Don't feed horses while out on walks, experts urge
Research from the University of Bristol shows feeding horses can cause them to suffer serious illness or death
If you ever spot a horse while out for a walk - don't feed it.
That's the plea from the British Horse Society after research by the University of Bristol found three quarters of owners are finding their horses have been fed without their permission - often with drastic consequences.
With more people taking to the countryside during the third COVID-19 lockdown, the BHS say in some instances horses have been left seriously injured, made extremely ill or in some cases have died, either because of feeding or people leaving gates open.
Preliminary results from the Bristol survey, completed by 1,017 people in 2020, revealed high numbers of owners had experienced their horses being fed without their permission, with over half finding this had been occurring more frequently since the first COVID-19 lockdown.
The survey also found that nearly a third of horses became unwell as a result, with half of these needing veterinary treatment.
Almost a third of those that required treatment did not make a full recovery and 16 per cent died or were euthanised.
The BHS launched their #BeHorseAware campaign in April 2020 to raise public awareness of the suffering that horses and owners can go through as a result of inappropriate feeding.
Gemma Stanford, Director of Welfare at The British Horse Society, said: “The BHS is urging members of the public to take notice of our #BeHorseAware campaign and not feed horses in fields as this can cause serious, potentially life-threatening illness.
"We believe many people act with no malicious intent and at this time of year members of the public think that they are helping a hungry horse.
"However, they are unaware of the timings at which owners feed their horses and the risks that certain foods or grass cuttings can pose.
"If members of the public feel that a horse is being mistreated or underfed, we would ask them to contact the BHS welfare helpline for advice."
The BHS is offering the following advice to people who come across horses while enjoying the countryside:
- Do not feed horses as any type of food can cause serious illness or death
- Leave gates and property as you find them
- Keep your dog on a lead as they may startle horses, which can cause injury.
- If you see a horse in distress, alert the nearest farm/yard or check for a sign with owner’s detail on
The BHS has produced free signs for horse owners to place around their fields warning the public not to feed their horses. These are available for download at bhs.org.uk/behorseaware.