Rescue charity discovers 140 abandoned horses in Galway

Nearly 140 horses were found abandoned on commonage throughout County Galway in a new survey by a rescue charity.

According to the locally-based Forgotten Horses Ireland, there were 139 horses found abandoned, up almost 10% on the 127 found in 2012.

However, volunteers suspect the figure for this year could be much higher, as the census across 2,400 acres of commonage in the county took place in adverse weather conditions.

Chairperson Rozmina Kachchhi believes the reduction in the numbers of equine deaths locally could be down to the efforts of volunteers during winter.

“The population composition was much the same as in 2012 with foals making up approximately 17% of the population.

”Overall, the conditions of the abandoned horses were satisfactory, reflecting the efforts of the volunteer team to feed and care for the animals throughout the long winter of 2012 to 2013. All welfare concerns have been reported to Galway County Council and the Department of Agriculture.

“However, the body of a yearling that was dead for about a week was discovered. As the horse was not known to volunteers, we suspect the animal was recently abandoned in poor condition.

“In the winter of 2011/12, 22 horses were found dead, mainly due to malnutrition. By contrast, only three horses have died since the charity began working on the commonage in March 2012 – two from gunshot wounds and one from unknown causes,” said Ms Kachchhi.

For more on this story, see today’s Connacht Tribune