Call for funds to tackle unwanted horses problem

The country’s main farming organisation has called on the Government to provide financial assistance to horse owners to tackle the growing problem of unwanted horses.

The Irish Farmers’ Association said initiatives were necessary to address the issue as a growing number of people found they had horses they could not get slaughtered and which they could no longer afford to keep.

The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals claimed recently that just 8,000 horses have been slaughtered so far in 2013, compared to 24,000 animals last year.