Horse welfare trust reaches 'crisis point' as donations fall

A SHARP drop in cash contributions compounded by fewer offers to care for horses due to costs, means the Irish Horse Welfare Trust’s stable is full and the organisation has reached “crisis point” .

The charity rescues and rehabilitates horses that have been abandoned, neglected or ill-treated around the country.

Donations and sponsorship have declined by half in the past year which has made it difficult for the organisation to carry out its work. It costs some €300,000 per year to run the trust, which is mainly operated by volunteers.

The recession has had a “major impact” on donations as people do not have the capacity for that “extra few euro”, said trust chairwoman Jane Myerscough. Sponsorship is also in decline as many donors have also been affected by the recession. There was some welcome news last week from the Department of Agriculture which increased its annual contribution to the organisation by €5,000 to €30,000.

The most far-reaching effect of the recession is that its Co Wicklow stable is operating beyond capacity with some 85 horses and is only able to accommodate more horses in exceptional circumstances.

“If we had the budget and capacity we would take more horses in,” Ms Myerscough said.

The trust continues to send welfare officers to deal with cases of abandoned or neglected horses, but often has to contact gardaí and district veterinary officers to take them in.

Lack of confidence in the future is one main reason why fewer people are taking in horses.

“An extra horse is expensive to keep as a long-term commitment and that’s a lot to people in a recession,” Ms Myerscough said. “The cost of keeping an equine is roughly €2,500/€3,000 per year. If somebody loses their job, that is a big cost burden on their shoulders.”

The recession has also meant that some owners have abandoned their horses rather than putting them down.

“There exists a mindset of some who choose not to pay the money for humane disposal of their sick or injured horse, this cost is often why we find badly neglected equines dumped,” she said.

Many of these horses have not been micro-chipped, and therefore cannot be traced back to the owner.

“It’s not a blanket problem but is a problem especially at the unregulated end of the market,” she said, adding that there were also many responsible horse owners.

Although the organisation has volunteers rather than professionals engaged in fundraising, it has begun new money-raising strategies due to the recession. These include allowing the public to donate gifts for rescued horses such as €25 for a bottle of penicillin.

Other animal welfare charities are innovating due to a drop in funds and increasing demand for their services. The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) launched a “hay drive” last week asking people to give three euro by text or online to feed a horse for a day. The ISPCA said people surrendering dogs to shelters is up 20 per cent this year.

Donations to the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals charity are down by 20 per cent. It started a restructuring programme in October.

Despite a decline in funding and an increase in demand, the horse welfare trust points to two positive changes in the area: an improvement in awareness of welfare issues; and a dramatic reduction in foal registrations.

Ms Myerscough described the last three years as “horrific” because of unwanted bloodstock.

However, foal registrations have reduced significantly and regulated slaughter has increased so there has been a reduction in stock and many breeders have acted responsibly, she said.

She also pointed to an increase in awareness of welfare issues among the general public, with people more likely to report incidents.

This will be further enhanced in January when the department puts a helpline in place for the public to report cases of animal cruelty.

It will also publish a new code of how animals should be handled for welfare organisations.