HORSE lovers have expressed concern over the safety of four travellers’ horses “dumped” in a field at Warrington.
The horses, which appear to be in a poor condition, are in a field next to Houghton Green Pool – a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SINC).Cllr Geoff Settle (pictured) said: “Horse lovers in Houghton Green and Cinnamon Brow
are very concerned for the welfare of these fly-grazing horses.
“They have been dumped by a man claiming to be their owner in a field of ragwort without access to fresh water.
“The horses’ mains are matted and their hooves are in poor condition.”
The horses are believed to be part of a travellers’ herd of nine horses that bore three foals this summer on the SINC site.
They were grazing on the SINC site for more than four months before they started escaping repeatedly onto Delph Lane because someone kept leaving the gates open.
Cllr Settle said: “I was driving towards Winwick when the whole herd came over the brow of the Delph Lane motorway bridge, in between a couple of very worried motorists.
“They did a lap of Houghton Green before ending up grazing on the football fields behind the Mill House Pub. It took a number of horse lovers from Cinnamon Brow two hours on that occasion to round up, rope and lead the frightened horses to safety in a pen behind the Plough pub on Mill Lane.
“This was their third or fourth escape of the week.”
“The traveller turned up the following morning with a horsebox and collected the horses. However two weeks later four of them are back, on the newly harvested field next to the SINC site, grazing on the stubble with the gate wide open.”
Police have been called out on several occasions.
Cllr Settle has now become a member of the borough council’s new gypsy and traveller liaison committee which has to identify and deliver a site within the borough to meet the transit needs of travellers.
He has asked that issues surrounding fly-grazing are added to the group’s remit.
He said: “As a new member of the committee I wasn’t expecting such a dramatic introduction chasing horses around the Houghton Green village.
“I am very grateful to local residents from the village and Cinnamon Brow for all their help rounding up the horses.
“The local people value this site as a place to walk, relax and enjoy the wildlife. When the remaining horses leave I hope the SINC site is given a chance to recover.”
Concern over dumped horses
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Thanks for featuring this issue – there are more photos and details on the Warrington Nature Conservation Forum Facebook Site https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Warrington-Nature-Conservation-Forum/110886079024465
when the remaining horses leave?? get a rescue centre to take the poor things,pandering to the travellers again.! what if they dont move them? we they be left forever?
If only it was that simple !!