INAG for Equines

EVA Case in Staffordshire

2010-08-05T16:33:00.000+01:00

EVA, a highly contagious viral infection that causes a high rate of abortion among pregnant mares discovered in a stallion in Staffordshire. The disease causes damage to a horse's arteries and is transmitted through the respiratory tract, or via semen from an infected stallion.

Equine Viral Arteritis has a wide range of signs — including fever, conjunctivitis, swelling of the lower legs, but is most dangerous to in-foal mares. There is no treatment yet available for the disease.

http://www.aht.org.uk/icc/Interim_Report1_Aug10.html

Never Mind the Sex Pistols - Here's the Bollocks!

2010-07-23T13:41:00.000+01:00

BRT Horse Transport International Limited is off the road after it's director and transport manager, Chris Muir, was stripped of his operator's licence.

Christopher Muir was interviewed by the Vehicle Operator Standards Agency (VOSA) in June last year for failing to use a tachograph on one of his vehicles.

Mr Muir replied "Bollocks to EU rules" when Transport Commissioner Ms Sarah Bell asked him "perfectly reasonable question" at interview under caution. Her reply was that his response "sums up his approach to compliance" and subsequently banned him from acting as a transport manager for any company on 7 June 2010

Ms Bell said 'Those passionate about their animals are entitled to have their horses transported safely and lawfully. Mr Muir and BRT have failed to meet the requirements — this licence must be revoked."

In a written decision following the public inquiry in May, Ms Bell ruled that Christopher Muir, director of Hungerford, Berks-based BRT Horse Transport International, could not be nominated as transport manager in any traffic area from 30 July. This decision also therefore affects J&B Horse Transport, being set up by Jane I'Anson, with Mr Muir as transport manager. Ms Bell said Mrs I'Anson must find another person to take that role. The BRT premises in Hungerford are also the registered UK offices of Ireland-based transport company Doran Equine International.

Mr Muir has been hauled before the traffic commissioner before for unsatisfactory maintenance of his lorries - another document compiled by a VOSA vehicle examiner found that many preventive maintenance inspection sheets for company vehicles did not show brake tests and/or tyre tread depths.

"The reports of the vehicle examiner and traffic examiner taken separately and together demonstrate a blatant disregard for the operator licensing regime," Ms Bell said, and added that the findings of the VOSA officers made "unedifying reading" .

Mr Muir was a transporter regularly used by one of the UK based French 'Rescue' forums which imported horses from France that were destined for slaughter. On one of his trips to collect said equines some were on board his lorry for a total of 45 hours continuously without being unloaded and rested, showing a blatant disregard for the welfare of the horses in his charge and EU regulations regarding their transport.

Here are extracts of the blog that appeared on the rescue forum detailing all the collections and the traveling hours, with no mention of stopping to unload and rest the horses until their eventual arrival in the UK.

"arrived in Caen 9.30pm with 2 driver drove through the night to reach for 8am in the morning !!!" on our way by 1pm then another 4 hours journey down to collect from the middle of nowhere !!!

Horses on truck for 6 hours so far...

"another 4 hours drive to pick up , by 10.30 on the road again 6 hours driving to collect !!! arrived at 4.35 in the morning"

Horses on truck for 16.35 hours so far...

", away again on another long journey up north, stopped for something to eat and drink for all of us horses hay water & doors open and ourselves !!!! off we go again !!!

"driving all day for the last three pick ups which were 4 hours apart as well as the drive up to the north which was about 8.5 hours"

Horses on truck for 30 hours so far...

its very exhausting for the drivers but at every stop all the horses were happy & contented, our last collection was at where the horses were all watered & fed again. Then another 2 hour drive back to the ferry port at Caen, where we had a 2.hour wait to be loaded on the ferry.

Horses on truck for 34.20 hours so far...

"We left Caen at 11pm last night and got off the ferry at 7am this morning on the way out all the horse lorry.s were calledinto customs which wasted another 1 hours !!!! then on the road again to the yard by 9.20am all were in there boxes at the yard with hay & water all happy & content and travelled well. "

Horses on truck for 44.40 hours so far

"For the next couple of hours they had some R&R while the lorries were cleaned out and all hayed up & ready to go out to take the horses to there new expectant families !!! 2 lorries left at 11.30 i north & 1 south "

Only TWO hours rest before they continued on the lorry again, some going as far as Scotland.

The majority of these horses were not eligible for traveling under the TPA, so should have held health certificates for fitness to travel and only endured a maximum journey time of 12 hours travel, with twelve hours rest OFF the lorry. Any horses eligible to travel the full 24 hours MUST come off and be rested for another 24 hours before they are allowed to travel again. Clearly these regulations were ignored, as were those governing driver hours. Bollocks indeed!

INAG for Equines sincerely hope that the publicity Mr Muir's case has attracted will go some way towards highlighting the desperate welfare need for more stringent checks on every horse transporter at both UK port entry and exit - heaven forbid that journeys such as this are actually the norm thanks to the current lack of checks made!

There are some that know the price of everything and yet the value of nothing

2010-07-22T13:43:00.000+01:00

During routine monitoring of the French ‘rescue’ forums in France, Equine Rescue France saw to their dismay a racehorse from the UK, Corran Ard, at risk of going for meat. The nine-year-old gelding had been ridden by champion jockey Ryan Moore during his 21-race career, under the tutelage of Welsh trainer Evan Williams, amassing earnings of over £40,000 over his career.

However, within weeks of finishing his racing career in March 2010, Corran Ard was discovered being lined up for slaughter on the website of French rescue website Vivelvie. On checking his details on the Racing Post site, ERF discovered that his last run, on the 26th of March this year, was less than a month before his arrival on the site on the 20th of April.

