Nearly 350 horses abandoned in Dublin last year

THE number of abandoned horses found in the country’s largest local authority area last year has soared to 349, mainly thanks to schoolchildren buying them before turning them loose.

New statistics from Dublin City Council show that it impounded 349 horses last year, 99 more than in 2008 and 157 more than in 2007.

The local authority said the main reason for the growing number of horses in the city was that prices are so low, schoolchildren can now easily afford to buy one, but often cannot afford to keep them.