Julian Raises Plight of Abandoned Horses
October 27, 2013
On Thursday, Julian raised his concerns about the welfare of illegally tethered horses being fly-grazed on both the roadside and on privately-owned land in York.
In Business Questions, Julian asked the Leader of the House: “In light of a recent conviction in my constituency for the mistreatment of horses, and alongside the Welsh Assembly’s recent proposals on the issue, may we have a debate on tackling fly grazing and the abandonment of horses, which sadly happens all too often in my constituency and across England and Wales?”
He went on to say “Abandoned and illegally tethered horses have been a serious concern of mine for a number of years. Unfortunately, the problem is not restricted to York and occurs throughout the country, predominately although not exclusively in rural areas.
“The abhorrent practice can be hugely detrimental to the animal’s welfare and often results in distress, malnourishment, and lameness. The animals can also pose a danger to nearby road users and there have been a number of collisions in York where drivers have narrowly avoided fatal injury. I welcome the Welsh Assembly’s lead on tackling the problem and I will be lobbying hard in Parliament in order to raise awareness of the issue and make the necessary changes to the law.”
Julian has been working closely with the RSPCA to update existing legislation in order to provide a greater degree of protection to horses and ponies. It is hoped that, with the support of other MPs, the law can be improved in order to help the RSPCA and other agencies rescue these horses from a lifetime of misery.
