Alton, along with places like Gloucester, Guildford and parts of York, has been identified by the RSPCA as one of the country’s hotspots for fly-grazing horses.
The RSPCA estimate that around 7,000 horses are at risk and being fly-grazed. A report released last year by several equine charities revealed that the number of horses being cared for by charities had risen rapidly over the past few years. The main reason for the number of horses being fly-grazed appears to be dealers who are still buying, breeding and importing horses despite the market being saturated and horses now sometimes being listed for as little as £5, with many remaining unsold.
The practice of leaving horses to graze on public or private land without permission has been common across England and Wales. Historically this has attracted relatively little attention, but within the past two years the number of incidences being reported has increased dramatically.
Damian Hinds said:
“The number of horses being fly-grazed has increased significantly in our area in the past few years. Of course the welfare of the horses in question is a major concern, but the wellbeing of landowners, farmers and the general public is jeopardised by this practice too.
Local authorities are then pressured to either find homes for the horses, or euthanize them if charities have no space. In many cases, the original owners may buy their horses back at auction after they are listed by the authorities.
“I support the RSPCA’s call for local authorities to be given more powers to remove horses that are being fly-grazed. I also welcome Defra’s efforts to negotiate a limit to the free movement of horses from France to the UK, which I hope will go some way to lessening the number of horses that make their way to East Hampshire. I have called for a Parliamentary debate on this issue so that Ministers can tell us what they plan to do.”
The National Farmers’ Union’s County Adviser for Hampshire, Sandra Nichols, said:
“We’d like to see a tightening of the law on horse passports and for fly grazing to become a criminal offence. In the meantime, police and local authorities need to develop robust procedures for joint working to tackle the scourge of fly grazing. We’d welcome a parliamentary debate on this issue.”