The gelding, who had won twice in the hands of champion jockey Ryan Moore, had been moved to the Cowbridge stables of Mr Williams’ neighbour Tim Vaughan when Corran Ard's career ended at Wolverhampton in March after he suffered a serious tendon injury

Tim Vaughan, was promptly contacted and a series of emails ensued between ERF and the trainer’s assistant Mark Gichero, who assured them he was doing what he could to find out why the horse had ended up there. Mr Gichero said: 'It’s an absolute mystery. Corran Ard had a bad tendon injury and was given to a friend who passed it on to someone else. It seems the horse was then sold to go to France, but we have no idea who did that.'

Mr Vaughan, who has trained 34 winners this new jumps season, said: “I was shocked and horrified when I got an e-mail telling me that Corran Ard was on this website, and I asked Mark to do something about it immediately. We’d been under an illusion that the horse had gone to a good home in Newmarket.”

Neither Mr Vaughan nor Mr Gichero could explain how Corran Ard had ended up in France or on the Vivelvie website although Mr Vaughan believed he had gone to a good home in Newmarket for his retirement.

Suddenly, on the 27th of April, Corran Ard was taken off the Vivelvie website as 'no longer available'. ERF then received an email from Mark Gichero saying that he had been in touch with his contacts in France who had assured him the horse would be found a home via them.

In the interim, after doing more research, ERF found other UK ex racers on Vivelvie from the same region of the UK and they alerted the British Horseracing Authority to the fact, who have passed the details to their investigations team.

On the 15th of June Corran Ard reappeared on the Vivelvie website - only now at a lower price and 'in imminent danger of going to the abattoir'!

ERF decided there was no time to waste in order to not only ensure that the horse was given every chance of a future, but also highlight the fact that this cross channel trade in unwanted UK horses and ponies to French dealing/meat yards is a flourishing trade and thus they contacted the newspapers in the UK to highlight that fact to the public.

When the press contacted Mark Gichero, he was understandably horrified that the horse had resurfaced back in the same place and he contacted ERF to ask how he could help Corran Ard, generously funding his 'purchase price' and transport costs from Vivelvie. Corran Ard was collected on Monday 28th of June by ERF and now has his future secured with them.

Mr Williams, who has trained 350 winners in the past five years from his stables in the Vale of Glamorgan, said 'This is a very sad story, and I’m more than angry about it. Corran Ard was sold for £5,000 in July 2009, and he’s ended up in France, apparently going for meat. I’m bitterly upset. He should have been shown more respect. He was thrown on the scrapheap. Corran Ard was my first winner on the flat. He was a smashing horse, and a great servant for us. Every horse in training should have to go through a reputable sales ring for a minimum price to prevent it ending up in the meat market. It’s fundamentally wrong for any horse to end up in that situation. There are people in our sport who should not be in it. They are distasteful characters. It’s a big problem, and it’s time people at the top did something about it. Our horses are not be respected in the way they deserve, and it makes my blood boil. I feel absolutely helpless.'

Jenny Lupton from ERF said 'Corran Ard is a beautiful, sensitive horse who was obviously shell-shocked at the immediate change in his circumstances - going from 5* treatment in a racing yard to being on the meat trail must have been bewildering and terrifying for him. He will take some careful rehabilitation, he has been neglected to the extent that he was still wearing his racing plates when we collected him, over three months after his last race. Luckily, the attention being lavished on him was quickly accepted as his due, and the spark is back in his eye. The physical recovery will sadly take much longer. He’ll be thoroughly examined by a vet and wormed, and will have his feet and teeth done. We’ll then let him recuperate and, once he’s well, we’ll re-home him.'

You can read the Newspaper story in Wales Online - http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/columnists/2010/06/30/champion-racehorse-saved-from-slaughter-91466-26753780/ and follow the Equine Rescue France blog here - http://equinerescuefrance.wordpress.com/

For reasons best known to themselves, discussion of this topic has been banned on the Horse and Hound Forum - despite the fact that this is a story that has traveled the world - therefore we would love to hear from anyone who has any information they feel could be helpful regarding the exportation of live horses to slaughter in Europe.

Has anything changed?

2010-05-31T20:43:00.000+01:00

Further to my post of Friday February 5, not much seems to have changed for the better in Ireland.

Following the report of 'Horses found dead on abandoned golf course' in the Irish Independent in January, this report appeared in April.

DEAD HORSES ROTTING IN DUBLIN FIELD

In the North West, the situation is just as bad, with ten horses reported abandoned in two weeks.

TEN HORSES ABANDONED IN A FORTNIGHT

And what of this situation? Horses again being let down.

FACEBOOK PAGE

The frustration felt by this group is palpable - and this blogger hopes to get some answers from the authorities on this case very soon.

A more joined-up, cohesive approach is clearly needed.
I hope the next blog from this part of the country is more positive.

Welcome to the UK - May I see your passport Sir? Do you have a dog or a cat with you?

2010-03-18T12:50:00.000Z

In the light of the recent outbreak of Equine Infectious Anemia we put the following questions to Jim Fitzpatrick, Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs. The answers were given by the Member of Parliament for the writer's constituency.

Q1 Were the horses Coggins tested prior to export from Romania? Were the results negative? Were the horses actually destined for slaughter?
A. The horses were documented as having been Coggins tested with negative results prior to leaving Rumania. The accompanying documentation indicated the horses were destined for breeding.

Q2 What percentage of horse transportation coming into UK is stopped for paperwork checks to see if the horses carried correspond with that paperwork? How do these figures compare with data held for the years 2000-09?
A. Currently no horses from EU countries are checked at ports unless we have identified a specific risk. Prior to 2008 a small number of random checks were carried out at Dover only.

Q3 What percentage of horses imported have follow up visits (such as the one resulted in finding infected horses in Wiltshire in January) again how do these figures compare against data held for 2000-09?
A. In the last three months of 2009, 114 consignments from a total of 542 were checked (21%) All consignments known to originate in Romania are checked. Earlier data not available for comparison.

