Dozens of horses assessed at Wellingborough site with RSPCA promising further checks

Veterinary treatment is to be given to five horses following the assessment of more than 40 animals at a Wellingborough site.

The RSPCA joined World Horse Welfare and Wellingborough Council for the assessment of 43 horses on the site off Irthlingborough Road yesterday (Wednesday).

Five of these animals were in a poor physical condition and will be given veterinary treatment.

Further assessments will then be carried out on all the horses, who have caused concern for lots of people about their welfare not only in recent weeks but for many years.

An RSPCA spokesman said: “Members of the RSPCA along with representatives from World Horse Welfare and Wellingborough Borough Council yesterday (Weds) visited a large site off Irthlingborough Road in Wellingborough following reports of concerns for horses which are kept there.

“In total 43 horses were examined and of those we believe there are five horses in poor physical condition who will need veterinary treatment.

“We now plan to return to the site at the earliest opportunity with other agencies to carry out a detailed veterinary examination on all the horses.

"This will be carried out once we have made arrangements with the staff and vets needed to carry out this task and also for accommodation, should some of the horses need to be taken away for treatment.

“In the meantime we will monitor the site on a daily basis.

"Yesterday, World Horse Welfare provided hay for the horses and we would ask that those kind members of the public who are regularly visiting the site providing food continue to do so.

“The situation in this field was brought to our attention earlier this month and since then we have been in attendance on a regular basis.

"It is always difficult to tackle problems of this nature when we cannot link individual horses with owners.

“We rely on the public to be our eyes and ears and are grateful for all calls to us in relation to animal welfare and we would like to assure them work is taking place with other equine charities to help the horses in need.”

The action taken by the RSPCA, World Horse Welfare and Wellingborough Council will undoubtedly be welcomed by those who had been calling for more to be done.

An online petition recently started to help the horses has now been signed by more than 10,600 people and just this week Wellingborough's MP Peter Bone added his voice to the campaign.