Horses Headford Road Shocking Conditions

crally

hi I spoke to Valerie Hughes of Galway Bay and she said when she finds out where these horses are she will get feed to them. This CAN be done, why are we not doing something about the starving horses instead of talking about legislation that is not going to get changed in the short term...................?

Cherry Blossom

crally wrote: »

hi I spoke to Valerie Hughes of Galway Bay and she said when she finds out where these horses are she will get feed to them. This CAN be done, why are we not doing something about the starving horses instead of talking about legislation that is not going to get changed in the short term...................?

Because if this were happening in Donegal (after February), the owners of horses like this would get hefty fines and probably 6 months jail, how do you not think this is relevant??? If the bye-laws don't come in to galway you will be back here next Autumn with the same rigmarole all over again!

dvet

crally wrote: »

hi I spoke to Valerie Hughes of Galway Bay and she said when she finds out where these horses are she will get feed to them. This CAN be done, why are we not doing something about the starving horses instead of talking about legislation that is not going to get changed in the short term...................?

I live almost 3 hours away from Galway, and in this weather probably more like 5 hours! But I am still interested in the welfare of these horses, and others like them. If I was close by I would certainly be helping out in any way I could, but in any case I don't see why I couldn't also come online to discuss it.

Discodog

crally wrote: »

hi I spoke to Valerie Hughes of Galway Bay and she said when she finds out where these horses are she will get feed to them. This CAN be done, why are we not doing something about the starving horses instead of talking about legislation that is not going to get changed in the short term...................?

I think that it is a very unfair suggestion that people are not doing something. If Valerie wants to coordinate this then it sounds like a good idea provided that the correct care & precautions are taken. Your enthusiasm is very commendable but there is more to this that just feeding other peoples horses.

So if someone reports what they believe to be a neglected horse Valerie will have to establish if it really is neglected either by assessing it, if she is competent, or getting a Vet. She will also have to determine if it is owned, who by & the landowner.

I am fairly sure that the average well meaning volunteer is not going to know the difference between a winter condition Cobb & a neglected horse. I would not be certain & I have worked with rescue animals for years. The volunteers may need some training.

This is an Ireland wide forum. So the majority of posters will not live near Galway. Of those that do some may help, if they can, but you have to realise that some can't or won't. You don't encourage direct helpers by criticising those that try to help in other ways.

You may be discovering that it is not easy to get volunteers for animal rescue work. Some of us already know this from past experience.

Sec

This may sound like a strange appeal but we need the use of a front loader for a few hours ASAP. We are aware of horses on the Rahoon Road in Galway city (across from Rosan Glas estate and beside the Connaught Linen Building) that are neglected and have had no food for quite a while now. The owners are nowhere to be found and Valerie Hughes from Galway Bay FM has kindly offered bales of hay that she has from the recent appeal for starving horses in the Galway area. The problem is that we need a front loader to get the bales to them. Would anyone be able to help us out voluntarily please?

planetX

Today I passed by a homemade cart on the road being pulled by a tiny little minature pony. Being driven by two young boys, who were lashing the pony with a large whip - it was swerving all over the place in panic, all this in main road traffic at the hardstand. I've already called the guards - can anyone tell me who else I can contact. That pony must be in a bad way, it would be better off starving in a field :mad:

Discodog

Did you manage to get any evidence such as photos ?. You may need to chase this up with the Guards to encourage them to act. Hopefully there may be other witnesses.

You could contact the GSPCA but it is the Guards that have to act.

planetX

Discodog wrote: »

Did you manage to get any evidence such as photos ?. You may need to chase this up with the Guards to encourage them to act. Hopefully there may be other witnesses.

You could contact the GSPCA but it is the Guards that have to act.

no i was driving and they were just reaching the hardstand.
It has to be illegal for children (even little thugs) to be using a junk 'vehicle' on a main road too, the risk to them is horrific. I had a good rant at the guards over that as well. I'm also sick of my life being put at risk as a motorist by the continuous use of horses on this road. But most of all I'd love to get that pony away from them, the size of the poor thing. Nice to see the next generation of sadists is being brought up locally:( It's so upsetting.

Sec

planetX wrote: »

But most of all I'd love to get that pony away from them, the size of the poor thing. Nice to see the next generation of sadists is being brought up locally:( It's so upsetting.