Q4. Are there sufficient staff available at ports to carry out these checks ie is it possible that illegal horses are being imported into the UK?
A. There is no policy to carry out checks at ports. There is a programme of checks at the final destination to test compliance with the import rules. It was through this programme these horses were identified.

In the light that there are checks made at only ONE port of entry into the UK - and only then if the authorities are aware that a particular consignment of horses could carry a specific risk to the UK's equine population, please sign the Petition to tighten the Tripartite Agreement and encourage your friends to do so.

We MUST make it more difficult to bring horses into UK, horses that may be carrying diseases which could cause considerable damage to our UK horse population and our sporting and breeding programmes.

We at INAG are requesting that the Government makes the following amendments to the TPA:-

a) Only Racing, Breeding or Competition horses are covered by the TPA.
b) Instigate mandatory health checks on all other horses imported to the UK.

Given the measures the FEI undertake to protect our competition horses from infection (and the risks of importing and passing on diseases) each time our riders compete abroad, it is now time that these gaping security holes regarding the importation of horses are plugged and the UK horse population doesn't continue to be put at risk - whether by those who could willfully flout regulations, or by indifference of the authorities.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/TPAchanges/

Contagious Equine Metritis

2010-03-08T17:31:00.000Z

Contagious Equine Metritis has been found in a five year old breeding stallion in Devon during routine tests prior to the mating season. The stallion originates from another EU country.

http://www.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=9010

BREAKING NEWS

2010-02-11T19:47:00.001Z

Written Dec 54/2009 has reached the threshold in the European Parliament, and is adopted. A total of 405 MEPs had signed by todays deadline - lets hope this is the start of ending the cruel long journeys endured by so many horses heading to European abattoirs!

Thank you to everyone who emailed MEP's

Answers needed in Ireland?

2010-02-05T22:25:00.000Z

Horses found starved to Death on Golf course

Irish Economic Downturn Impacts on Animals

ISPCA Reports Unprecedented Numbers of Calls About Horses

Smithfield Horse Market

Dead TBs discovered in Co Armagh

Abandoned and Dying Horses

CROSSKENNAN LANE Press release

CROSSKENNAN LANE Video

Lots of links, lots of shocking stories.

Dead horses, abandoned horses, neglected horses - we all have an image in our head of the animal abuser, but it isn’t always a shady man in a flat cap, waving a stick or counting his money while his creatures starve.

Ignorance, poverty, illness and old age are also factors in neglect, abandonment and death of horses and livestock in modern Ireland.
The boom time is over, the bust is here and some inexperienced and even experienced horsemen and women bit off more than they can chew and are running out of money and options.

It is fact that sales rings and markets are seeing every increasing numbers of horses being left behind when they do not sell.
Sanctuaries are overwhelmed and only a small number of specialist centres have the knowledge and resources to help.
And when dogs and cats are being kicked to the kerb in the financial crisis, large, expensive animals like horses are going to suffer even more.

Still in Ireland, there is a culture which sees men and women, often alone, farming and keeping animals into their twilight years, often without assistance from family members.
Add conditions like dementia into the mix and you have a ticking time bomb of elderly landowners without the money and resources to cope with a large number of animals.
Sons, daughters and well meaning friends and neighbours are often driven away through pride or paranoia – “they’re after my land, my house!” - while animals go without food and water and buildings crumble.

In Northern Ireland, DARD – the Department of Agriculture and Regional Development, are compelled to carry out farm visits at least once a year. Veterinary inspectors are expected to check fields, sheds and the livestock themselves.
Certain clusters of animal cruelty and neglect cases have flagged up concern – piles of dead and emaciated animals do not appear overnight – who is looking out for them?
Indeed, who is looking out for these older landowners and who has the teeth to be able to take them aside and offer to reduce herd numbers or relieve them from responsibility altogether?

All too often it is the USPCA – the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who are in the headlines, going into these farms and smallholdings, exposing what has been going on and ‘saving the day’ – when essentially the organisation has very little power to do anything at all.
Convictions concerning large animals are few and far between and when horses and cattle are dead, they are dead.
This blogger had occasion to call upon that organisation over an emaciated stallion, but as the horse had water and was in a field with grass, no action was ever forthcoming and this older man – who is not approachable at the best of times - continues to buy and sell horses in shocking conditions.
When we can’t even assist our elderly and the struggling, how can we assist their animals?
Who is going to take the lead on educating people on how to properly look after their horses?

EIA in Belgian Yard Linked to UK Outbreak

2010-02-03T12:08:00.000Z

http://www.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=8917

This outbreak was detected following an investigation launched on 20 January 2010 after the United Kingdom reported having confirmed the disease in two horses of a consignment coming from Romania via Belgium.

On 21 October 2010, 18 horses arrived from Romania at a dealer’s establishment at Drongen.

On 22 December 2010, nine of these horses were sent to the United Kingdom, where the disease was diagnosed.

The investigation revealed that the other nine horses were sold mid-November to the same person at Assebroek. This person sold then one horse to his brother at Meetkerke. Movement controls are applied in the farms where the horses are kept at Drongen, Assebroek and Meetkerke; no movement of horses is permitted to or from these facilities.

All horses having been in contact with the horses from Romania are being traced, movement controls will be applied in the farms and the animals will be tested for the disease.
The positive animal will be culled.

Deadline fast approaching for MEP’s to sign….

2010-02-01T14:46:00.000Z

January 31, 2010 by Equine Rescue France

There are now just 11 days left until the extended deadline (Feb 11th) for MEP’s to sign Written Declaration 54/2009, calling for a review of the legislation governing the long distance transport of horses to slaughter.

