Horse Trader

Vale Council has undertaken an operation to remove and re-home over 60 horses that were found on its land.

The council were left to pay for the costs of caring for the animals, which were left to fly-graze near Cardiff Airport, Rhoose.

The animals were placed in the care of the council under the Animal Act 1971 and have now been re-homed with the help of Redwings. Redwings, which is based in Norfolk, helped the council to round up the horses and took 23 of the animals into their care. Thirty other horses that were found were sent to the Bransby Home of Rest for Horses in Lincolnshire and another 10 were taken in by HorseWorld in Bristol.

The Donkey Sanctuary also helped, providing transportation. The animals are now settling into their new homes. One of the horses at HorseWorld has been adopted by a member of staff, with others remaining at the sanctuary and some being sent to the Blue Cross. Helen Whitelegg, welfare officer at Bransby Home of Rest for Horses, said that although the horses were originally tired from the travelling, they are now starting to perk up.

“When the horses arrived they were tired and feeling the effects of the travel,” she said. “When I first saw them, half the herd were asleep, but their characters are starting to come out now. “The whole group does three laps of their field every morning before breakfast!” The animals had been checked regularly by veterinary surgeons to ensure that they were kept in good health, according to a spokeswoman for Vale Council.“

The activity of horse dumping or fly grazing will not be tolerated within the Vale. We will continue to protect animals, to ensure they receive the care they require and deserve,” the spokeswoman said.