I am so sick of seeing these overweight k######s riding around the city on these makeshift horse drawn carts. Some of the horses are just skin and bones and are forced to endure these savage whippings. They are constantly in the Ballybrit area and racing on the Dual Carriageway. Nice how the guards turn a blind eye, if it was one of us we'd be locked up by now :mad:

Discodog

Then film it, get witness statements (get a friend to go with you), report it to the Guards & make it clear that you will make a formal complaint to the Garda Ombudsman if they do not act.

Or get Galway County Council to make the whole County a Controlled Area. Horses are now being dumped all over the County so it is no longer just a City issue.

robanne

Last evening when I was going home at around 6pm there was a very dispirited looking horse with a red horse blanket left at the front of the dump. He was gone this morning. Does anyone have a number for the Horse pound. It was obvious the blanket was hiding his bad condition. I felt so bad because I couldnt do anything. Did any one else see him?

WHy do they get away with this?

planetX

robanne wrote: »

Last evening when I was going home at around 6pm there was a very dispirited looking horse with a red horse blanket left at the front of the dump. He was gone this morning. Does anyone have a number for the Horse pound. It was obvious the blanket was hiding his bad condition. I felt so bad because I couldnt do anything. Did any one else see him?

WHy do they get away with this?

That horse is from the hard stand, and is regularly raced up and down the main road. No-one will go in there.:(

Wompa1

I think the only way forward is to somehow train the horses to crave traveller meat. It's a shocking state of affairs but it's the way things have been for generations. Anybody who is on benefits and then in turn keeps horses or neglects animals in anyway should have the animals taken off them, get sent to jail and stripped of any further benefits. See how they like starving...miserable pricks

Sec

robanne wrote: »

Last evening when I was going home at around 6pm there was a very dispirited looking horse with a red horse blanket left at the front of the dump. He was gone this morning. Does anyone have a number for the Horse pound. It was obvious the blanket was hiding his bad condition. I felt so bad because I couldnt do anything. Did any one else see him?

WHy do they get away with this?

Robanne, as far as I know there is no horse pound in Galway but you should try these numbers:

- GSPCA 091-563631
- Valerie Hughes from Galway Bay FM 091-770000
- Galway County Council 091-509000
- Department of Agriculture Galway 091-507600

Cherry Blossom

Wompa1 wrote: »

I think the only way forward is to somehow train the horses to crave traveller meat. It's a shocking state of affairs but it's the way things have been for generations. Anybody who is on benefits and then in turn keeps horses or neglects animals in anyway should have the animals taken off them, get sent to jail and stripped of any further benefits. See how they like starving...miserable pricks

I'm on benefits and have 3 rescues, where should I turn myself in? :rolleyes:

robanne

I have seen them beat this horse up and down the road on several occasions. What surprised me though was the fact that it was left on the verge just outside the high wall at the dump....

And with regard to the travellers and how they treat their animals...they did not race them or mistreat them years ago...this road racing is a new hobby that they have and Im sure that if their forefathers saw the way they treat these horses now they would be shocked! Travellers had horses to draw their carts. They should go back to their old ways and be stopped from this mistreatment of horses...the Councils should be outlawing it.

So folks, if and only if you do allow them into your door, ask our new, eager entrants to the Dail what are they going to do about this once and for all!

robanne

Fair play to you! Its people like you who can help so well done!

Keep up the good work!

Cherry Blossom

robanne wrote: »

Fair play to you! Its people like you who can help so well done!

I just don't like comments like the one I replied to that tar everyone with the same brush. The way things have been in the economy the last few years has meant massive job losses countrywide and the equine crisis in this country has closely reflected this. I know a fair few people who have done all they can and made changes to the circumstances they keep their horses in, just so they can keep them and not contribute to the problem. Some would have competed regularly when they could afford it and now working at their yard in exchange for grass livery etc., ect. I'm lucky in that I had the option to move home where I have stables and ample grazing, but really it is not that hard to do! The problems are more obvious where people had far more horses than they could manage in good times as a result of greed but they were easier to offload. The horses that have been the focus of these threads, unfortunately have always been neglected, I've no idea why they are only attracting attention from the general public now. Perhaps this is a good sign and the general population are at last becomming more animal welfare aware.

Cherry Blossom

I hope the people on this thead who were initially involved have not just disappeared off into the mist with the rest of the general population thinking the crisis is all over and patting themselves on the back for such a great job they have done. The initial corncerns that myself and others had from the start about feeding other peoples horses were very real. Are you all going back out to do this all over again next year and every year till you die? The posts I made on the Dunsink thread also very much apply here so please read them. If you disagree and wish to ignore it then fair enough but at least take it on board please.

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