Please take a look at the list below to see how supportive MEP’s have been in your country;

France 20 signatures 28% of MEPs have signed
Slovenia 6 signatures 85% of MEPs have signed
UK 61 signatures 85% of MEPs have signed
Finland 9 signatures 69% of MEPs have signed
Sweden 12 signatures 67% of MEPs have signed
Czech Republic 12 signatures 55% of MEPs have signed
Denmark 7 signatures 53% of MEPs have signed
Belgium 11 signatures 50% of MEPs have signed
Cyprus 3 signatures 50% of MEPs have signed
Lithuania 6 signatures 50% of MEPs have signed
Luxembourg 3 signatures 50% of MEPs have signed
Poland 23 signatures 46% of MEPs have signed
Netherlands 10 signatures 40% of MEPs have signed
Italy 28 signatures 39% of MEPs have signed
Latvia 3 signatures 38% of MEPs have signed
Romania 11 signatures 38% of MEPs have signed
Austria 6 signatures 35% of MEPs have signed
Greece 7 signatures 32% of MEPs have signed
Ireland 3 signatures 25% of MEPs have signed
Malta 1 signatures 20% of MEPs have signed
Germany 19 signatures 19% of MEPs have signed
Estonia 1 signatures 17% of MEPs have signed
Slovakia 2 signatures 15% of MEPs have signed
Hungary 3 signatures 14% of MEPs have signed
Portugal 3 signatures 14% of MEPs have signed
Spain 4 signatures 8% of MEPs have signed
Bulgaria 1 signature 6% of MEPs have signed

http://whichmeps.wordpress.com/

Petition for Amendment to the Tripartite Agreement

2010-01-26T14:07:00.000Z

The Tripartite Agreement which allows free movement of horses between the UK, France and Ireland was originally set up to make the movement of competition and breeding horses between the two counties easier.

The following categories of horse were included under this umbrella:

1. Wetherbys passported (to cover breeding & racing)
2. FEI passported (to cover competition horses)
3. Breed Society passported (to cover breeding stock)

In the era of it’s conception, the TPA could be monitored efficiently due to the limited number of relevant horses. The vehicle capability was poor by today’s standards, and cross channel travel was slow, laborious, and expensive and therefore unprofitable for unscrupulous dealers or those at the lower end of the market. However we are now in an era where cross channel travel is fast, and efficient, thus it has become far more cost effective. It has never been so easy to transport a horse from other European countries and potentially abusing the TPA by going via France over to the UK - and the huge increase in horse movement renders it virtually impossible to police effectively.

We have some thoughts on the possible changes that may be effective without ostracising the major sporting and breeding industries on our website.

The current outbreak of EIA might have been contained - it might not.

We believe that whether EIA is restricted to these two horses in one area or becomes a UK wide disaster for horse owners, is very much dependant on how DEFRA handle this from now on. We owe it to our horses to do everything in out power to force DEFRA to overhaul their system and prevent a repeat of the foot and mouth debacle.

Please show your support by signing this petition requesting changes to the TPA -

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/TPAchanges/

Horse Industry on Red Alert

2010-01-19T21:06:00.000Z

News has just broken that two horses have been humanely destroyed in Wiltshire due to them carrying the deadly Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA) — often termed "swamp fever". Even if an infected horse never displays the signs of the disease, it will always carry it. Most positive horses remain clinically normal, but are infectious to other horses for life as they are incapable of clearing the infection from their body. Any horse known to carry the disease HAS to be humanely destroyed. This is not only for the welfare of the infected horse but also to protect other horses from infection. The virus is transmitted by blood biting insects, therefore the risk of spread is high during warm weather. It occurs typically in low-lying swampy areas (hence the layman’s term “Swamp Fever”) that serve as an ideal habitat for biting insects such as mosquitos and midges.

The two horses found to be carrying the disease arrived in the UK before Christmas as part of a group of ten imports, nine from Romania where EIA is prevalent. The other seven horses tested negative. The tenth horse imported from Belgium is due to be tested shortly.

The yard where the outbreak has been reported is now isolated and DEFRA is currently working to find out movements of other horses through this yard. They are hopeful, due to the recent cold snap, that they have managed to contain the virus.

Most horses being imported from Romania are horses which bin end dealers have purchased extremely cheaply, often from the abattoir, to sell on for a profit to unsuspecting buyers. These dealers neither seem to realise nor care about the impact importing untested horses may have on the UK herd.

That is, until now, when the effect is directly on their pocket, and their future business.

Some questions need to be asked about the shipment of these horses. In order to comply with DEFRA regulations, horses being imported from Romania must have a Coggins Test* done. A negative result on a blood sample allows the horse to travel within 30 days, and the transporters must carry the appropriate paperwork with the passports. Had this happened with these horses, EIA would have been picked up and the horses refused entry to the UK.

It begs the question once more, WHY are there not sufficient checks at the ports to prevent this happening? This needs to be a major wake-up call to those who supposedly police the movement of horses from abroad.

*Coggins Test checks for EIA antibodies in the blood. Samples must be taken and analysed at an approved veterinary practice. Named after Dr Leroy Coggins who developed the test in the 1970s.

“History is a better guide than good intentions”, Jeane J. Kirkpatrick (American Diplomat, b.1926)

2010-01-18T15:22:00.000Z

Ilex came into the UK in 2008 via a UK forum that specialises in 'rescuing' horses from the abattoir. Her new owner was told that she had mud fever, however shortly after her arrival it was diagnosed as a granulated tumour (and sadly, probably the reason why she was destined for the abattoir in the first place).

Ilex was loaned out by her owner in early 2009 and she subsequently was passed on to a new owner for a token sum. Unfortunately, Ilex's condition degenerated to the point where it was recommended that she be humanely destroyed and her owner organised for a local slaughterer to come and collect her...

Which should be where the story ends, rather than continuing as though being written by Lemony Snicket - and I can assure you dear reader that he has had no hand the recording of the following sickening events...

