Subsequently, 1,478 of these horses were actually reclaimed by their owner or re-homed.

"Many straying horses have owners as evidenced by the reclaim rate at Local Authority Pounds. However, many of these owners have insufficient knowledge on how to look after horses and consequently this occasionally results in incidents of neglect which is totally unacceptable.

"Our sector regularly produces booklets and information on responsible horse ownership and horse welfare for distribution to our members. However, the challenge is to communicate effectively with horse owners who are not involved in any organised equestrian activities."

REDUCING THE SUPPLY OF HORSES

"Within the Equestrian sector it is important that if horses are being sold at the end of their competitive or breeding career, that they are sold to a reputable source for an alternative use. However, this is not always possible and while nobody likes to see a horse being destroyed, humane destruction/licensed slaughter is often the most responsible way of disposing of an unwanted horse. 

"There is increased recognition of this across the sector including by the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council, which comprises representatives from a number of organisations including veterinary and animal welfare bodies. In 2010, over 7,000 horses were slaughtered in licensed abattoirs in Ireland under official veterinary supervision. This was over double the 2009 number." (See Table 1.1 Below)

Table 1.1 - Horses slaughtered in licensed abattoirs

Year 2008: Number of horses 2,002

Year 2009: Number of horses 3,220

Year 2010: Number of horses 7,009

FOAL NUMBERS

"While the issue of straying horses, particularly in urban areas is a long standing problem, the increase in the production of horses in Ireland has made horses more accessible and reduced their value. However, the number of foals being born in Ireland has declined significantly over the past two years (see Table 1.2 below). Between 2009 and 2010 the number of foals registered fell by almost 25%.

Table 1.2 Foal registration numbers

Year 2008: Thoroughbreds - Weatherby’s 12,419. Non-Thoroughbred Horse Sport Ireland 10,424

Year 2009: Thoroughbreds - Weatherby’s 10,100. Non-Thoroughbred Horse Sport Ireland 9,142

Year 2010: Thoroughbreds - Weatherby’s 7,588. Non-Thoroughbred Horse Sport Ireland 7,004 (to date)

TRACEABILITY

"The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have an outstanding traceability system in place for cattle, sheep and pigs. If a similar traceability system was introduced for horses it would mean that owners could be held to account for the condition of their animals."

 
CONCLUDING STATEMENT BY HORSE SPORT IRELAND CHAIRMAN JOE WALSH

“While everybody in the sector is very conscious of the need for responsible horse ownership, the way this situation is being presented by some individuals and groups is overstated and unbalanced. While there are incidences of straying and neglected horses which is totally unacceptable, this is a complex societal problem which pre-dates the economic boom. Love of the horse is a deep rooted tradition in Ireland and the vast majority of horses in Ireland are very well cared for by their owners,” he said.