Councils slaughter 2,100 abandoned horses

The number of abandoned and stray horses slaughtered by local authorities increased by over one third last year to more than 2,100 animals.

Figures published by the Department of Agriculture show that un-wanted horses are being put down at a higher rate as the problem of stray animals is growing across the country.

A total of 2,969 stray animals were seized last year of which 72% were euthanised. In contrast, 2,936 horses were seized in 2011 but only 54% were slaughtered.