The slaughterman was paid to collect Ilex and take her back to his premises where he was supposed to deliver the final coup de grace and then organise her crematation. However, Ilex was apparently sold on by him to a dealer - who if the story is to be believed, intended to ship Ilex to the continent for human consumption - the very fate that was she was 'rescued' from in France!

However....

Another dealer visited this dealer and being in the business of 'rescuing' meat horses from France, recognised Ilex.

A deal was made between the two, and Ilex again finds herself being an Urgent Case on a UK rescue site where donations are requested and made in order to 'secure her future'.

INAG understants that Ilex is now at the home of the Dealer/Rescuer, but if Ilex's tumour really is having such a profound effect on her quality of life that euthenasia has already been recommended, this may well have to wait until it is determined by law who is her legal owner.

INAG predicts that the fallout from this one case we have highlighted will have far reaching consequences for many and to quote Lemony Snicket - 'If you are interested in stories with happy endings you would be better off reading some other book.' Sadly, the one who should have had the happiest ending - Ilex - is still suffering and her owner is devastated at the situation!

Perhaps on reflection, Albert Camus actually sums this whole crazy situation better - 'The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding.' Because yet again, we are witnessing the suffering of a horse through the ignorance and 'good intentions' surrounding French Rescue!

INAG will be following Ilex's outcome with interest!

URGENT DEADLINE 21st JANUARY 2010

2010-01-14T21:47:00.000Z

100,000 horses are transported across Europe for slaughter every year. Horses can be slaughtered at source and transported as carcasses, thus there is no reason for live transport to continue. In France alone there are 111 abattoirs approved to slaughter horses. Thus is makes no humane or economic sense to continue with live transport.

Please contact your MEPs before the 21st January to ask them to sign the Written Declaration 54/2009.

If more than half of all MEPs sign this before 21st January 2010, we will be one step closer to ending these brutal and unnecessary journeys.

If less than half of the MEPs support the Declaration it will fail, weakening the case for new laws ending the long-distance transportation of horses to slaughter in the European Union.

Please take a few minutes to write to your MEPs so we can end these needless long haul journeys of horses to slaughter.

To find your MEP in Europe, go to this LINK, click on your country and then your region.

MEP letter French

MEP letter UK

Your efforts could make the difference that changes the future for these horses.

We are in danger of losing something very important!

2009-11-30T19:09:00.000Z

EMW are feeling the crunch this winter, and those behind it are very much at the end of their tether.

Not only do they do a really good job with their sanctuaries, they are also far too valuable a welfare resource to lose. They are the ones staying on at the markets to watch the loading
(when you see the horror parts) when all the big charities have gone home, they are the ones with copies of the regulations in hand to try and force the market and the dealers to have a duty of car to the horses an ponies being trucked round the sales.

They are a massive source of information that will help change regulations for the better, and are instrumental in helping ensure that basic welfare needs are met at markets for these poor, unwanted animals.

The horse world CANNOT afford to lose them, if everyone chucked a tenner into the EMW pot, we can help them carry on.

Here's the website address, the donation button is on the top right hand side.

www.emwuk.org.uk

Rescue or Rip Off Revisited

2009-11-13T07:39:00.000Z

....Or would the title 'Buy One Get Two Free' actually be more apt?

Currently, the cost of 'rescuing' a horse from France does not seem to be being affected by the Credit Crunch in the UK or La Crise in France in that the prices of the horses requiring 'rescue' are not only healthy, but actually seem to be on the 'up'.

Sadly, the same cannot be said of the recent prices for ponies at two UK auction marts - Beaulieu Road and Brecon - where ponies were entering the ring in bunches of 3/4/5/6 at a time. The bunch each time went for a maximum of 18gns, making an average price per pony 3gns - thats £3.15 - yes, that price is correct!

At Beaulieu Road one INAG reporter came home with 3 very nicely bred pony colts for the minimum bid per head and came home with change from £50 including £7 per pony for updating the passport!

Whilst this state of affairs is worrying enough, the next auction at Beaulieu Road states that there will be NO MINIMUM BIDS for their next sale on 26 November - http://www.auctionmarts.com/reports/r46561.pdf

Never has the phrase 'Charity begins at home' had more poignancy than now...

Ring side view at Kirkby Stephen Horse Sale Sat 7th Nov 09

2009-11-09T12:35:00.000Z

An INAG member writes:

Approx 300 entries

A different sale to Cowper day in September with no gypsy caravans in town but still the emphasis on coloured cobs. Many Geordie and some Irish accents heard.

Consignments in from Ireland were mainly coloured foals with some sport horses.

Some Welsh Sec A and Sec C foals and New Forest young stock had been brought in from other sales. One Fell pony described as straight off the hill had also been straight off the hill at Dumfries the previous week having been purchased at Penrith Fell Pony Annual Sale on 23rd Oct—3 sales in 15days.

How fast could this practice of moving horses from sale to sale spread disease around the country?

Too many mares were coming through the ring as having run with the stallion all summer — continuing to breed when prices are rock bottom. Clearly many have not heard of or listened to advice on ‘’Sensible Breeding’. Two very nice but over fat Shetland mares had run with the stallion, I hope they did not ‘’take’’ as there was no room for a foal.

There is very much a trend for breeding and starting to ride or drive some of these cobs far too young. One pot bellied youngster barely two years old had a fully worn down set of shoes and was shown in harness with pride, his dipped back showed the strain on his young frame.
A 3yo filly for sale had just weaned a foal.

There seemed to be no market for quiet children’s ponies shown under saddle nor warmbloods or TBs. One 6yo warmblood sold for 1000gns, an Irish Sports Horse 320gns, a TB for 380gns. A wild eyed Friesian cross had clearly been doped and buyers were put off bidding seeing the rider complete with body protector.

One yearling was offered for sale without passport, it was microchipped but the passport had not arrived in time for the sale—it was withdrawn at 900gns.

Some of the dealers stood inside the sale ring and several times were asked to move by the auctioneer to little effect, they were haggling, closing deals and back handing ignoring some of the lots in the ring. The visiting dealers from Ireland were the guiltiest of having their own agenda.

One very lively coloured colt foal stirred them up a bit spending several minutes on its back legs looking for another exit and gained a good price for his spirit.

Many lots were grabbed by one of the dealers for a quick tooth check and the poor foals were prodded with walking sticks from every angle to keep them moving round the ring.

At the end of the sale I found a coloured foal pulling with every ounce of its strength on one of the white rope halters tied to a railing, eyes bulging, I was expecting it to land in a heap and its owners totally ignored it until I pointed to it then they said "do you want to buy it".

A number of lots had hair and skin missing on their faces due to pulling on these halters which are rarely knotted to stop them pulling too tight.

A couple of lots were fully clipped, most people were wearing jackets as it was cold in the mart but no rugs were visible.

Prices — the highest bid coloureds were withdrawn at around £1800. Two excellent beach donkeys were withdrawn at around 600gns each, less substantial donkeys sold to 220gns
Filly foals as always made better trade than colts, the better ones to make over 14.2 between 500 and 800gns. Colts 200-600gns, Fell pony foals around 140gns.

Many lots withdrawn unsold.

Some of the ‘lads’ were learning their dealing skills very young, one very small young man showing 3 mini Shetlands had already learned to ‘thump’ and ‘’prod’’ if the pony did not keep moving.

At least this time there was some bedding down for the ones in mart all night even if it was just a layer of sawdust unlike the Cowper day sale when horses were left on bare concrete all night.

Mart staff had a reader so microchips were being checked but the catalogue does state it is the buyer’s responsibility to check the passport is correct before leaving mart.

Should Horse Owners Have to Rely on Good Luck to Recover Their Stolen Horses?

2009-11-05T14:18:00.000Z

On Monday 2 November 2009 a horse was stolen from a field in the Guildford area. The people who took her sawed through a wooden post and rail fence to get out and this happened between 3pm and 6pm in the afternoon, presumably in daylight.

The police were informed and so were the microchip company who circulated her details to all the ferry ports etc.

During the afternoon of Tuesday 3 Nov, the distraught owner received a phone call from the police to say her horse had been found in Holyhead, Wales. She was tied to a railing at the ferry port and the ferry to Ireland had gone without her.

Several things have come to light in this story:

1. A week prior the horse had a small plait in its mane when the owner went to get her in from the field and described it as very small, almost like a tangle. She disregarded it as kids messing about (her horses are out in a field with others). However, it transpires that this is how people mark horses to be stolen later. One person marks them, another then comes later and knows which one to take.

2. The ferry port at Holyhead do not check horses passports or microchips. This horse was traveling without a passport.

3. The police believe the reason this horse was left behind was because she was microchipped. Although the UK is lax about passport and microchip checking, it is apparently more common for horses to be scanned on entering Ireland. The people who take them will scan them and dump them if they find a microchip. The horse also had a large obvious scar so this may have been a contributing factor.

The police told her that horses being dumped at a ferry terminal is not uncommon and they usually turn out to be stolen. They have had horses left in a lorry on the actual ferry!

This story has a happy ending for the owner and her horse, but how many other stolen horses could have been on that ferry to Ireland?

The owner cannot give any more details because of the police investigation that is ongoing, but has given her permission for INAG to relay this story to highlight:

1. If you find your horse with a small plait in its mane or tail please do not ignore it! The plait is put their so that the thieves know which horse to steal.

2. If your horse isn’t microchipped please consider doing it. The owner of this horse describes her as ‘nothing flashy, just a normal 14.2 bay mare’ so please don’t think it couldn’t happen to you.

The government states

i) The equine passport is a way of recording the information regarding a horses medical treatment in order to reduce the risk of unsuitable horses entering the food chain (Q2, 3, 4) http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/movements/horses/horses_qa.htm).

ii) That it is illegal (except for in a few instances, Q16 http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/movements/horses/horses_qa.htm) for a horse to moved or transported without a passport except under emergency circumstances.

iii) That since February 2005 it is an offence to move their horse or pony outside the UK without a passport (Q38 http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/movements/horses/horses_qa.htm)

iiii) Failure to correctly identify animals could lead to a fine of up to £5000.

On posing the question as to the efficacy of checks at ferry ports to a number of well respected horse transporters, they replied that only very infrequently are passports requested from the transporters, especially on the UK/Ireland routes. However, they are not verified that they actually belong to the horses being transported, nor are microchips checked - merely a count done that the number of passports shown = the number of horses IF the transporter is pulled over for checking!

Given the Ton of Bricks method of applying this legislation to the average law abiding horse owner, INAG finds it incomprehensible that the Government itself can so easily and glibly flout its own rules by allowing horses through its own ports without its staff verifying that the horses are being moved legally. Or is it simply easier and cheaper to hound and make examples out of Joe Public, rather than equip all ports with the facilities, staff and equipment that would enable them to catch some REAL law breakers - the horse traffickers and horse thieves...?

Well done to the police for their efforts in recovering this poor horse and reuniting her with her owner!

The Facts of Life and Death in France

2009-10-18T10:34:00.000+01:00

France is no different to any other country - including the United Kingdom - in that each year there are many horses, ponies and donkeys that are unwanted, sick, old, injured or simply unrideable will be slaughtered. In France it is expensive and difficult to have a horse euthanased at home. Rural France is not a wealthy area and the practical view of gaining some money from an animal which would otherwise have no value on the open market thanks to age, illness, injury or behavioural problems overrides any sentimentality.

In the UK, there is a network of ‘knackermen’ and hunts who can come at short notice to quickly slaughter and dispose of such animals. There is no such system in France. In France it is illegal to not use a vet or licensed slaughter man and vets are only allowed to inject with fatal doses of drugs, not use a humane killer. Not only is there the cost the vet’s callout charge and drugs but having the carcass collected is also expensive. Often it is not possible for the body to be collected for several days. It will be left lying at a convenient place for collection, which is more often than not at the end of the road to the property, and at risk of being eaten by wild animals - a horrible and upsetting sight for any caring owner to witness.

However, because France is a country that traditionally eats horse and donkey meat a different solution has evolved.

France has a network of over 150 approved abattoirs which process over 24,000 animals annually. Healthy carcasses end up on the table and the rest go to the rendering plants.

The simple reality is that in France many horses are bred specifically for meat. In fact, many of the traditional heavy breeds have only survived because of this and this route is fully supported as a way of actually preserving and maintaining the breed numbers of otherwise endangered breeds.

Often, these animals are treated in the same way as any other animal which is bred for meat and they have had little or no human contact barring being herded into a cattle crush to be microchipped and have no comprehension of even the most basic handling.

In attempting to 'rescue' these animals from slaughter the safety of both the horse and the human can be endangered - as we have seen on many occasions. Whilst often docile creatures, these animals are clearly frightened and have no idea of basic handling or being lead and are powerful enough to be impossible to control in a normal manner from the ground. This brings further risks and dangers - from horses falling off ramps and breaking limbs, running loose - possibly into traffic to badly injuring the well-meaning people who want to try and find them a new life.

Commercial transporters for the meat trade in France have specially designed lorries with very strong metal ramps and fixed gates to prevent the horses falling to the side or getting free when loading. Most UK commercial private horse transporters do not have suitable equipment for dealing with what are essentially wild horses weighing at least a ton apiece.

Whilst we at ERF are horse owners and are dedicated to the welfare of the horse, we believe that we cannot be opposed to the humane slaughter of equines at local, regulated abattoirs. Thanks to this network of regulated slaughter houses around 24,000 horses are slaughtered locally per year and thus avoid the horrendous long journey to Italy. We balance this fact with our work of trying to reduce the number of ill, abandoned and unwanted equines through education in responsible ownership, and rehoming our animals under contract with carefully selected people.

Many thanks to Equine Rescue France. You can read more about the ERF, the equines they have successfully helped and rehomed and follow their blog here -

http://equinerescuefrance.wordpress.com/

Why We Believe Charity Begins at Home

2009-09-25T18:42:00.000+01:00

Only hours away from her next destination - the abattoir - Beauty's future made an about turn when a lady felt compelled to visit her local UK auction that day.

Caroline saw a horse tied to a truck - thin, covered in open sores and looking for all the world like she was on her last legs - all those who saw her muttered at her pitiful condition before walking away. Luckily for Beauty, Caroline was adamant that she couldn't walk away as all the others had done and despite the fact that she already had another two horses at home, managed to negotiate a price for her with the owner. The timely appearance of two RSPCA inspectors ensured that the owner closed the deal quickly and with no further haggling.

Shortly after Beauty's arrival, Caroline managed to track down one of Beauty's previous owners, a polo player, who gave Caroline the mare's life history...

Beauty had been born in Argentina, arriving in the UK as a 7 year old and played polo at the "highest level" and was “a phenomenal polo pony”. The sad irony here is that Caroline actually paid less money to secure Beauty than the price players paid to ride her in one 'chukka' (7 minutes) - £350!

At the age of 15 Beauty was passed onto a polo club where one of their younger players fell in love with her and bought her for polo and Pony Club events. After her owner's parents divorced, she was sold as a brood mare and from there the trail sadly goes cold - until that fateful day at the beginning of September this year when luckily for Beauty, Caroline listened to and acted on the gut instinct that she had to visit that sale on that particular day.

You can read their story and the progress they have made together here -

http://beautythehorse.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/3/

Rescue or Rip-Off?

2009-09-22T12:58:00.000+01:00

There have been many discussions on various equine forums about rescuing French horses from the abattoirs. There have, in the past, been heated personal debates between the “Rescuers” (those members of French Rescue Sites) and the “Antis” (those against rescuing from the meat market). Listed below are the reasons why the “Antis” are against French rescue:-

Charity begins at home
We are not against rescuing horses in need, far from it, but we would rather sort out the dozens of horses that need rescuing on our own doorstep than rescuing horses from other European countries.Every week there are markets in the UK where horses are sold for a pittance, to abattoirs, or dealers out to make a quick buck. For the price of a 'rescued' French horse, several UK horses could given future. Much has been written about the “second hand” market for racehorses, why not rehabilitate one of these before looking to the rest of Europe to rescue?

Bred for meat
Many horses are bred for meat. This is a concept which is hard to imagine in the UK where the horse has different status. We do not eat horse meat but for many Europeans it’s part of their daily diet as our UK diet includes beef, pork or lamb. Why do the “rescuers” only, therefore, ''rescue'' horses? Why not cattle, pigs or sheep?

There is no Bad Lorry
One of the clever marketing ploys some of these French Rescue websites publish is that all the French horses destined for slaughter have to endure illegal and brutal trips to Italy. It makes no economic sense whatsoever for the farmers to travel horses long distances all the way to Italy for slaughter when the local abattoir offers a similar return without the expense of long haul transportation. Some will travel to Italy,but those that do will be well within the current welfare guidelines.

They are there for a reason
Horses end up at low-grade dealing farms for a reason. Sound, correct horses will cost more than the meat value. You have to ask yourself why and how the horse did end up there at such a low price. Usually it will be because of a permanent injury, conformation defects, illnesses or a difficult temperament, none of which are conducive to a comfortable and safe future.

Not in any danger
Many of the horses advertised for “rescuing” on some of the French Rescue websites have not been and would never be in any danger. In some instances, it is just a clever marketing ploy to make a quick buck for the owners/participants of some of these websites.

Goods do not fit the description
A lot of the time, because the horses have not actually been viewed by the French Rescue Sites, the information on the original advertisements may not be accurate. What you think you are “rescuing” and what walks off the lorry when your horse arrives could quite literally be two different horses.

No Vet Checks
When purchasing one of these horses, the “rescuers” think it unnecessary to have a vet check. Often these horses, bought from pictures only, have serious illnesses or injuries hidden by careful photography. If these horses were vet checked prior to purchase, the “rescuers” may think again about rescuing that particular animal. Equines seriously unfit to travel have been forced to endure the long haul journey into the UK.

No Home Checks
Approach a legitimate horse charity and ask if you can re-home a horse. Yes, you will be asked for a re-homing fee, but you will also be put through stringent home checks. These home-checks will entail someone coming out to visit where you will be keeping the horse and written references from someone who knows you personally. These French Rescue sites do not require these type of home checks, their philosophy seems to be as long as the horses are rescued, it doesn’t matter where they end up. Sadly, in many cases, the horses end up worse off here in the UK then they would have if remaining in France.

To sum up, whichever side of the fence you sit on the one common ground we all have is our love for horses and we all should work together to stop lining these low grade dealers pockets who will continue to sell horses under the guise of 'rescue'. The French farmers will continue to offer horses for sale at inflated prices because the “rescuers” keep buying them. The more bought, the more the French farmers will offer for sale. This supports the stance of all the major UK equine charities who are against buying horses out of the meat chain.

INAG for Equine support WHW Make A Noise and On the Hook Campaign to try and halt the appalling journeys suffered by horses and donkeys across other parts of Europe to slaughter.

The Inception

2009-09-21T20:55:00.000+01:00

Since 2006, there have been increasing numbers of French horses, ponies and donkeys imported into the UK supposedly being 'rescued' from the French abattoirs.
Several UK forum sites sprang up and jumped on the bandwagon. Unfortunately it soon became apparent that the sites were hiding simple horse trading under the guise of 'rescue'. Emotional blackmail was commonplace to encourage soft-hearted horse lovers to purchase these animals. Phrases frequently used include;
'Save these horses from the dreadful three day journeys to Italy';
'Don't let this baby go on the Bad Lorry';
'Save this boy from the dinner plate'
and similar entreaties. All sites used the well documented 3 to 5 day trips to Italy from the Eastern Bloc as something to 'save' the French horses from, when the reality is from the NW of France to the furthest slaughterhouse in Southern Italy would take less than 24 hours, the maximum legal journey time under current EU regulations. Notwithstanding the financial aspect of such a journey would make it commercially unviable and highly unlikely.

The 'rescue' sites mostly buy from dealers, not 'fattening' farms. The breeders and 'fat' farms raise and fatten horses in much the same way as cattle. The young meat horses on the sites are the smaller poorer examples of the breed who will have been rejected by the commercial meat farmers because of their lack of size. These commercial breeders and farmers know their market, and breed accordingly. However, now a new more lucrative market has emerged from the 'rescue sites', it is worth their effort to supply more horses, as higher prices are commanded from these sites than from the abattoir. Taking a horse out of the meat chain at an inflated price does not reduce the numbers that go to slaughter, it simply encourages more production, and more horses facing slaughter.

As a rule, the meat youngsters are totally unhandled, unpredictable and in the case of the heavier breeds, very powerful. It is a recipe for disaster for them to go into the inexperienced hands that make up the majority of the UK forum purchasers.

The horses on the sites in dealers' yards are the bottom end of the market. Invariably lame, sick or aged, these horses and ponies are kept short term in groupage on the dealing yards/farms. The dealer collects unwanted local animals from their owners. If they cannot be sold to someone else in the interim, the ones that have no prospect of a future will eventually go to the abattoir. Riding schools frequently offload onto these farms, and the sound/safe animals will probably find French homes the same way dealers animals in the UK do. Because of the culture here in France, horses go to the abattoir where in the UK these same horses would be put down at home, by a vet or a knacker. There is more information on that here; http://equinerescuefrance.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/the-facts-of-life-and-death-in-france/

Increasingly, the dealers have cottoned onto the fact that there are English people who will pay more than meat money if their heartstrings are tugged, so they use someone to put the equines on the French sites where the English sites source their horses. Many of these horses are in no immediate danger of going to slaughter, it is a myth perpetrated by the sites, both English and French, to try and force a sale of these animals.

Those that are likely to go to the abattoir are frequently misrepresented. The photographs taken by these dealers/agents on the French websites often are done in such a way as to hide the illness/deformities. Their ages are frequently lied about, describing a horse or pony as early to mid teens when in fact these animals are often late twenties or older.

Some of the 'rescue' tales make for grim reading. One old pony died in transit. Another old mare went down so often on the journey that she was very ill and in need of intensive veterinary treatment on arrival. One foal was so deformed that it was euthanased with days of arrival. Two have been euthanased as a result of strangles present on importation. One was euthanased after being forced to endure several operations on twisted limbs.

A small proportion of 'rescued' horses are lucky and find a good, lifelong home, but as the sites prey on less experienced owners, many of these unfortunate animals disappoint by failing to live up to expectation, and are sold or passed on to disappear into an already overpopulated UK equine market roundabout.

Currently, many of these horses come into the UK under the cover of the Tripartite Agreement, which is outdated and open to abuse. http://www.inagforequines.org/tripartite.htm

Our aims are to prevent the never ending tales of misery and suffering endured by these equines by pushing for changes to the regulations and tightening up their implementation.

Welcome

2009-08-19T15:39:00.000+01:00

Our website is http://www.inagforequines.org/